Speakers explored the many-faceted answers to these questions. Floyds murder also revived the concept of antiracism. The webinar explored, in practice, what it means to be antiracist.

Participants were also invited to reflect on the role played by Christian nationalism in reinforcing white supremacy and racial subjugation, thereby fueling racism, xenophobia and racial discrimination.

Rev. Chebon Kernell, ordained elder in the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference, moderated the discussion, which he opened with a moment of silence for the 19 children and two teachers massacred at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on 24 May.

Regarding the theme of the webinar, he noted that “the country has worked diligently to segregate the respective traumas all communities went through. One of the things we have witnessed over the past two years is the convergence of voices from different minority communities saying that this is the same kind of violence I have witnessed in my lifetime”.

Rev. Dr Leah Gunning Francis, vice president for Academic Affairs and dean of the Faculty at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, shared examples of clergy who supported young people in the streets during the 2014-2015 Ferguson protests when they were protesting the killing of Michael Brown.

You saw more and more clergy coming and standing with young people,” she said. The challenge is, there still have not yet been enough.”

She added: There is still a stronghold within Christianity of this wrapping of Christian nationalism, of taking the cross of Christ and wrapping the American flag around it, all in protection of white supremacy.”

Rt Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, said that church response, particularly after the death of George Floyd, was not a top-down response. She gave examples of community leaders and church leaders who supported calls for justice at the grassroots.

Eaton also called for an end to political leaders who inflame or legitimize racist violence. This emboldens people and I think legitimizes people who want to participate or perpetrate these racist acts,” she said.

Gaynel Diana Curry (Bahamas), an expert on the newly formed United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, explained that around 200 million people living in the Americas and many millions more in other parts of the world outside of Africa identify themselves as being of African descent. “The circumstance sin which they live and the challenges they face are different. What is common among them however is that they all historically face racism and racial discrimination, often systematically in their daily lives”, she noted.

Prof. Gay McDougall, member of the United Nations Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, said she has been following the work of the WCC on racism for more than 30 years. What the WCC has been doing over that time has been foundational,” she said. She added that thise webinar afforded a wonderful opportunity to talk about very painful topics. What I think we need to think about, and what is clear in my mind, is what else was happening in terms of timing around the globe because George Floyds death was a global response,” she said.