Last week, Americans United received some exciting news: Sabrina E. Dent, D.Min., AU’s senior faith adviser, was among “21 Faith Leaders to Watch in 2021” according to a list compiled by the Center for American Progress’ Faith and Progressive Policy Initiative.
“I exercise my spirituality by practicing human dignity and boldly opposing public policies that promote religious privilege or discrimination of any kind,” Sabrina said. “When religious and nonreligious people come together to hold our elected officials accountable to advocate for a better society that promotes freedom, equality, equity, and justice for all people, this is how we care for the beloved community.”
Sabrina has a long history of working to uphold social justice. She has worked in programs designed to help members of vulnerable populations, including women and children impacted by domestic violence and abuse, youth with mental health and behavioral challenges, and racial and religious minorities. In 2015, she became a fellow at the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, where she developed a passion for religious freedom issues.
Prior to coming to Americans United, Sabrina worked as director of programs and partnerships at the Religious Freedom Center of the Freedom Forum where she managed several of the education initiatives designed for religious and civic leaders.
Sabrina also served as co-editor and a contributing author for the recently published book African Americans and Religious Freedom: New Perspectives for Congregations and Communities. She’s also an accomplished speaker, and several of her recent talks are available on AU’s website.
“Diverse religious leaders are on the front lines of defending U.S. democracy and working with elected leaders to build a more just and equitable world,” wrote CAP’s Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons and Maggie Siddiqi in introducing the 21 faith leaders.
“The January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol brought attention to the strong ties between Christian nationalism and violent white supremacy,” they added. “Yet this toxic combination is far from the only expression of religion in public life. Faith leaders in the United States have long played an active role in fighting for justice and supporting vulnerable communities. Now, after four years of resisting policies that denied the dignity and rights of all people, they are working to rebuild the country.”
We’re proud to have Sabrina on the AU team. Congratulations, Dr. Dent!
