Saying His Name: How Faith-Based Higher Education Leaders Addressed the George Floyd Murder. Issue 1 (2nd January 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Taylor, Z. W.; Pereira, Marc; Rainey, Liz; Gururaj, Suchi; Gibbs, Ben; Wiser, James; Benson, Corey; Childs, Joshua; Somers, Pat
• Is Part Of: Religion & education. Volume 50:Issue 1(2023)
• Page Start: 39
• Page End: 69
• Publication Date: 2023-01-02
• Subjects: higher education -- faith-based institutions -- religion -- presidents -- racism -- Black Lives Matter -- George Floyd; Religion in the public schools -- United States -- Periodicals; Church and education -- United States -- Periodicals; Church and education; Religion in the public schools; United States; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 379.28
• DOI: 10.1080/15507394.2022.2156262
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1550-7394

Abstract

Abstract: As George Floyd's murder in May 2020 catalyzed a global protest against systemic racism and police brutality, many executive leaders of institutions of higher education issued public statements on the tragedy. What the research has not made clear is how leaders of faith-based institutions address instances of systemic racism and police brutality, specifically analyzing which audiences are addressed, what institutional values are extolled, and how the institution plans to contribute to social justice initiatives in their community or nation. Conceptualizing the data using Noelle-Neumann's spiral of silence and Lieblich et al.'s narrative theory, this study analyzed 254 statements made by leaders of faith-based institutions of higher education to investigate their commentary on the George Floyd murder and their institutions' possible orientation toward social justice. Results suggest many faith-based institutions "say his name" and explicitly mention George Floyd, but many shied away from describing his death as a "murder, " while institutions were more likely to extoll religious beliefs than support Black Lives Matter or mention oppression experienced by Black and African American people. Implications for research, policy, and practice are addressed.