Faith In/And Democracy Grantee Profile: Faith, Race, and Democracy Project
A Conversation with Faith in Indiana
Faith In/And Democracy is a pilot funding and learning initiative led by PACE to explore the ways faith and faith communities can support democracy and civic life. PACE caught up with all five of the cohort participants to get a status update on their projects thus far, and we are releasing a series of interviews over the next month to highlight their leadership and share more about their early learnings.
Faith in Indiana is working to train clergy and people of faith to use the Race/Class Narrative to engage thousands of people in events and conversations that bridge differences and activate democratic action. Here’s more from our conversation:
Q: Tell us more about your project. What are the tangible action impacts you are pursuing?
A: Faith in Indiana believes that bedrock faith values and religious institutions can reach “beyond the choir” to provide a foundation for cross-racial solidarity and democratic participation.
We are pursuing three action impacts:
- Increase civic engagement: We are aiming to see 350–400 people gain democratic engagement skills, 2,000 people experience multiracial democratic action through town halls, candidate forums, media events, public hearings, etc., and see a rise in voter participation by at least 5%.
- Change the conversation: By looking at the language used in the pulpit, by allies, and in the media, Faith in Indiana hopes to see evidence that a prophetic narrative of belonging has replaced the politics of division.
- Policy changes: We believe that increases in civic engagement will result in new policy impacts that deliver racial and economic equity, reduce gun violence, decrease incarceration, and protect the social safety net.
Q: Why did you take this on and what do you hope it achieves?
A: Indiana has a devastating history of racism that has crippling effects on democracy, the consequences of which have contributed to unparalleled income inequality, growing racial disparities, and the destruction of the social safety net in the state.
Religion is a powerful force in the Midwest: 78% of Hoosiers say religion is important to them. Faith in Indiana uses the lens of faith to reach disenchanted white residents and engage them in multiracial teams where they can work side by side with people across lines of race, faith, and place on common projects of democratic reinvigoration.
Q: What are you learning so far?
A: Already we are seeing the power of religious institutions as an entry point for white people without college degrees to engage in multi-racial movement.
For example, after a multilingual team held hundreds of conversations with church members about their experiences with mental illness, addiction, and law enforcement, over 50 parishioners held a parish-wide assembly to share back what was learned and form a plan of action.
Through this experience, a white man, who was active in the parish and often shared anti-immigrant sentiments shared about the loss of his son to suicide. At the same gatherings, Latino families talked about the fear of police and ICE. Rooted in scripture they decided to work together to see what could be done. Two weeks later, they met with the County Sheriff to explore ending ICE collaboration and diverting the mentally ill out of jail. Outside religious life, it is unlikely that this encounter could have happened.
Q: What success have you seen so far in your project? Any stories to share?
A: Since August 1, we have trained grassroots leaders and engaged people in town hall forums, three public hearings, legislative meetings, and individual conversations. We’ve equipped nearly 100 clergy from various denominations and faiths to share our research-backed Race/Class Narrative with their congregations as well.
Additionally, we’ve won several policy changes including persuading the mayor of Indianapolis to commit $1.3 million to divert the mentally ill and addicted into treatment instead of jail, adopted Group Violence Intervention — a strategy proven to reduce gun homicides, and contracted with national experts to build local capacity. As a result, a $22 million crisis intervention center will open next year.
In Allen County, the sheriff and council president committed to fund jail diversion and expand treatment by April 2020. One story from this success came from Nicole and Shirley’s unexpected alliance around the need for increased investment in mental health treatment. When Nicole’s 18-year old son had a nervous breakdown, the police showed up, and he ended up serving six years in prison, where he still isn’t getting the mental health treatment he needs. Meanwhile, Shirley spent 18 years in prison, a sentence that began with her own struggle with mental illness. Nicole and Shirley encountered Faith in Indiana through their churches, and our message resonated. They met elected leaders, attended hearings, and won commitments from public officials to dedicate a portion of Allen County’s $20 million surplus to fund jail diversion and expanded treatment. For both Nicole, a White Catholic, and Shirley, an African-American Baptist, this was the first time they’d worked across race lines. This experience changed what they thought was possible.
Q: What are your biggest challenges as you look ahead?
A: Our toxic political climate is only getting worse. Some public figures exploit racial anxiety to divide working people and undermine faith in government. Decades of voter suppression, gerrymandering, and voter-alienation have left Indiana’s electorate marginalized from political power. As a result, many people feel cynical, distrustful, or even hostile. As the national political news has become increasingly partisan, deeply entrenched cultural divides are becoming ever deeper. We have a lot to overcome.
