VOA慢速英语2014 Ferguson Church Helps Community Deal With Race Relations

 

Ferguson Church Helps Community Deal With Race Relations

The city of Ferguson is just outside of St. Louis, in the U.S. Midwest state of Missouri.

Many white residents¹ there say they chose to live in the city because of its cultural diversity.

So, they were shocked when a white police officer killed an unarmed black teenager named Michael Brown in August of this year. The protests² and violence in the weeks after the shooting shook the community.

Now, they are waiting for a grand jury³ to decide whether to charge Officer Darren Wilson with the death of Michael Brown. They are also trying to decide what to do next.

Some churches in the community in the central United States are leading discussions⁴.

Pastor⁵ Willis Johnson of Wellspring Church in Ferguson used his Sunday religious service to talk about the issue. He changed his usual plans and made members of his church stand up and hug one another.

Mr. Johnson says he wants the community to start what he calls a difficult conversation. He says he believes it is his duty to, in his words, “challenge people to do something, in some way, regarding⁶ not just this issue but the many issues that are human issues that we have to address.”

His church has been working with other churches and nearby school districts to help the community deal with Mr. Brown's death.

The pastor also is trying to give a sense of direction and purpose to people who are questioning what to do and how to do it.

Katie Turnball lives in Ferguson. She is white, and came to Mr. Johnson’s mostly African-American church after the shooting of Michael Brown. Ms. Turnball says coming to Mr. Johnson’s church helps her understand different ways of thinking in her community.

She says she believes people in Ferguson want to talk about and try to improve issues of race and social inequality in their community.

But, both she and Mr. Johnson say, they do not think this important conversation is as common in the community as it needs to be.

Both Ms. Turnball and Mr. Johnson also believe this is not something that can be done quickly. Mr. Johnson says the whole community of Ferguson needs to work together “a little bit longer.” He says, “It’s going to require a lot more heavy lifting, and it’s going to require us to be long suffering.”

Many in Ferguson say they hope the unarmed teenager’s death may lead to change and an improved relationship between community members and police.

Words in this Story 

diversity – n. the quality or state of having many different forms, types, ideas, etc.

unarmed – adj. not having a weapon; not armed

hug – v. to put your arms around someone especially as a way of showing love or friendship

conversation – n. an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people; the act of talking in an informal way

inequality – n. an unfair situation in which some people have more rights or better opportunities than other people

1 residents   

n.居民( resident的名词复数 )；（旅馆的）住宿者

参考例句：

• Plans to build a new mall were deep-sixed after protests from local residents. 修建新室内购物中心的计划由于当地居民反对而搁浅。
• Local residents have reacted angrily to the news. 当地居民对这一消息表示愤怒。

2 protests   

n.[体]抗议；抗议，反对( protest的名词复数 )v.声明( protest的第三人称单数 )；坚决地表示；申辩

参考例句：

• The protests have forced the government to back-pedal on the new tax. 抗议活动已迫使政府撤销新的税目。
• Plans to build a new mall were deep-sixed after protests from local residents. 修建新室内购物中心的计划由于当地居民反对而搁浅。

3 jury   

n.陪审团，评委会；adj.临时用的；vt.挑选

参考例句：

• These twelve men are believed to compose the jury.据信，陪审团是由这12人组成的。
• The members of the jury were discharged from their duties.陪审员们被解除了职务。

4 discussions   

n.讨论( discussion的名词复数 )；商讨；详述；论述

参考例句：

• Discussions are held on an informal basis within the department. 讨论限于在本部门内非正式地进行。
• Her specialist input to the discussions has been very useful. 她在这些讨论中提供的专家建议很有助益。

5 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

6 regarding   

prep.关于，至于；就…而论，在…方面

参考例句：

• Regarding John,I will write to him at once.至于约翰，我将立即给他写信。
• Regarding these facts,a special committee is to be appointed.鉴于这些事实，必须成立一个专门委员会。