News

National Action Network To Host The William Augustus Jones Jr. Colloquium in Celebration of Juneteenth

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 14, 2021

Contact:

Rachel Noerdlinger, [email protected]
Amaris Cockfield, [email protected]

National Action Network To Host The William Augustus Jones Jr. Colloquium in Celebration of Juneteenth

New York – On Thursday, June 17th, Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton and Jennifer Jones Austin, a non-profit CEO and nationally known poverty fighter, will co-convene a colloquium in honor of the late William Augustus Jones Jr. to celebrate the holiday of Juneteenth.

Dr. William Augustus Jones Jr., was the pastor of Brooklyn’s historic Bethany Baptist Church, an internationally renowned religious and civil-rights leader and the first chairman of the New York chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), co-founded by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He is responsible for recruiting Rev. Al Sharpton as a youth leader in Operation Breadbasket and later baptized Sharpton when he joined Bethany Baptist Church. His daughter, Jennifer Jones Austin, is a cherished NAN Board member and national leader in the fight against disenfranchisement and poverty.

The virtual event, God in the Ghetto: Racism, Religion and the Black Church, will delve into the dynamics addressed in the much-anticipated new edition of God in The Ghetto by William Augustus Jones Jr. In this three-part event, guests will hear from some of the preaching giants featured in the book including William J. Barber, Frederick Haynes, Otis Moss III, Jacqueline A. Thompson, Michael A. Walrond, Al. Sharpton, and more.

The first session of the event titled Preacher as Prophet will be moderated by Dr. W Franklyn Richardson and feature Dr. Frederick Douglass Haynes III, Dr. Jacqueline A. Thompson, and Dr. Claybon Lea whose essays are in the newest edition of the book. The second session titled Preacher as Scholar will be moderated by Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook and will feature Michael A. Walrond whose afterward is in the updated book. Other speakers include Dr. Eboni Marshall Turman, Dr. James A. Forbes, and Dr. Obery M. Hendricks. The event will wrap up with the final session titled Preacher as Revolutionary: Social Gospel in Action, and will be moderated by Dr. Adolphus Lacey and feature Rev. Al Sharpton, Dr. Marvin McMickle, Dr. Johnny Ray Youngblood and Bishop Leah Daughtry.

The new edition titled, God in the Ghetto: A Prophetic Word Revisited, released by Judson Press, analyzes systemic racism, the integral role of the church in birthing and perpetuating it, and the Black church’s response. Sociological in framing, theological in foundation and principles, and practical in application, William Augustus Jones deconstructs racism in America and offers up a solution that applies to racism in America in 2021.

This event is free and open to the public from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM EST., but they must register here https://bit.ly/3uhsIyt

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About National Action Network 

National Action Network is one of the leading civil rights organizations in the Nation with chapters throughout the entire United States. Founded in 1991 by Reverend Al Sharpton, NAN works within the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to promote a modern civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice, decency and equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, nationality or gender.

For more information go to www.nationalactionnetwork.net