By The Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, with The Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis and The Rev. Dr. Rick Lowery
Beacon Press
2018
In this collection of sermons and speeches, Rev. Barber lays out his groundbreaking vision for organizing across racial, economic, and religious lines, paired with essays from leading activists in his Moral Mondays movement who write about implementing his ideas in an age of division. The Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II has been called “the closest person we have to Martin Luther King Jr. in our midst” (Cornel West) and “one of the most gifted organizers and orators in the country today” (Ari Berman).
Rev. William Barber is the architect and leader of the Moral Mondays movement, which arose in 2013 in opposition to Republican policies in North Carolina that have restricted voting rights and blocked health care expansion. The movement has since expanded to cities across the country, and with the election of Donald Trump, Rev. Barber’s message is more necessary than ever. This volume features Rev. Barber’s most stirring sermons and speeches, with response essays by prominent public intellectuals, activists, and faith leaders. Drawing from the history of social movements in the US, especially the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Poor People’s Campaign, Rev. Barber and the contributors to this volume speak to the most pressing issues of our time, including Black Lives Matter, the fight for a $15 minimum wage, the struggle to protect voting rights, the march for women’s rights, and the movement to overcome poverty and unite the dispossessed across all dividing lines. Grounded in the fundamental biblical theme of poor and oppressed people taking action together, the book suggests ways to effectively build a fusion movement to make America fair and just for everyone.