Racial Equality

Race and Religious Freedom: Why Church-State Separation Matters

The promise of religious freedom did not extend to Black and Indigenous people at America’s founding. The white Christian nationalists used religion to justify slavery, Jim Crow, and systemic racism. When laws align with one religious belief system, these laws breach the separation of church and state. Without the separation of church and state, such laws advance systemic racism and unduly harm people of color.

White Christian nationalists are an increasing threat to religious freedom and racial equity. Trump’s now-defunct travel ban targeted people from African nations and Muslim-majority countries. And Black churches remain targeted by white Christian nationalists who continue to use religion as an instrument of white supremacy.

What you need to know

Rooted in Segregation

In addition to outright discrimination practiced by some private schools, voucher programs have a sordid past rooted in racism. Vouchers were first created after Brown v. Board of Education to help fund segregation academies designed to keep Black and white students apart.

Suppressing the Vote in the Name of Religion

Prominent Christian nationalist groups have joined forces with a host of other far-right groups to push voter suppression laws in dozens of states. These laws are clearly designed to suppress minority votes and keep power in the hands of conservatives.

Exceptions Hurt

When religion is used to carve out exemptions from civil rights and other laws, it often disproportionately harms people of color. For example, LGBTQ people of color are more than twice as likely as their white counterparts to say they've been discriminated against when applying for jobs because they are LGBTQ.

For Nex and all 2SLGBTQ+ students in Oklahoma

Remove Ryan Walters

We are calling for the Oklahoma Legislature to immediately remove Ryan Walters from his position as Oklahoma Superintendent and to begin an investigation into the Oklahoma Department of Education’s policies that have led to a the rampant harassment of 2SLGBTQ+ students.

Sign The Petition