This story was originally published online with Word In Black, a collaboration of the nation’s leading Black news publishers (of which The Informer is a member), and has been edited by The Informer with additional information for updating and clarity.
It’s a tradition as old as the Black church itself: preachers using their influence, bolstered by scripture, to speak out against injustice, motivating their congregations into action.
The dynamic powered seminal civil rights events like the Montgomery bus boycott and the March on Washington.
It follows the instruction of Swiss Reformed theologian Karl Barth, who instructed pastors to “preach with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.”
Now, as President Donald Trump and Republican politicians continue their assault on hard-won civil rights gains — Trump, by sending federal troops to police the streets of Washington, D.C., and Republicans, who are scraping away at voting rights — ministers of different faiths nationwide are using the power of the pulpit to fight back, with democracy hanging in the balance.
“As religious leaders, we remain firm in our commitment to serve those in need and to work collaboratively toward solutions to our city’s most pressing problems,” said Christian and Jewish faith leaders from the nation’s capital in a group statement, after the president announced the federal takeover of D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) on Aug. 11. “We call on our political and civic leaders to reject fear-based governance and work together in a spirit of dignity and respect—so that safety, justice, and compassion prevail in our city.”
Activism From the Pulpit
Senior Pastor Otis Moss III of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago asked for “five more minutes” at the end of his sermon on Aug. 10– his personal tradition.
He used the extra time to slam Texas Republicans trying to help Trump increase his House majority by gerrymandering voting districts, at Black and brown voters’ expense.
“Racialized gerrymandering is set up specifically to dilute the power of people of African descent,” Moss said, noting that recent decisions from the Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority have diluted the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He praised visiting Texas Democratic lawmakers — a portion of whom fled the state to deny majority Republicans a quorum — for “fighting for democracy, standing on the shoulders of our ancestors.”
Two days later, the District’s faith leaders released the statement condemning Trump’s takeover of law enforcement in Washington — a move the administration justified by describing the city as overrun with “violent gangs” and “roving mobs.”
The description, however, ignores law enforcement data showing crime has fallen significantly in recent years, and Mayor Muriel Bowser didn’t ask for federal help to control the streets.
The president’s authority stems from D.C.’s constitutional status and the 1973 Home Rule Act.
“From the White House, the president sees a lawless wasteland. We beg to differ. We see fellow human beings … each made in the image of God,” the interfaith statement read.
The group said safety “cannot be achieved through political theater and military force” and criticized cuts of more than $1 billion to programs that reduce crime, including addiction treatment, youth initiatives, and affordable housing.
Meanwhile in Baltimore, the Rev. Dr. Kevin Slayton, pastor of Northwood Appold United Methodist Church, compared the move to the racial fearmongering of the notorious 1915 film, “Birth of a Nation” — a racist epic which helped justify white backlash during the Reconstruction era.
“Fear is the emotion being unnecessarily stoked,” Slayton told the church. “This move by Trump is overtly racist, and those who sit on the sidelines … are equally guilty.”
On social media, the Rev. Melech E.M. Thomas of Payne Memorial AME in Baltimore drew parallels to global authoritarian tactics, likening Trump’s rhetoric to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions in Gaza.
“White supremacy is a global proxy project,” Thomas wrote. “We are only as safe/unsafe as we allow others to be. The only thing left to do now is resist.”
Just as I said months ago. Organize a Three Million MLK style Black peaceful man march in Washington DC addressing voting rights and DC statehood.