A coalition of faith, family and community leaders gathered today to deliver a national petition calling on Congressional leaders to reject the nomination of Sen. Jeff Sessions and other divisive figures in President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet.
“Congressional leaders must reject President-elect Trump’s cabinet of bigotry and demand advisors who embody the values that make our nation great — liberty and justice for all,” said Rev. Jennifer Butler, CEO of Faith in Public Life and the petition’s primary author.
“I stand firmly with those who are cut out of Trump’s vision of our nation. Americans of every race, color, sexual orientation and religious background must be included and valued in this nation we call home.”
The press conference also featured Mr. Khizr Khan, the father of fallen US Army Captain Humayun Khan, as well as Karen Korematsu, daughter of civil rights icon Fred Korematsu. When he was just 23, Mr. Korematsu was arrested after refusing to report to a Japanese internment camp during WWII.
The press conference was held “just days before the 72nd anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Korematsu decision, which ruled that removing 120,000 people of Japanese descent, two-thirds of whom were American citizens, from their homes and confining them in internment camps was constitutional.”
Donald Trump campaigned on banning Muslims from entering the US, on creating a “deportation force” to round up and kick out the nation’s 11 million undocumented immigrants, and building a massive wall along the US/Mexico border.
Sessions, President-elect Trump’s pick for United States Attorney General, has long held some of the most anti-immigrant positions in the US Senate, and has long history of divisive and bigoted rhetoric.
“What I want to say to you this morning is that we were made for this moment,” said Rabbi Jason Kimelman-Block of Bend the Arc. “We must resist.”
“My faith teaches that the creator never puts his creation in jeopardy without also providing the solution,” said Mr. Khan during his remarks.
LIVESTREAM: Clergy and community leaders call on Congress to reject a “Cabinet of Bigotry”. https://t.co/G9gG0aCo3M #ResistBigotry
— America’s Voice (@AmericasVoice) December 14, 2016
NETWORK is proud to stand with interfaith clergy at the U.S. Capitol to #resistbigotry. pic.twitter.com/IKEnJkt0Fl
— Emma Tacke (@ETacke) December 14, 2016
Karen @korematsu: We cannot again round up a group of people because they look like the enemy #resistbigotry pic.twitter.com/HqA8Vc67Fx
— JewishAction (@jewishaction) December 14, 2016
2500 clergy #ResistBigotry standing against @realDonaldTrump cabinet appointments Sessions and Bannon. pic.twitter.com/P8ZfkqtzjV
— NCCCUSA (@ncccusa) December 14, 2016
“What I want to say to you this morning is that we were made for this moment. We must resist.” Bend the Arc’s @rabbijkb #resistbigotry pic.twitter.com/3aPmNvblCx
— JewishAction (@jewishaction) December 14, 2016
“This beautiful multifaith multiracial multiethnic community must double down on commitment to end all forms of bigotry” #resistbigotry pic.twitter.com/NKyCia7K7h
— JewishAction (@jewishaction) December 14, 2016
“We will resist because anything less would compromise the very values that make us who we are.” @rabbijkb‘s call to action #resistbigotry
— JewishAction (@jewishaction) December 14, 2016
“My soul cringes when I hear the words #MakeAmericaGreatAgain I am reminded of living during segregation.” -Bishop Baltimore #resistbigotry
— Jason L. Miller (@JasonLouMiller) December 14, 2016
“I add my voice to their courage,” says Mr. Khan at the #ResistBigotry press conference with national faith leaders. pic.twitter.com/xV7cmo3J7G
— Gabe Ortíz (@TUSK81) December 14, 2016
My faith teaches me that our creator never puts his creation in jeopardy without providing a solution. – Khizr Khan #resistbigotry. pic.twitter.com/pDeqL3wGQC
— Faith in Public Life (@TheRealFPL) December 14, 2016
.@RevDrBarber on Khizr Khan: “Prophetic Voices come from all corners.” #resistbigotry pic.twitter.com/PFpZwaHo8y
— Jason L. Miller (@JasonLouMiller) December 14, 2016
Rev. Barber calls us to emulate, not commemorate Civil Rights Era events and continue fighting for jobs and the poor #resistbigotry pic.twitter.com/1A7JQF9whn
— Michelle Zeiler (@mzeilerfrown) December 14, 2016
Mr. Khan: “My faith teaches that the creator never puts his creation in jeopardy without also providing the solution.” #ResistBigotry
— America’s Voice (@AmericasVoice) December 14, 2016
Rev Barber: We call for 3 things to engage, to have a race/class audit of US, and to again march in sts 4 civil rights #resistbigotry
— Dumbarton UMC (@DumbartonUMC) December 14, 2016
We must move in the streets and in the suites … to have a moral reset of consciousness – @RevBarberII. #resistbigotry. pic.twitter.com/ZdgUzdypyl
— Faith in Public Life (@TheRealFPL) December 14, 2016
Proud to join @RevDrBarber, Khizir Khan & Karen @korematsu in calling on Congress to #resistbigotry and appoint leaders who value inclusion.
— JewishAction (@jewishaction) December 14, 2016
Our executive director @rowefinkbeiner w/ Khizr Khan & our petition calling for a #Cabinet of inclusion. @TheRealFPL #resistbigotry pic.twitter.com/cTMfBHS0Z2
— MomsRising (@MomsRising) December 14, 2016