Archive
CBS2: Smith-Pollard on MLK’s impact in Los Angeles
The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. found both support and opposition in Los Angeles. Najuma Smith-Pollard of the USC Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement spoke with CBS-LA about the legacy of …
The LAist: Smith-Pollard on Gascón’s Parole Reforms
L.A. District Attorney George Gascón prohibited his prosecutors from opposing parole or attending parole hearings in a reform meant to encourage the release of those with low risk of committing another crime. …
Rev. Najuma Smith-Pollard on Chauvin Trial
Religious leaders anticipated and responded to the verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota. Rev. Najuma Smith-Pollard, program manager for the USC Cecil Murray Center …
In Wake of Chauvin Trial, What Can Faith Leaders Learn From the Rodney King LA Civil Unrest?
This article was originally published in Religion News Service and The Washington Post. As the U.S. reacts to the guilty verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin, many are wary of violence …
Showing Up! Female Faith Leadership in the COVID-19 Pandemic
This post was originally published on the Berkley Forum, as part of a series on Gender, Religion and COVID-19. As a female pastor and community faith leader, I found myself called to …
Black Female Leadership within LAPD: Untold Stories!
High-ranking African-American female leadership in the Los Angeles Police Department share untold stories of issues around racial equity, internal culture and politics of the LAPD, and being a Black woman in law …
It’s Black History Month, But Do Black Families Feel Like Celebrating?
This interview was originally published in USC News. As a program manager for the USC’s Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement, the Rev. Najuma Smith-Pollard combines her experience as a pastor and …
Fatal Intersections of Black Women and the Law: The Case of Breonna Taylor
This article was originally published by the Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion. I live in Los Angeles, California, near what seems to me to be one of the …
COVID-19: The Essential Problem with State-Faith Relations
This article was originally published in The Hill. A Los Angeles-area church is the latest to make national headlines by defying public health orders and gathering in-person as COVID-19 cases continue to rise. Grace …
John Lewis: Good Trouble
Inspired by the legacy and work of the late John Lewis, Najuma Smith-Pollard moderates a discussion with Umar Hakim-Dey of ILM Foundation and Salam Al-Marayati of Muslim Public Affairs Council about racial …
LA Times: Najuma Smith-Pollard on Human Kindness and Grief During a Pandemic
Amidst a devastating pandemic with a rising death toll, the Los Angeles Times shares stories of human kindness and grief in an article that features an interview with Najuma Smith-Pollard, Program Manager …
Religion’s Role in Social Change – Council on Foreign Relations
How can the religious community in America influence social change? Najuma Smith-Pollard, program manager of the USC Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement, joined Ruth Messinger, former president and current global ambassador …
Can America Change?
Amid protests against police brutality, a pandemic and a strained economy, Najuma Smith-Pollard, program manager for the USC Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement, joined several religious leaders to reflect on a …
Justice We Shall Pursue: Building the Beloved Community
CRCC’s Najuma-Smith Pollard joined two other faith leaders, Reverend Mark Whitlock (Reid Temple A.M.E. Church) and Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson (Vice President of American Jewish University in Los Angeles), to discuss the …
Dornsife Dialogues: The Truth of Being Black in America
What are the ways that the health and lives of some Americans are in jeopardy simply because they’re black? And what can we do to help change that? As part of Dornsife …
Voice of America: Najuma Smith-Pollard on Police, Racism and Change
Voice of America interviewed several black pastors, including USC Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement program manager Najuma Smith-Pollard, on their experiences of racism and thoughts on change in the wake of …
The Catholic Spirit: Najuma Smith-Pollard on Floyd’s Death and Protests
Catholic News Service (published in Crux, The Catholic Spirit, and News Break) spotlights Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs webinar, co-sponsored with CRCC. In the webinar, faith leaders, …
Virtual Town Hall: Najuma Smith-Pollard, Congressman Adam Schiff, and Faith Leaders on the “Quadruple-threat Crises”
Los Angeles-area faith leaders joined Congressman Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) for a Zoom town hall. Moderated by Najuma Smith-Pollard, program manager of the USC Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement, the interfaith leaders …
A Prayer for Mothers at George Floyd Memorial
During George Floyd’s memorial, Najuma Smith-Pollard, program manager of the USC Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement, led a prayer for mothers. The following is a transcript of the prayer: God in …
Building Back Better: A Multi-faith Town Hall with Rep. Adam Schiff
As we work towards coronavirus recovery, communities across America are beginning to envision what it could look like to not just return to the way things were, but to build back better. …