We must consistently in all places and in all times commit to ensure the dignity of every human is not only respected but truly valued. As Richard Lischer writes in The Preacher King: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Word that Moved America, “This understanding of full humanity lies at the heart of King’s efforts to develop the Beloved Community.”

It is important to note that the call for accountability and justice is not simply about putting officers in jail. Rather, it is a demand that those who kill our loved ones be made to answer for those killings in the full view of the public. It is, as many have said, the least we should expect.

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, or PrEP, and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) are highly effective prevention methods in reducing the risk of acquiring HIV. Even with extremely successful prevention options, Black and Latino/a/e/x communities continue to fall behind in PrEP awareness, uptake, and adherence due to several factors including stigma, LGBTQ+ discrimination, systemic racism, medical mistrust, lack of access to health care, and affordability.

The season of Lent is an opportunity for us to turn back to God, again. To recall the story of God’s liberative love as modeled in the life and ministry of Jesus. To have the courage and humility to ask powerful questions of ourselves as followers of Jesus and as the church, with the intention of living truly transformed lives and to be the church.

Community Renewal Society's Executive Director, Rev. Dr. Waltrina N. Middleton joined with fellow faith leaders in a press conference to call for the passage of H.R. 40. The Act would establish a commission to study and develop reparations proposals for African Americans.

Getting to Zero Illinois (GTZ-IL) is a statewide community-led initiative dedicated to ending the HIV epidemic in Illinois by 2030.

Emmett Till remains a symbol of resistance and hope in American history. The U.S. Senate passed the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act on March 7, 2022. Legislation named for the 15-year-old Chicago boy lynched for allegedly whistling at Carolyn Bryant in Mississippi now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk.

Regardless of whether you thrive in crowds or in quietude - at some point we all need rest. We all need to practice self-care to be our best selves. Self-care evangelist Katie Reed says, “Self-care is giving the world the best of you, instead of what’s left of you.”

There must be greater outcry and call for US government intervention to free Griner and all detained citizens. We also demand equitable attention and energy for Griner’s immediate release. Here are three ways you can take action.

Family, as we enter into the seasonal observation of Lent (for those who engage in this faith practice), in the spaces and places that we occupy in our towns, our cities, our states, our countries, and our worlds, juxtaposed with the multiple pandemics that are currently still occurring in our lives, I suggest we reflect upon what fits and doesn’t fit in our lives.

We hold our world in prayer and remain in solidarity with people oppressed everywhere, including Ukraine and Palestine. Community Renewal Society denounces these innumerable acts of violence across the world. The common threads of our beautiful humanity connect us and so does the interconnectedness of our shared struggles.

It’s a helpful reminder during this Lenten season that the popular act of giving something up was designed to create room in the heart, mind and soul. Creating room within ourselves is an intentional practice of preparation. Preparation so that we may be transformed by the resurrecting power of God.

Rev. Jason Carson Wilson, CRS’ inaugural Bayard Rustin Fellow, interviewed University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) journalism professor and Pulitzer Prize-winning former Washington Post Reporter, Leon Dash, about spending time with Timuel Black during Mr. Black’s last days, as well as Dash’s storied career as a Black journalist. Watch the recording.

In this month of Black History, as we reflect on the accomplishments and achievements of Black people, we must remember the lives lost to systemic white violence. We must go farther than remembering, we must dedicate ourselves and our resources to building a world committed to Black living and Black thriving as opposed to Black death.

We have worked for years with the Coalition to End Money Bond to end cash bond in Illinois. Read the report and check out the fact sheet summarizing the coaliton’s recommendations.

I have been associated with Tent of Nations and the Nassar family for many years. In fact, my law office in Jerusalem has been and continues to represent them in their ongoing legal battles to save their land from the Israeli government and the Jewish settlers who have been trying for years to steal it from them. I myself have participated in activities on their land. One time, I even found myself alongside Rev. Alex Awad and a Lutheran German minister alone with Daoud in confronting the settlers who were bulldozing into their land.

At the core of international law is the concept of universalism. Essentially, the same rules, values, and expectations apply to everyone, friend and foe alike. It is also the principle behind the Golden Rule and the universal appeals of Christianity as well as Islam. It has its foundations in the unity of the Godhead, the father of us all.

“After learning of the murder of 22-year-old Amir Locke, shot to death in his bed as Minneapolis police used a no-knock warrant to enter his home, I expressed to friends my profound grief. I expressed that I have no new words and that my lexicon feels exhausted from decrying police brutality and militarized tactics that result in these fatal narratives – too often excessively impacting Black and Brown people.”

Community Renewal Society believes voting rights are intrinsically connected to our work to eliminate barriers due to racism, poverty, and LGBTQIA+ rights and reparations, two of our most recent platforms issues. Meaningful legislation that compensates the descendants of enslaved Africans and allows all LGBTQIA+ people to fully enjoy the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness can not pass without supportive lawmakers.

In the wake of last week’s deeply disappointing Senate failure to restore and expand voting rights, that question hits a little harder. But the answer, I think, is the same—we are still what democracy looks like.