Paying tribute to Second Lieutenant Richard Wilbur Collins III

Today, at the First Baptist Church of Glenarden, we celebrated the life of Second Lieutenant Richard Wilbur Collins III. Lieutenant Collins, known to friends and family as Richie, was a brave, brilliant, passionate, selfless, and kind person. He had just been commissioned in the U.S. Army and was about to graduate from Bowie State University. His future could not have been brighter when his life was cut short by a hateful act of violence motivated by racism. His selfless and courageous contributions to Maryland and our nation will continue to have a lasting impact on those who knew and loved him, and on the broader community who learned of his tragic, senseless, and unjust death.

As Americans, we have a moral responsibility to make sure that no parent has to wake up in the morning in fear that their child is at risk simply because of the color of their skin. The murder of Lieutenant Collins’ is a terrible reminder that we must act more urgently to confront racism and bigotry in every form, both in Maryland and across the country. If we don’t, we are failing our entire community, including the mothers and fathers of young men like Richie who so desperately want to believe that their country stands with them just as Lieutenant Collin's stood with his country. We must not rest until the perpetrator of this evil act is brought to justice and we stamp out hate in all its forms. We must do better.