Founder of Chick-fil-A's Dan Cathy Suggests White Christians Repent of Racism and Shines Lecrae's Shoes

Dan T. Cathy.
Dan T. Cathy. He is chairman, president, and CEO of fast-food chain Chick-fil-A |

During a 70-minute roundtable discussion at the Atlanta evangelical megachurch Passion City Church with Christian rapper Lecrae Moore, Pastor of Passion City Church, Louie Giglio, and Chick-fil-A CEO, Dan Cathy, it was suggested that white Christians repent of racism.

The roundtable came subsequently after the death of Rayshard Brooks, who was fatally shot dead by two Atlanta police officers at a Wendy's parking lot.

"We 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. We're just adding to it," Cathy said.

As the founder of Chik-fil-A held a shoeshine brush in his hand, he recalled a story that was shared with him about a church revival event in Texas.

"At that revival on the front seat, there was an older African American man that was sitting there. And this young man got up that was there in the service and he'd been so gripped with conviction about the racism that was in that local community in a small town in Texas that he took a shoe brush and he walked over to this elderly gentleman and he knelt on his knees and began to shine his shoes and tears began to flow in that service," Cathy shared. 

"It was an attitude of conviction," Cathy said as he invited the audience to "put some words to action" as he stood from his seat and proceeded to shine Lecrae's shoes on stage. 

Cathy finished "shining" Lecrae's shoes by giving him a hug and concluded with the statement, "Any expressions of a contrite heart, of a sense of humility, a sense of shame, a sense of embarrassment begin with an apologetic heart. I think that's what our world needs to hear today."

Comments on Youtube rather expressed frustration and asked others to not insist on shining anyone's shoe or apologize for one's skin color like Cathy implied in the 70-minute discussion.