No Flags At Half Staff
Black Pastor John Howard Wesley of Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, VA did not mince words. “I am overwhelmed. And I do not celebrate the killing of anyone. Charlie Kirk did not deserve to be assassinated,” he told his congregation. “But I’m overwhelmed seeing the flags of the U.S.A. at half-staff, calling this nation to honor and venerate a man who was an unapologetic racist and spent all of his life sowing seeds of division into this land.” Undoubtedly there was much debate about his death, so much of it stemmed from Kirk’s racist and divisive Rhetoric.
Rev. Wesley’s lament captures the tension between the Black church’s historic role as a moral conscience and the rhetoric that dominates parts of today’s conservative talk radio and podcasts. For generations, Black preachers have mixed prophetic critique with a call to healing and unity, organizing voter drives, feeding the hungry, mentoring black and white youth, and standing in interfaith solidarity.
Kirk’s Racist and Divisive Messages
Charlie Kirk, by contrast, built his brand on exactly that kind of dehumanizing talk. On his show he mused, “If I see a Black pilot, I’m going to be like, boy, I hope he’s qualified” (Jan. 23, 2024) and described “prowling Blacks” supposedly targeting white people for fun (May 19, 2023). Additionally he has questioned whether Black women in customer service are “moronic” hires under affirmative action. And claimed prominent Black women such as Joy Reid and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson “stole a white person’s slot” (July 13, 2023).
His remarks about women and religion are similarly inflammatory, for instance. Consequently Kirk told listeners to “reject feminism” and “submit to your husband” when joking about Taylor Swift’s engagement (Aug. 26, 2025), opposed abortion even for a 10-year-old rape victim, and called for “Nuremberg-style” trials of gender-affirming doctors. On Islam, he warned that “large dedicated Islamic areas are a threat to America” (Apr. 30, 2025) and posted that “Islam is the sword the left is using to slit the throat of America” (Sept. 8, 2025).
Key Differences Between White and Black Christians
Placed side by side, the difference is blinding. One tradition — the Black church — keeps lifting up human dignity and community across race, gender, and faith. The other — Kirk’s racist and divisive messages on microphone and social feeds — thrive on fear, stereotypes, and division. Pastor Wesley’s outrage at seeing the flag lowered isn’t dancing on anyone’s grave; it’s a thunderclap of moral clarity. We’re a nation lowering Old Glory for a man whose own words repeatedly demeaned Black people, Muslims, and women. The question practically shouts itself: whose values are we elevating, and why on earth are we treating bigotry as something to honor?
Presiding Chaplain Universal Life Church Monastery
George Freeman
