Check out this invitation from our partners at the Summit for Religious Freedom - Ashrei is a proud sponsor of this event and will be represented in DC!
Fight for Religious Freedom and Church State Separation
April 13-16, 2024 | Washington, D.C., and Virtual
The Summit for Religious Freedom or SRF (pronounced "surf") is the hub for our collective fight for religious freedom, church-state separation, and the issues that depend on them like LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive rights, protecting public schools, strengthening our democracy and more. It’s a big tent — welcoming everyone from longtime advocates, to those just discovering the issue and its critical role in protecting our democracy, our equality, and our rights. We’re collaborating to defeat the biggest threats to these values including Christian nationalists and other extremists, along with their political allies, who have launched a coordinated campaign to force us all to live by their narrow, religious beliefs.
For those who can’t make the trip to Washington, D.C., to participate in the second annual Summit for Religious Freedom in person, there’s also an impressive virtual program of live, curated sessions you can still participate in from the comfort of your home, local coffee shop or anywhere with an internet connection. In the weeks following SRF, you’ll also receive links to recordings of almost all the keynotes and seminars listed in the program regardless of whether they were live streamed.
SRF programming that’s available virtually includes:
U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) is the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. He will be joined by AU President and CEO Rachel Laser and Wajahat Ali of the Western States Center for a powerful keynote panel on how Christian Nationalism intersected with the January 6 insurrection. They will also discuss the role that church-state separation plays in protecting religious freedom and our democracy.
Journalist and LGBTQ+ rights activist Erin Reed tracks anti-LGBTQ+ legislation for her subscription newsletter, ErinInTheMorning.com. She will be joined by AU Director of Digital Communications Amy Couch and Clarke Wheeler from the National Women’s Law Center to shed light on how the growing number of coordinated attacks against the LGBTQ+ community, especially on those who are transgender, connects to other church-state issues like abortion access and birth control.
Author, historian and professor Dr. Anthea Butler, AU’s VP of Strategic Communications Andrew L. Seidel and Alison Gill from American Atheists will shine a spotlight on how Christian Nationalism connects to numerous other issues, why racism underpins this harmful ideology, and what we can do to fight back against opponents of true religious freedom.
“Will it be Preaching or Teaching Religion in the Post-Kennedy Era?” features Tim Hall from Religion Matters, Sinthia Shabnam from the Islamic Association of Raleigh and author Linda K. Wertheimer. Together, they will explore how the 2022 Supreme Court ruling on a praying football coach upended the landscape of school prayer and religion in public schools.
"The State of U.S. Democracy and Emerging Threats: Project 2025" will explore the election-year machinations of a Shadow Network of Christian Nationalist organizations and their political allies who are attempting to cement power and subvert our democracy.
“How the Courts Have Undermined Public Education and Religious Freedom” combines litigation and policy experts including Samantha Sokol and Alex Luchenitser from Americans United and Linh Dang from the National Education Association. They will cover how recent education-related court decisions have impacted public schools and students across the nation and harmed the religious freedom of students and families.
“Past, Present and Upcoming Battles Over Health Mandates and Religious Accommodations” includes Zach Pekelis and Erica Coray of the Pacifica Law Group. They will examine the law governing religious exemptions from public health requirements and the impact these cases have on the future of religious exceptionalism in law and society.
There’s never been a more important time for us to come together and learn, share, and advocate with one voice for religious freedom, church-state separation, and the issues that depend on them.