Establish Justice. Promote Welfare.

Welcome to the September Edition of First Friday Inspiration!

Today we feature The Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II. President & Senior Lecturer of Repairers of the Breach, author of dozens of books, and a world-renowned lecturer; he is first and foremost a social justice activist. For those of you unfamiliar with his leadership and influence, as the New York Times described his impact to journalist David Marchese in a December 2020 article: "Very few religious leaders are able to inspire political action on the part of large numbers of people who don’t share their church, their denomination or their faith."

And this is exactly what Rev. Dr. William Barber has done. From the Poor People's Campaign, a national anti-poverty movement to Moral Mondays, a series of peaceful & nonviolent protests, his reach is cross-partisan, interfaith, and open for all of us. He advises politicians, and his work impacts federal policy, but he is not caught up in politics. His focus is equity and healing for all of us.

"Does a policy establish justice? Does it promote the general welfare? If it does, then you will ensure domestic tranquillity, healing," says Rev. Dr. William Barber.

As you'll find in his preaching, interviews, and lectures, he's also known for speaking plainly. When asked about which lessons he hopes we learned in the United States as a result of COVID, he replied: "Tell the truth. Don’t be a racist. Pay attention to the science."

We encourage you to follow Rev. Dr. William Barber and to reflect on his leadership approach as you do. What does it teach you? What have you learned from being part of or witnessing the community he's inspired?

As a practice for September, can you lead with curiosity instead of criticism, seeking first to learn about or understand the other person’s perspective, making the space for a different point of view? We'd love to build our collective wisdom together and build a learning space together. Let us know who is inspiring you!