- Pastor Rich Wilkersonand his wife, Robin,

serve as Chancellors of the University,

and Pastor Rich Wilkerson joins me now.

Pastor, tell us, why isNorth Central University

in Minneapolis the rightplace for people to gather

today to remember thelife of George Floyd?

- Well, first of all,it's a Christian place.

It's a great university.

It's 90 years old.

It is about a mile and two to three blocks

from where the tragedy tookplace a week ago Monday.

And it's a diverse school.

It's a school thatchampions black Americans,

Hispanics, Asian Americans,

all people.

And so, what's so surrealfor me, Jen, is that

49 years ago

I entered this school as a Freshman,

in the fall of 1970.

And so, it's verymeaningful to so many of us.

And I believe that the Floyd family,

it is our heartfelt desirethat they are embraced today

and loved today.

- Well as the nation learnsmore about George Floyd today,

about his Christian walk,

is this a moment forAmericans to begin to heal?

- Yeah, I mean, let's sayyou have a relative die.

How long does it take you to heal?

Emotionally, psychologists tell us that

this kind of a death, any death

of someone that is inthe prime of their life,

it's usually about an18-month emotional cleansing.

I don't know if thiskind of event can ever be

completely expunged from our conscience,

but I believe healing is always possible.

We're Jesus people and that's who He is.

- You know, as a journalist,I know that there is

gonna come a day whereanother event is going to

catch the attention of Americans.

The cameras are gonna leave Minneapolis

and they're gonna moveon to the next story.

It's going to happen, it always does.

Do you fear that thismoment is going to pass

without anything changing?

- Today Dr. Scott Hagan,

the president of North Central University,

a brilliant scholar,

appealed to the presidentsof America's universities,

to join North Central University

in starting the GeorgeFloyd Scholarship Fund

for the next generationof young black Americans,

who so desperately need,

not a handout,

but a leg up.

- Pastor, what is thechurch's responsibility.

Some would say mandategrave responsibility,

coming out of this latestexample of injustice.

- In my estimation,it's what is the weight

that is on the shoulders ofthe white American church?

That's, I think, what it comes down to.

What are we, as white people, going to do?

This is a day for Christianpeople to pick up their cross,

as did Jesus, and walkup that lonely hill,

even if it means people that are friends,

standing against us.

We must stand forrighteousness, truth, justice.

We must present Jesus, theway, the truth, and the life.

- Amen.

Pastor Wilkerson, thankyou so much for joining us

on this special day.

- Thank you, Jennifer.