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North Carolina Minister Leaves His Church After Backlash

WUNC | By Laura Pellicer,
Frank Stasio
Published September 7, 2017 at 12:58 PM EDT
Robert Lee IV, a descendant of Confederate General Robert Lee, speaks out against racism at the 2017 VMA's on 8/27/2017. Susan Bro, mother of Heather Heyer, appears on stage.
Matt Sayles
/
AP - 2017
Robert Lee IV, a descendant of Confederate General Robert Lee, speaks out against racism at the 2017 VMA's on 8/27/2017. Susan Bro, mother of Heather Heyer, appears on stage.

Robert W. Lee IV is a North Carolina minister and descendant of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Robert W. Lee IV has made it his mission to counter the racist and problematic legacy of his ancestor by writing and speaking openly about the continued effects of racism in the U.S. 

Host Frank Stasio speaks with minister Robert W. Lee IV about speaking out against white supremacy at the MTV Video Music Awards and the backlash that followed.

Recently that mission took him to the stage of the MTV Video Music Awards where he preached about “God's call to confront racism and white supremacy head-on.” But some congregants of Winston-Salem’s Bethany United Church of Christ where he worked as a pastor did not appreciate his use of the MTV pulpit. Lee faced a wave of backlash and eventually decided to leave that church.

Host Frank Stasio speaks with Lee about the experience and his plans for fighting racial inequality moving forward.

Copyright 2017 North Carolina Public Radio
Laura Pellicer
Laura Pellicer is a producer with The State of Things (hyperlink), a show that explores North Carolina through conversation. Laura was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, a city she considers arrestingly beautiful, if not a little dysfunctional. She worked as a researcher for CBC Montreal and also contributed to their programming as an investigative journalist, social media reporter, and special projects planner. Her work has been nominated for two Canadian RTDNA Awards. Laura loves looking into how cities work, pursuing stories about indigenous rights, and finding fresh voices to share with listeners. Laura is enamored with her new home in North Carolina—notably the lush forests, and the waves where she plans on moonlighting as a mediocre surfer.
See stories by Laura Pellicer
Frank Stasio
Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.
See stories by Frank Stasio