NAACP Launches New Faith Initiative to Engage and Advocate with the Faith Community as we Navigate COVID-19

Washington, D.C. (April 9, 2020) - In an effort to address the impact of COVID-19 on the Faith Community – leaders, institutions and community members - the NAACP is launching the Faith Forward Initiative (#FaithForward).

The purpose of the initiative is to acknowledge and lift up the role of religious institutions as beacons of hope, healing and direct service providers in communities all across this country and the world. In these challenging times that have been presented to us in the face of COVID-19, religious institutions are continuing to be that beacon while many have had to face difficulty maintaining adequate resources to support operations.

As Congress considers the fourth stimulus package for the economy in response to COVID-19, we would like to work to ensure religious institutions are included in these discussions so they are able to continue to provide these important services and leadership in their local communities.

KEY ACTIVITIES

• Virtual Convening - The NAACP will convene a forum with faith leaders to discuss the economic stimulus packages passed by Congress and those currently being considered, identify needed resources and identify an advocacy and partner engagement strategy to ensure their needs are included in future legislation.
• Social Media Rollout - To launch the initiative, we will create three social media graphics with faith influencers that will send out a message of hope for churches attached with a favorite scripture tagged with #faithforward. The graphics would rollout this weekend Friday, April 10th and feature Faith influencers like Bishop William Murphy and Rabbi Jonah Pesner (Others TBD).
• Weekly Engagement - Launch NAACP Prayer Calls for the member and partners of the NAACP during these challenging times. Dr. Zina Pierre will kick off the series and coordinate other faith leaders to participate in subsequent weeks including board members who are pastors and/or members of the clergy.

As the initiative continues to develop and grow we believe it will be transformative for the communities we serve.