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 question: “Can America Change?” The discussion was part of Valley Beth Shalom Synagogues’ Inside the Rabbi’s Study with Rabbi Ed Feinstein.
Watch the discussion on Facebook:
Smith-Pollard spoke about the direction the religious community can move towards to incite change:
I believe that part of what has happened to the church is that we were lulled into a kind of complicit, comfortable state where this season has put things front and center… As a whole, the Black Church needs to have a renewed indignation as related to white supremacy, racism, so that the church can be a part of righteous activism. We have to give back to the activism piece. Prosperity gospel got us comfortable. So we have to have a renewed indignation, about how some stuff just ain’t right. And that has to lead to a righteous activism. We have to get back to really being part of the movement in a very present way… I think that what can happen if the church stays on that path, we can see radical reconstruction of our communities, cities, states, and nation.
Click here to watch the event on Facebook
