Activist Rev. William Barber II to Speak in Providence

The Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II – nationally known social activist, New York Times bestselling author, and co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign, a revival of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 1968 movement to fight poverty – will be the featured speaker at this year’s Darrell West Lecture on Religion and Politics. The event will take place on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. at Central Congregational Church in Providence (296 Angell Street / 401-331-1960 / www.centralchurch.us). The lecture is free and open to the public.

The lecture, “We Are Called To Be A Movement,” will address the intersection between religion and politics in 21st-century America. As Bishop Barber has written, “It’s time for everyone who cares about the state of our nation to heed the call and join forces to redeem the soul of America…. It’s time to lift up the common good, move up to higher ground, and revive the heart of democracy.”

Bishop Barber has spent his career advancing social justice and civic participation. As a moral leader engaging in non-violent civil disobedience, he has been arrested more than 15 times, standing with those marginalized by systematic racism, poverty, and injustice. He is Bishop with The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries, Executive Board Member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and Founding Director and Professor at the Center for Public Theology and Public Policy at Yale Divinity School, a Charles F. Kettering Foundation Senior Fellow, and the bestselling author of five books.

Bishop Barber’s speech will follow a welcome by series sponsor / moderator Darrell M. West, senior vice president of the Brookings Institution, former Brown University professor, and Central Congregational Church member. The evening will conclude with a question-and-answer forum and book signing.

Host or Publisher Central Congregational Church