A letter from President Jim Wallis & CEO Rob Wilson-Black
Dear friends,
After traveling the country extensively this past year, as the release of Jim Wallis’ book America’s Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege and the Bridge to a New America brought him to nearly 30 cities across the country, hosting large, multi-racial, and intergenerational dialogues on racial justice and equity. At these gatherings, the question that is constantly asked is: “What’s next?”
What was made clear from these conversations is that a new generation of faith leaders and social justice activists has begun to step forward and shape our national dialogue. Not only is this new generation ready to lead, but they have already started leading. This brings us great hope for this country and for our future.
In our 2016 Annual Report video, you will see this new generation at work, and you will see Sojourners lifting their voices and elevating their leadership. At the 2016 Summit for Change, leaders from all generations and a wide variety of fields and specialties came together to discuss race and its intersections. In our campaigns work – Women and Girls, Climate Justice, Immigration, and Poverty – we have published statements, webinars, and training materials to be used by these leaders and others across the nation. Through Sojourners magazine and online publication at sojo.net, we have published award-winning and impactful articles on topics from the pope’s visit to the U.S. to the Syrian refugee crisis, to the Black Lives Matter movement and so much more.
This and all of our work, is focused on one thing: faith in action for social justice. We are working with fellow sojourners around the world to build the movement to transform our church and our nation. We have been striving to bring, and keep, issues of poverty, racial justice, gender equity, and climate justice in our local and national dialogue.
As the question of “what’s next?” continues to occupy our minds, our work in the past year should provide the answer. We will host our 2017 Summit for Change at Gallaudet University, near the heart of Washington, D.C. We will expand our leadership programs and all of our programmatic work toward gender, racial, and immigration justice. We will continue to build our movement, young faith leaders and veteran social justice activists arm in arm, on the firm foundation that sojourners like you can provide.
You have made all of this possible. If you have signed a petition, read our online publication, subscribed to our magazine, attended an event or a webinar, or given a gift, you have magnified our impact and been witness to our work. You are a Sojourner, and we are grateful for you.
Blessings,
