Facing Race: A National Conference in St. Louis, MO — November 20-22, 2024

Lydia Bean

Dr. Lydia Bean is a social scientist and organizer based in Dallas, Texas. A Harvard-trained sociologist, Lydia is the author of “The Politics of Evangelical Identity,” which explains how white evangelical churches became so closely tied to conservative politics (Princeton University Press, 2014).   In 1999, she co-founded Friends of Justice, a faith-based nonprofit that organized narrative campaigns across Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi to hold the criminal justice system accountable.  After teaching at Baylor University for four years, she became Senior Consultant to the PICO National Network, the largest faith-based organizing network in the country.


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