A Celebration of Black Interfaith and Religious Diversity in America

A Celebration of Black Interfaith and Religious Diversity in America was held on Wednesday, February 23, at 3-4 p.m. ET in honor of Black History Month. Co-hosted by the White House and the Black Interfaith Project at IA, the occasion featured a keynote from the Second Gentleman of the United States, Douglas Emhoff, and a diverse panel of Black faith leaders to spotlight the long-standing diversity of Black religious traditions in America. The panelists shared the current state of Black interfaith engagement in the United States, and cited specific ways Black-led faith efforts continue to improve the spiritual, social, economic, and health and wellness outcomes in Black communities and beyond.

Speakers included:

Douglas Emhoff, Second Gentleman of the United States

Rev. Frederick Davie, Senior Advisor for Racial Equity, Interfaith America

Rev. Alexis Vaughan, Program Manager, Interfaith America

Eboo Patel, Founder & President, Interfaith America

Alia Bilal, Deputy Director, Inner City Muslim Action Network

Rabbi Sandra Lawson, Director, Reconstructing Judaism

Yolanda Pierce, Professor & Dean, Howard University School of Divinity

Jermira Trapp, Practitioner of Nichiren Buddhism with the Soka Gakkai (SGI) – USA