As protests and demands for racial justice heightened over the summer of 2020, many noted parallels to the summer of 1969. But in the retelling of that history, the role of the church often gets overlooked. Despite the fact that its role is complex, at times paradoxical and by any measure, enormously significant.
A new book turns the spotlight on this often overlooked intersection of religion, race and activism. “Apostles of Change: Latino Radical Politics, Church Occupations and the Fight to Save the Barrio” by Felipe Hinojosa comes out in January.
“I wasn’t reading as many books that not only dealt with religion in society, but that dealt with progressive religion and progressive religious leaders,” Hinojosa said. “And so I think I just sort of follow the advice of Toni Morrison. Right? If you don’t see a book out there that you love to read, just get out there and write it.”
What you’ll hear in this segment:
– Why you don’t hear more about progressive religious politics
– What religious groups were focused on in their communities
– What the City of Houston has to do with progressive religious activism
