race relations
Black church group holds first-ever cross-racial gathering to tackle racism
By Adelle M. Banks — December 14, 2015
(RNS) The consultation comes at the end of a year when there have been an unusual number of religious gatherings focused on improving race relations.
‘Black Lives Matter’ signs at churches vandalized
By Adelle M. Banks — November 13, 2015
(RNS) Seventeen of the more than 50 Unitarian Universalist Association churches that posted signs have seen them defaced or stolen -- sometimes more than once.
Protests return to Ferguson streets, state of emergency declared
By Reuters — August 11, 2015
FERGUSON, Mo. (Reuters) Police in riot gear clashed with protesters in Ferguson, Missouri, early on Tuesday to mark the anniversary of the police shooting of an unarmed black teen whose death sparked a national outcry over race relations.
Will Southern Baptists back Russell Moore’s call to remove Confederate flag?
By Adelle M. Banks — June 22, 2015
(RNS) Some say Moore’s call is a marker of a changing ethos within the nation’s largest Protestant denomination as conservative Christians join in mourning the “Emanuel Nine.” Others wonder if the divide over the flag remains.
Southern Baptists’ efforts at racial reconciliation a mixed bag, review finds
By Adelle M. Banks — June 17, 2015
(RNS) Southern Baptists were hailed for electing their first African-American president in 2012 but their denomination's Executive Committee has a mostly white management.
Jimmy Carter, Russell Moore and Harry Jackson: Bridging the racial divide
By Adelle M. Banks — January 23, 2015
(RNS) Officials who spearheaded three church-based gatherings on race relations commented on the root causes of the nation’s racial divides and possible next steps.
Police chief to black churches: ‘We can’t do this without you guys’
By Adelle M. Banks — January 9, 2015
(RNS) As racial tensions continue to simmer in the wake of the deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of white officers in Ferguson, Mo., New York City and elsewhere, churches have offered themselves up as trusted go-betweens for the police and angry residents, particularly in black communities.
After Ferguson and Eric Garner decisions, white Christians say it’s time to stand with blacks
By Adelle M. Banks — December 4, 2014
WASHINGTON (RNS) “’Love your neighbor as yourself’ means you picture yourself being choked and surrounded by five men while you say, ‘I can't breathe,’” said Scott Slayton, a white Southern Baptist pastor in Chelsea, Ala.
Ferguson letter from black clergy becomes interracial call for justice
By Adelle M. Banks — August 22, 2014
(RNS) The statement calls on African-American churches to memorialize Michael Brown and to elect politicians who "represent the preservation of life in ethnic communities."
Assemblies of God turns 100, and looks to a multiethnic future
By Adelle M. Banks — August 6, 2014
(RNS) The U.S. denomination alone is a United Nations of some 3.1 million faithful -- with a membership that is 41 percent nonwhite, up from 31 percent a decade ago.
’12 Years a Slave’ prompts calls for racial reconciliation
By Adelle M. Banks — October 15, 2013
WASHINGTON (RNS) “12 Years a Slave” may depict a bygone era in American history but religious leaders say it should spark increased attention about today's race relations.
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