The Urgency in Reimagining Religious Freedom
Effective leadership in the 21st century requires that we critically examine the role that religion and politics have played throughout history. If America is to thrive as a religiously pluralistic and diverse nation, we must reimagine how religious freedom is prioritized and protected in this country. Dr. Sabrina E. Dent is a life-long advocate for human rights and social justice.
About the Speaker:
Sabrina E. Dent, DMin is president of the Center for Faith, Justice, and Reconciliation and is life-long advocate for human rights and social justice. An interfaith leader, Dr. Dent developed a strong passion for religious freedom as a 2015 BJC Fellow with the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. Her public scholarship addresses religious freedom issues that impact African Americans and marginalized communities in ways that undermine their civil rights and social needs. In September 2021, she launched Reimagine Religious Freedom, an education initiative dedicated to engaging religious communities in reimagining how we discuss religious freedom to address social justice issues in the 21st century. In November 2021, she hosted her first virtual conference titled “Reimagining Religious Freedom: Moving From Education to Advocacy.”
Dr. Dent is most proud of her work on the three-year project with the Freedom Forum funded by the Henry Luce Foundation titled “Religious Freedom: African American Perspectives.” This program in partnership with the six Historically Black Theological Institutions explored the complex politics of race and religion in America via the multidisciplinary approach of theological, museum, and First Amendment education. She is the editor and contributing author of the book African Americans and Religious Freedom: New Perspectives for Congregations and Communities.
Sabrina earned her Master of Divinity degree and Doctor of Ministry degree from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University. Her doctoral project title was “Bridging the Gap of Race and Interfaith Relations: Connecting Humanity with Our Stories.” She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech. Sabrina is a native of Petersburg, Virginia, and a proud mother.