On Sept. 6, Washington, D.C.’s faith community held a block party and “beloved community banquet” in front of and inside Walker Memorial Baptist Church. According to the organizers, the event was meant to uplift and encourage residents of the city, especially unhoused people and immigrants, as well as to enact the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of the beloved community and demonstrate communal resilience and unity. The event was sponsored by faith-based organizations and congregations representing most major faith traditions.
Kathy Dwyer, senior pastor of Rock Spring Congregation, United Church of Christ in Arlington, Virginia, told Shelterforce that the event emerged from about 100 faith leaders who came together “trying to imagine something we could do that would help communicate hope, resilience, joy, steadfastness in a time when especially D.C. is feeling so much under attack, and rather than pushing people out, what would it look like to invite people in. In all faith traditions I know, the desire is to welcome the stranger, to share with our neighbors, to build up love. We really believe that love is always stronger than hate, and wanted to model that in a real positive way.”
Donald Whitehead, the executive director of National Coalition for the Homeless, spoke at the event, and also told a Shelterforce reporter about the effects of the crackdown on homeless people in D.C. The following conversation has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
Jelina Liu: Can you tell us what the term beloved community means to you?…