UCC’s Blackmon, Royster among national faith leaders tapped for new Racial Justice & Religion Collective

Two United Church of Christ racial justice leaders are part of a national interfaith group focused on the intersection of race and religion.

UCC Associate General Minister the Rev. Traci Blackmon and Bishop Dwayne Royster, executive director of POWER Interfaith and senior pastor of Faith UCC in Washington, D.C., are among 22 faith leaders and religious experts in a newly launched Racial Justice & Religion Collective, part of the Aspen Institute’s Religion & Society Program.

“I am grateful for the invitation to join this cadre of thought leaders as we imagine a racially equitable and just world beyond our self-imposed boundaries of faith,” Blackmon said. 

Aspen’s Racial Justice & Religion Initiative will “develop a more accurate picture of the challenges and opportunities that exist at the intersection of race and religion,” according to its website. “Additionally, the initiative will convene capacity building offerings that center, support and uplift leaders from historically marginalized communities who work on these issues and help bring their insights and expertise into the public square.”

Initiative led by another UCC clergy

The Religion & Society Program grew out of the Aspen Institute’s exploration of religious pluralism through a focus on justice and equity, particularly in research, policies and practices. The new racial justice initiative is headed by the Rev. Audrey Price, another UCC clergyperson and associate director of the Religion & Society Program.

 “I am thrilled to work with these distinguished members,” Price wrote on Twitter. “Together, we will advance racial justice through a religiously pluralistic lens and commitment, building the understanding of religion’s role in racial justice work.”

To learn more, visit the Racial Justice & Religion page on the Aspen Institute’s website.

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