Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy called for white Christians to repent for racism Sunday after his company suffered vandalism in about a dozen of the chain’s restaurants over the past week.
Cathy, the son of Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy, spoke in a roundtable discussion with Passion City founder Louie Giglio and Christian rapper Lecrae. He said whites should not condemn the behavior of destroying others’ property. Instead, he said, they should have empathy for the underlying frustration.
“[M]y plea would be for the white people, rather than point fingers at that kind of criminal effort, would be to see the level of frustration and exasperation and almost the sense of hopelessness that exists on some of those activists within the African-American community,” he said.
After calling for whites to repent for racism, Cathy got down and shined Lecrae’s shoes on stage:
“Any expressions of a contrite heart, of a sense of humility, a sense of shame, a sense of embarrassment … an apologetic heart, I think that’s what our world needs to hear today,” he continued.
The CEO said, after speaking to some black members of his staff, he came to realize the existence of “conscious and unconscious biases” that led to some black employees to experience a lack of respect.
He said whites have not been taking the time to ask blacks about their experiences.
“This has led to a sense of apathy, indifference – you know, it’s somebody else’s deal, this is about, you know, police shooting people,” he said, then added, “It’s much more than that. It’s about the grind of that kind of indignity and other expressions of it.”
Speaking of Atlanta and the protesters who burned down Wendy’s after Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by police following an altercation, Cathy said whites need “a period of contrition” and “a sense of real identity, not just criticizing people that are burning down that restaurant last night.”
“[W]e as Caucasians, until we’re willing to just pick up the baton and fight for our black, African-American brothers and sisters, which they are as one human race, we’re shameful,” he said. “We’re just adding to it.”
Chick-fil-A has been mired in controversy over the past year after the discovery of its donations to the far-left Southern Poverty Law Center and also Covenant House, an organization that celebrates LGBTQ pride and hosted a Drag Queen Story Hour in New York.
In November, the restaurant that had received the praise and support of Christians for what appeared to be its courage to stand up for the biblical foundations of marriage and sexuality announced it was changing direction.
The company revealed it would be ending its support for the Salvation Army — considered by many to be the premier organization for helping the homeless and hungry — and giving, instead, to Covenant House International, an organization that helps homeless youth but clearly celebrates LGBTQ pride.