ArticleTransitions: New Spiritual Community in Black Radical OrganizingCompeting voices within spiritual groups help to create boundaries of belonging within and beyond the group by articulating notions of identity and meaning that are based in history, myth and gender, among …Topics: Creativity and Innovation, Gender, LGBT Issues, Race and Culture
CRCC in the NewsThe OC Register: Reverend Cecil Murray on the 50th Anniversary of the Death of Martin Luther King Jr.April 4, 2018 marks the 50 year anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King in 1968. Cecil L. Murray, a faith-based leader and chair of the USC Cecil Murray Center for …Topics: Black Church, CMCCE, Political Attitudes and Values, Race and Culture, Violence
CommentaryWhen a Pastor Shows Up at a Black Lives Matter ProtestI posted a question on Facebook at the beginning of 2018: “What ever happened to Black Lives Matter?” The question wasn’t prompted by animosity, despite the disagreements between clergy and BLM. To …Topics: Black Church, CMCCE, Criminal Justice, Protests and Uprisings, Race and Culture, Religious Leadership, Violence
CRCC in the News83.9 KPCC: Mark Whitlock on LA’s Korean Christian Community Seeking Social ImpactKorean Americans make up a large portion of Los Angeles’ population, and many of them identify as Christian. However, Korean churches do not have the same reputation for impacting the community in …Topics: Black Church, Christians and Christianity, CMCCE, Community Organizing, Faith-Based Organizations, Immigration, Political Attitudes and Values, Race and Culture, Religious Affiliation, Religious Leadership, Social Services, Southern California
CommentaryAs King Encouraged, America Must Face Her FlawsThis post originally appeared in the Los Angeles Sentinel. In Dr. Martin Luther King’s posthumously published essay, “A Testament of Hope,” he wrote, “It is forcing America to face all its interrelated …Topics: Black Church, CMCCE, Economic Inequality, Gender, Race and Culture, Religious Leadership
CRCC in the NewsFaith Community Responds to Racism and Violence in CharlottesvilleAfter white supremacists’ protests in Charlottesville left one dead, many injured and the country grappling with its still prevalent racism, faith leaders have been working to respond with words and action. Rev. Mark …Topics: Black Church, Christians and Christianity, CMCCE, Community Organizing, Disaster Response, National and Cultural Identity, Political Attitudes and Values, Protests and Uprisings, Race and Culture, Religious Leadership, Violence- VideoTrust Talks: A Dialogue on Police and Race in Los Angeles
CRCC in the NewsBedrosian Book Club Podcast: Tears We Cannot StopThe latest episode of the Bedrosian Book Club Podcast addresses the history of racism in America and how Michael Eric Dyson addresses these problems in his newest book, Tears We Cannot Stop. …Topics: Black Church, Christians and Christianity, National and Cultural Identity, Political Attitudes and Values, Race and Culture, Race and Ethnicity, Religious Beliefs and Rituals, Violence
CRCC in the NewsThinkProgress: Multiracial Churches Gaining ProminenceIn the era of Trump’s presidency, multi-racial churches are growing in prominence. Their organizing is a response to and departure from the racism embedded in predominantly white evangelical Christianity, ThinkProgress reported an article that features …Topics: Creativity and Innovation, Evangelicals and Evangelicalism, Multi-ethnic / Multi-racial Congregations, National and Cultural Identity, Race and Culture, Race and Ethnicity
CRCC in the NewsMedia Coverage of L.A. Civil Unrest AnniversaryHaving grown out of the 1992 Los Angeles civil Unrest, the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture and Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement commemorated the 25th anniversary with multiple opportunities …Topics: Black Church, CMCCE, Disaster Response, Faith-Based Organizations, Government and Religion, Protests and Uprisings, Race and Culture, Religious Leadership, Violence- VideoMay 3, 1992: Rev. Cecil Murray Preaches as the Fires of the L.A. Riots Burn
CommentaryIn Trump Era, Young Muslims Question Respectability Politics of MosquesThis article originally appeared on Religion Dispatches. Possibly this week, President Trump might sign yet another executive order, this time restricting entry to the United States from majority Muslim countries [read a draft …Topics: Creativity and Innovation, Government and Religion, Immigration, LGBT Issues, Muslims and Islam, National and Cultural Identity, Political Attitudes and Values, Race and Culture, Religious Affiliation
CRCC Experts
To schedule an interview with one of our experts, please contact CRCC:
crcc@usc.edu or 213-743-1611
Brad ChristersonContributing FellowBrad Christenson is a sociologist who has written extensively in the areas of religion, race, ethnicity, and globalization.
Samuel ChuContributing FellowSamuel Chu is a seasoned community organizer and strategist who works at the intersection of faith and public policy.
Richard FlorySenior Director of Research and EvaluationRichard Flory is a sociologist whose work focuses on religion and urban life, religious and cultural change, and youth and young adults.
Rev. Frank Jackson, Jr.Contributing FellowRev. Frank Jackson, Jr. couples his experience in business and investment with his passion for community development.
Juan MartínezContributing FellowJuan Martinez studies the history of Latino Protestantism, Latino Protestant identity and transnational mission among U.S. Latinos.
Cecil L. MurrayUniversity FellowRev. Cecil Murray works to ensure that the legacy of African American Church leaders pass on their years of experience to the next generation.
Jonathan RussellContributing FellowJonnie Russell is a scholar engaging religion, philosophy and politics, and a chaplain working for social justice on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles.
Mark WhitlockExecutive Director of USC Cecil Murray Center for Community EngagementRev. Mark Whitlock is a pastor specializing in church leadership and community and economic development.