NEW ORLEANS – The Rev. Demetrese Phillips opened the meeting with a prayer, reminding the evangelists, Muslim, Baptists, Presbyterians, Mormons and nondenominational leaders that “social justice is part of our ministry.”
Phillips, the senior pastor at Historic St. James AME Church, told them they are experiencing a replay of the Civil Rights Movement now that Southern states have eliminated Black-majority congressional districts in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais. And like in every social movement in American history, he added, faith organizations must play a role.
“It seems that we must come together once more in the same fashion that we did then to say God is involved in this, too, and our faith needs to lead us through these moments. The church is the most important tool, especially in the Black community that we have, and it must be involved,” he said, as community members gathered in the sticky heat outside for a school supply giveaway at the oldest Black Catholic church in the city.
The multifaith effort is among hundreds nationwide – many serving congregations of color – aiming to turn out voters ahead of the midterm elections. Those elections will determine which party controls Congress during the final two years President Donald Trump is in office. If Democrats take even one chamber, they could halt legislation and funding the president wants and investigate executive branch actions, including the Iran War and mass deportations…