Adam Russell Taylor

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Adam Russell Taylor
NationalityAmerican
Alma materVirginia Union University
Emory University
Harvard Kennedy School

Adam Russell Taylor is president of Sojourners, a Christian nonprofit organization focused on the biblical call to social justice.[1][2] He is also the author of A More Perfect Union: A New Vision for Building the Beloved Community and Mobilizing Hope: Faith-Inspired Activism for a Post Civil Rights Generation.[3] Taylor is ordained in the American Baptist Church and Progressive National Baptist Convention.[4]

Early career and education[edit]

Taylor previously served as the vice president in charge of advocacy at World Vision U.S., as well as the executive director at Global Justice. He also led the Faith Initiative at the World Bank Group.

From 2009 to 2010, Taylor was a White House Fellow, serving in the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs, Intergovernmental Affairs, and Public Engagement. Taylor is also a member of the inaugural class of the Aspen Institute Civil Society Fellowship.

Taylor is a graduate of Emory University, the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, and the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology.[5]

Sojourners[edit]

Taylor has been president of Sojourners since November 2020. He is the first president since founder Jim Wallis, and the organization's first African-American president.[6] He formerly served as the chair of the board and as the senior political director and executive director.[7]

As president of Sojourners, Taylor regularly appears as a speaker at colleges and universities, denominational meetings, faith conferences, and other gatherings.[8]

Advocacy[edit]

Taylor's work largely focuses on issues such as racial justice, economic justice, voting rights, global development and human rights, and immigration, as well as building Martin Luther King Jr.'s and other civil rights leaders' vision of the Beloved Community.[9][10][11]

Taylor is involved with several advocacy groups, including the Circle of Protection, a coalition of church leaders working to address poverty and hunger through advocacy work. Together, the church bodies in the Circle of Protection have close to 100 million members.[12] In February 2021, the Circle of Protection sent a letter to the Biden administration and members of Congress calling for another round of COVID-19 relief legislation. When sending out that letter, Taylor said, "The moral obligation of this nation to combat the pandemic is a moral imperative for Christians."[13] Taylor is also involved with the Faiths4Vaccines campaign, a multifaith coalition of religious leaders and medical professionals working to resolve gaps in vaccine outreach.[14][15]

Black Lives Matter movement[edit]

Following the murder of George Floyd, Taylor wrote, "As a father of two black sons, I can’t breathe today because I refuse to accept a law enforcement system that so often treats black bodies as being presumed guilty or an immediate danger." On June 2, 2020, he and Wallis criticized then-President Donald Trump for tear gassing peaceful protestors in order to take a picture holding a Bible in front of St. John's Episcopal Church.[16][17]

In July 2021, Taylor called for a "modern-day equivalent of the Freedom Summer," arguing that American democracy was at stake.[18]

2020 election and aftermath[edit]

Taylor helped to lead Sojourners' Lawyers & Collars initiative, which, through a partnership with the Skinner Leadership Institute and the National African-American Clergy Network, mobilized faith leaders to advocate for voting rights and act as a moral presence at voting sites across the country.[19][20] On Election Day, he served as a poll chaplain in Philadelphia.[21]

In response to the 2020 United States presidential election results, Taylor said, "We look forward to working with the new Administration to boldly address the COVID pandemic, systematic racism, economic justice, and climate change as core matters of faith even as we work together to heal our nation from deep polarization."[22]

Following the 2021 United States Capitol attack, Taylor said, "Jan. 6 was a wake-up moment for many within the church about the poisonous danger of white supremacy and Christian nationalism, including among many more conservative Christians."[23] On January 7, 2021, he and Wallis called for Trump to be removed from office.[24]

Personal life[edit]

Taylor is married to Sharee Mckenzie Taylor. Together, they have two children. Taylor is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and serves in ministry at the Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, VA.[25][26]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Adam Taylor succeeds Jim Wallis as Sojourners president". Religion News Service. 2020-11-20. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  2. ^ "Adam Russell Taylor". Sojourners. 2011-02-02. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  3. ^ "Religion Publishers Are Opening Doors and Minds". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  4. ^ Graves-Fitzsimmons, Guthrie; Siddiqi, Maggie (2020-08-12). "Faith Leaders To Watch in 2020". Center for American Progress. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  5. ^ "Adam Russell Taylor | Lead, Faith-Based Initiative". blogs.worldbank.org. 5 April 2016. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  6. ^ Wallis, Jim (2020-11-18). "The Next Part of the Race". Sojourners. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  7. ^ "Jim Wallis steps aside as head of Sojourners, to take on full-time role at Georgetown". The Christian Post. 20 November 2020. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  8. ^ "As United Church of Christ takes on race and LGBTQ issues, consensus reigns". Religion News Service. 2021-07-07. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  9. ^ "University Chaplaincy hosts the Rev. Adam Russell Taylor for annual James A. Russell Lectureship". The Tufts Daily. 2021-04-08. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  10. ^ Graves-Fitzsimmons, Guthrie (2021-03-04). "Religious Groups Rally for the American Rescue Plan". Center for American Progress. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  11. ^ "'Hope': 10 Christian reactions to Derek Chauvin's conviction for murder of George Floyd". The Christian Post. 21 April 2021. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  12. ^ "Presidential Candidates Share Plans to End Hunger and Poverty". Circle of Protection / An Alliance of Christian Leaders Committed to Ending Poverty. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
  13. ^ "Sojourners Urges Congress to Pass New Round of COVID Relief Legislation". Sojourners. 2021-02-02. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
  14. ^ "About Our Equitable Vaccine Distribution Movement | Faiths 4 Vaccines". faiths4vaccines.org. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
  15. ^ "Faiths4Vaccines Hosts National Summit To Support Equitable and Far-Reaching Vaccine Distribution". Sojourners. 2021-05-25. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
  16. ^ Wallis, Jim (2020-06-02). "The Church and the Bible Are Not Presidential Props". Sojourners. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
  17. ^ Gjelten, Tom (June 2020). "Peaceful Protesters Tear-Gassed To Clear Way For Trump Church Photo-Op". NPR.org. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
  18. ^ Taylor, Adam Russell (2021-07-08). "Our Democracy Is Not a Given". Sojourners. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
  19. ^ "Poll chaplains plan to bring a 'prayerful presence' to precincts this Election Day". Religion News Service. 2020-10-27. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  20. ^ Millard, Egan (2020-10-28). "Poll chaplain training shows Episcopalians how to be a 'peaceful and prayerful presence' on Election Day". Episcopal News Service. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  21. ^ "Over 1,000 Interfaith Leaders Came Together on Election Day to Protect Black Voters". Sojourners. 2020-11-06. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
  22. ^ "The People Have Spoken: They choose Joe Biden and Kamala Harris". Sojourners. 2020-11-09. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
  23. ^ Kuruvilla, Carol (2021-02-26). "Faith Leaders Denounce The Radicalization Of White Christians In Wake Of Capitol Riot". HuffPost. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  24. ^ "The President Must Be Removed". Sojourners. 2021-01-07. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
  25. ^ "Busboys and Poets Books Presents A MORE PERFECT UNION with Rev Adam Taylor, Busboys and Poets, Washington, 20 September 2021". stayhappening.com. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
  26. ^ "Timely New Book a Bold Call for a Reimagined Beloved Community". AP NEWS. 2021-09-14. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
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