S6, Ep. 11: African Americans and Religious Freedom

African Americans’ knowledge traditions, religious practices, political cultures and ideas are rich resources that facilitate new concepts of religious freedom. On this episode of Respecting Religion, Dr. Sabrina E. Dent and Dr. Corey D. B. Walker join Amanda and Holly to discuss the book they co-edited, African Americans and Religious Freedom: New Perspectives for Congregations and Communities. It’s  a collection of essays that provide novel interpretations of religious freedom informed by African American experiences, which are essential for a full public discourse about the topic. First released in the days before the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, the second edition includes a new preface addressing the need for religious freedom to undergo a deep interrogation in our perilous times.

SHOW NOTES

Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): Introducing the book and the conversations it inspires

Dr. Sabrina E. Dent is the director of the BJC Center for Faith, Justice and Reconciliation. Learn more about her on BJC’s website.

Dr. Corey D. B. Walker is the dean of the Wake Forest University School of Divinity, Wake Forest Professor of the Humanities, and director of the Program in African American Studies. Learn more about him on the Wake Forest University School of Divinity website.

The second edition of African Americans and Religious Freedom: New Perspectives for Congregations and Communities is now available, free to all. 

Dr. Dent mentioned the religious freedom course with students from religious graduate schools at historically Black colleges and universities that began many of these conversations. Read about that in this 2019 article by Adelle Banks for Religion News Service: Black seminarians take first-time religious freedom course

Learn more and read the text of David Walker’s Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World on the website of the National Constitution Center.

The Columbia Law School Law, Rights & Religion Project released the Black Religious Liberty Curriculum in 2024. You can see the 12-part video series and access the curriculum on their website. 

Segment 2 (starting at 18:51): Pushback and barriers to expanding the narrative

You can access a PDF or read a flip-through edition of the book African Americans and Religious Freedom. Visit our website for more details.

Segment 3 (starting 31:01): The launch event on February 28

You can watch a recording of the Feb. 28 event celebrating the re-release of the book on YouTube.

The Rev. William Lamar IV talked with NPR about the ruling that gave his church the copyright of the Proud Boys. You can listen to his conversation here.

Learn more about the BJC Center for Faith, Justice and Reconciliation on our website at BJConline.org/center

Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC’s generous donors. Your gift to BJC is tax-deductible, and you can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.

A transcript of this program will be available in the coming days — return to this page for the latest.