Faculty Lecture Series featuring Dr. Matthew Cressler Black Religion and Black Lives Matter in Historical Perspective

It has been said that Black Lives Matter “ain’t yo’ mama’s civil rights movement.” This contrast relies in large part on characterizations of Black religion (or lack thereof).

The civil rights movement is usually imagined as an essentially Christian struggle whereas Black Lives Matter is described as secular, even anti-religious.

In this lecture, Matthew Cressler will complicate this common understanding by comparing Black Lives Matter with its historical predecessor, Black Power, and illuminating the role of religion in both.