LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) – The NAACP Lafayette Branch is calling on The Family Church to hold Pastor Jay Miller to a higher standard after his involvement in the Jan. 6 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
According to the NAACP Lafayette Branch, the idea that Jay Miller, was seen and recorded “inciting violence with a bullhorn is a serious issue that will be referred to the proper authorities for further review.”
Ravis Martinez said Pastor Jay Miller’s attendance and participation at the Jan. 6 insurrection is a serious issue. This comes after News 10 spoke exclusively with Pastor Miller about the video of him at the insurrection. Miller told us the full story is not shown.”Because of whom I am and because of what I do and what I represent, that clip sells,” Miller said. “If you had the totality of the clip, we probably wouldn’t be here today.”
In a press release from the NAACP, it states, “The NAACP Lafayette Branch calls on The Family
Church, LCA, its leaders, and its church members to hold Pastor Jay Miller to a higher standard of
leadership and release all of the video recordings of his participation in the January 6th insurrection to clear up any questions regarding his actual participation and actions on that deadly day.”
The NAACP state that they are giving the church the chance to “show the Lafayette community what Pastor Jay Miller’s true heart was on January 6th.”
NAACP Lafayette President, Ravis K. Martinez gave his thoughts on this incident.
Martinez said Miller’s statements on the video not showing the full extent of what happened, should be the reason all video footage with him be released.”As he stated in his statements that he took actions that were more favorable than what we saw, then all I ask is that he release them,” Martinez said. “We call on the church to release all of the video footage so we can make the determination for ourselves as a community.”
As a United States Marine, I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I support free speech and the rights of individuals to protest their government and to let their redresses be known, yet the video recorded actions taken by Pastor Jay Miller and those who participated in the January 6 insurrection are clear violations of the law and must be taken serious if we are to heal and move forward as a community and nation. The broader, more important issue is the fact that we have seen a proliferation of this type of political discourse and aggression – based on race, class and extreme political ideology – that has only furthered the political, social, and economic divide that we see in our great state, city, and parish. We are better than this!
NAACP Lafayette President, Ravis K. Martinez
