Danielle Ayers
Minister of Justice |
Friendship West Baptist Church, Dallas, TX
Minister Danielle Ayers serves as the Minister of Justice at Friendship West Baptist Church in Dallas, TX, a 12,000 member house of worship under the leadership of Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III. Ayers gives liberating leadership to the public policy and social activism initiatives at Friendship West. Ayers is the co-author of ""To Serve This Present Age: Social Justice Ministers in the Black Church"" (Judson Press, 2013). Ayers holds a B.B.A. in Marketing from The University of Memphis and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Urban Affairs and a certificate in Law and Public Policy from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Presentations from Facing Race 2014
Reimagining the Bible Belt: Race, Religion and Power in Dallas and the South
To organize in Texas and the South, organizers must reckon with the historical relationship between religion and white supremacy. Facing this legacy, how can we re-imagine the Bible Belt and engage with faith communities in emancipatory ways? Using local case studies, Dr. Bean and Minister Ayers identify common challenges and opportunities for new faith-rooted organizing in Texas and the South. In the second half of the workshop, participants will divide into regional and issue-based clusters to apply this analysis to the space where they work. Participants will clarify their own hopeful--but realistic--vision for faith as an emancipatory force in their context.
Speakers: Lydia Bean, Danielle Ayers