Overview:
Preaching with "the bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other" has been a key component of the civil rights movement. In the era of Trump 2.0, men and women of the cloth have returned to the tactic to inspire and motivate.
It’s a tradition as old as the Black church itself: preachers using their influence, bolstered by scripture, to speak out against injustice, motivating their congregations into action. The dynamic powered seminal civil rights events like the Montgomery bus boycott and the March on Washington.
It follows the instruction of Swiss Reformed theologian Karl Barth, who instructed pastors to “preach with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.”
LEARN MORE: Fighting Gerrymandering That Threatens to Suppress Voters
Now, as President Donald Trump and Republican politicians continue their assault on hard-won civil rights gains — Trump, by sending federal troops to police the streets of Washington, D.C., and Republicans, who are scraping away at voting rights — ministers of different faiths in churches nationwide are using the power of the pulpit to fight back, with democracy hanging in the balance.
Standing on Tall Shoulders
In Chicago last Sunday, Senior Pastor Otis Moss III of Trinity United Church of Christ asked for “five more minutes” at the end of his sermon, his personal tradition. He used the extra time to slam Texas Republicans trying to help Trump increase his House majority by gerrymandering voting districts, at Black and brown voters’ expense.
“Racialized gerrymandering is set up specifically to dilute the power of people of African descent,” Moss said, noting that recent decisions from the Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority have diluted the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He praised visiting Texas Democratic lawmakers — a portion of whom fled the state to deny majority Republicans a quorum — for “fighting for democracy, standing on the shoulders of our ancestors.”
This move by Trump is overtly racist, and those who sit on the sidelines … are equally guilty.
REV. DR. KEVIN SLAYTON, NORTHWOOD APPOLD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Two days later, Washington Bishop Mariann Budde and Washington National Cathedral Dean Randy Hollerith joined other Christian and Jewish leaders in a statement condemning Trump’s takeover of law enforcement in Washington — a move the administration justified by describing the city as overrun with “violent gangs” and “roving mobs.”
The description, however, ignores law enforcement data showing crime has fallen significantly in recent years, and Mayor Muriel Bowser didn’t ask for federal help to control the streets. The president’s authority stems from D.C.’s constitutional status and the 1973 Home Rule Act.
Stoking Unnecessary Fear
“From the White House, the president sees a lawless wasteland. We beg to differ. We see fellow human beings … each made in the image of God,” the interfaith statement read. The group said safety “cannot be achieved through political theater and military force” and criticized cuts of more than $1 billion to programs that reduce crime, including addiction treatment, youth initiatives, and affordable housing.
Meanwhile in Baltimore, Rev. Dr. Kevin Slayton, pastor of Northwood Appold United Methodist Church, compared the move to the racial fearmongering of the notorious 1915 film, “Birth of a Nation” — a racist epic which helped justify white backlash during the Reconstruction era.
RELATED: 51 Caskets Drive Home the Impact of the Big Beautiful Bill
“Fear is the emotion being unnecessarily stoked,” Slayton told the church. “This move by Trump is overtly racist, and those who sit on the sidelines … are equally guilty.”
On social media, Rev. Melech E.M. Thomas of Payne Memorial AME in Baltimore drew parallels to global authoritarian tactics, likening Trump’s rhetoric to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions in Gaza. “White supremacy is a global proxy project,” Thomas wrote. “We are only as safe/unsafe as we allow others to be. The only thing left to do now is resist.”
This article was originally published on Word In Black on August 15, 2025.