- FeaturedRace and CultureTopics: Black Church, Buddhism, Catholicism, Christianity, Evangelicalism, Innovation and Change, Interfaith/Multifaith Movements, Islam, Judaism, Pentecostalism, Religious "Nones"
EventPassing the Mantle 2.0: The Murray LegacyAfter decades of ministry, the Rev. Dr. Cecil L. “Chip” Murray spent his “retirement” sharing his model of leadership and vision of Christian social ethics to a new generation of faith leaders. …Topics: Black Church, CMCCE, Engaged Spirituality, Religious Leadership
AnnouncementLos Angeles’ Pastor, the Rev. Dr. Cecil L. Murray, Dies at Age 94Until the pandemic, the Rev. Dr. Cecil L. “Chip” Murray was the first person in the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture’s office every morning. Then 90 years old, he would …Topics: Black Church, Christianity, CMCCE, Engaged Spirituality, Murray Archive, Religious Leadership, Spiritual Exemplars
AnnouncementCRCC Launches Compelling Preaching InitiativeThe USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture is launching a new project that seeks to help faith leaders think about their preaching in an ever-changing social and cultural landscape. With support …Topics: Black Church, Catholicism, Christianity, Evangelicalism, Media and Technology, preaching, Religious Leadership
ArticleDr. Nikia S. Robert: The Birth Of The Abolitionist SanctuaryThis article was originally published on The Christian Recorder, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality. On a late spring Sunday in May, the Rev. Dr. Nikia S. Robert, an …Topics: Black Church, Christianity, Economic Justice, Engaged Spirituality, Racial Justice, Spiritual Exemplars
CommentaryRoundtable of Faith Leaders and Vice President Kamala Harris on Reproductive HealthVice President Kamala Harris recently hosted a roundtable with faith leaders on the state of reproductive health care in the United States. The event, held at the Los Angeles County Federation of …Topics: Black Church, CMCCE, Faith-State Relations, Gender and Sexuality, Najuma Smith, Politics
CRCC in the NewsLA Times: L.A. Residents Process Massacre in Buffalo, NYBlack leaders and residents of Los Angeles are dealing with stress and trauma after the racially motivated terrorist attack at a grocery story in Buffalo, New York. A self-described white supremacist killed …Topics: Black Church, Violence- CRCC in the NewsLA Daily News: Churches face post-pandemic declines in membershipLike many congregations in the wake of pandemic-era restriction, the first Black church founded in the San Fernando Valley has seen significant declines in membership, the Los Angeles Daily News reported. Membership …Topics: Black Church, Christianity, Religious Affiliation
CRCC in the NewsMedia on the 30 Years after LA’s 1992 Civil UnrestAs the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture reflected on the 1992 Civil Unrest, the words and efforts of the Rev. Dr. Cecil Murray following the unrest continued to be highlighted …Topics: Black Church, Protest Movements, Racial Justice, Southern California
ReportThirty Years Later: Remembering LA’s 1992 Civil Unrest and Reimagining Social ActionLike the tectonic fault lines that can suddenly release pent-up geological pressures, shaking the literal bedrock of Southern California, the cultural fault lines between groups with unequal political and economic power periodically …Topics: Black Church, Christianity, Interfaith/Multifaith Movements, Protest Movements, Racial Justice, Religious Leadership, Southern California, Violence
ArticleWhy Activism Thrives in L.A.’s Black ChurchesThis article was originally published by Trojan Family Magazine. by Eric Lindberg; Photos by Gus Ruelas Many members of the Rev. Najuma Smith-Pollard’s church near downtown Los Angeles struggled for food during the …Topics: Black Church, Christianity, CMCCE, COVID, Religious Leadership, Southern California
CRCC in the NewsABC7: Najuma Smith-Pollard on Black History MonthCRCC’s Rev. Dr. Najuma Smith-Pollard was interviewed on ABC7 News about Black History Month. “It’s about having the mindset of we and us, not just me and myself alone,” Smith-Pollard said. “Black …Topics: Black Church, CMCCE, Racial Justice
CRCC Experts
To schedule an interview with one of our experts, please contact CRCC:
crcc@usc.edu or 213-743-1611
Brad ChristersonBrad Christenson is a sociologist who has written extensively in the areas of religion, race, ethnicity, and globalization.
Richard FloryExecutive DirectorRichard Flory is a sociologist whose work focuses on religion and urban life, religious and cultural change, and youth and young adults.
Donald E. MillerCo-FounderDonald Miller focuses on global religious trends, genocides of the 20th century, and the role of religious NGOs in addressing issues of moral concern.
Najuma SmithAssistant Director of Community and Public EngagementRev. Najuma Smith combines her experience as a pastor and expertise as a community leader to train Murray Center Fellows.
Rev. Frank Jackson, Jr.Rev. Frank Jackson, Jr. couples his experience in business and investment with his passion for community development.