Delegations Of Clergy Lead Moral Marches In Over 30 Capital Cities

On Monday, September 12, 2016, at 11:00 a.m., delegations of clergy will lead “Higher Ground Moral Day of Action” marches at 30 state capitol buildings and the city hall building in the District of Columbia.

Three new states have recently joined the moral march including Delaware, Maryland, and Michigan.  

“The Higher Ground Moral Day of Action is about challenging the theological malpractice of the so-called religious right that attempts to limit the moral discussion in the public square,” said the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber. “We are calling on clerics, people who have been impacted by extremism, and people of moral conscience to join delegations across the country to engage and challenge candidates and officeholders on the moral issues of our time,” he said.

During rallies at the 30 state capitol buildings and the DC city hall, delegations of clergy and organizers will announce three moral declarations:

• Faith leaders, advocates, activists, and people who have been hurt and impacted by extremism in our political system will read the “Higher Ground Moral Declaration,” a moral public policy framework (currently signed by thousands of people of faith and 2,500 clergy representing all 50 states and DC), and deliver it to their respective Governors, U.S. Senators, and candidates for office;
• Communities will be called to go to the polls and vote for candidates who will embrace moral public policy agendas;
• On two weekends prior to the presidential election, faith leaders will be called to preach and teach in their churches, synagogues, and mosques, with a focus on the economic liberation of all people; ensuring every child receives access to quality education; healthcare access for all; criminal justice reform; and ensuring historically marginalized communities have equal protection under the law.

The Higher Ground Moral Day of Action is being coordinated in over 30 capital cities including Montgomery, AL, Little Rock, AR, Sacramento, CA, Denver, CO, Hartford, CT, Washington, DC, Dover, DE, Tallahassee, FL, Atlanta, GA, Springfield, IL, Indianapolis, IN, Frankfort, KY, Baton Rouge, LA, Boston, MA, Annapolis, MD, Lansing, MI, Saint Paul, MN, Jefferson City, MO, Jackson, MS, Raleigh, NC, Concord, NH, Santa Fe, NM, Carson City, NV, Albany, NY, Columbus, OH, Harrisburg, PA, Columbia, SC, Nashville, TN, Austin, TX, Richmond, VA, and Madison, WI.

The Higher Ground Moral Day of Action is a part of “The Revival: Time for a Moral Revolution of Values,” a national multi-state tour to redefine morality in American politics.

“The Revival” challenges leaders of faith and moral courage to be more vocally opposed to harmful policies that disproportionately impact vulnerable communities.

“The Revival” is a nonpartisan tour co-led by the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, president and senior lecturer of Repairers of the Breach, pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church, and architect of the Moral Monday Movement in North Carolina; and the Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr., senior minister emeritus of The Riverside Church, president of Healing of the Nations Ministries, and national minister for the Drum Major Institute.

Rev. Dr. Barber recently addressed the nation at the Democratic National Convention with a call to “revive the heart of our democracy” and push elected leaders to advance morally just policies.

Rev. Dr. Barber and Rev. Dr. Forbes will be joined on the tour in some states by the Rev. Dr. Traci Blackmon, acting executive minister of the United Church of Christ’s Justice and Witness Ministries; and Sister Simone Campbell, leader of the “Nuns on the Bus” and executive director of the Catholic social justice lobby NETWORK in Washington, DC.

For information about the September 12 “Higher Ground Moral Day of Action,” visit this website.