Sacred Spaces
Racial Justice and Spirituality in Action
Our Mission
Sacred Spaces: Racial Justice and Spirituality in Action aims to topple policies and practices that sanction systemic racism and drive social change outcomes. Rooted in social justice, love, and humanity, the program will guide participants to ultimately create and launch an action plan to drive social change.
Selected participants will be established leaders rooted in faith and mercy, from various professional and social sectors, who have demonstrated influence and authority in furthering the cause of racial justice and systemic change. They will be from broad backgrounds, professionally, racially, geographically, religiously, and otherwise. Participants of diverse faith traditions are welcome and encouraged.
This 10-month, outcome-focused program aims to provide participants with the necessary knowledge, skills, and tools to engage in conversations about race, explore their own personal positions, and work towards creating a more just and equitable society. The program features group discussions, workshops, and conversations led by a nationally-renowned group of speakers, teachers, and mentors. Participants will be expected to have identified a policy or practice area they will work to change.
Sacred Spaces participants will:
- Learn radical honesty as a guide to strengthen faith-inspired leadership skills
- Develop and share with others tools to effectively manage social change rooted in justice, love, and humanity
- Create and enact a clearly-defined action plan to drive social change
- Build a coalition of diverse change-makers dedicated to empowering others to challenge injustice, fight oppression, and work towards creating a more equitable and compassionate world
Sacred Spaces will be centered around a multi-day residential program at the newly-opened Virginia Mae Center. Centrally located within the tranquility of the Cathedral grounds, the Virginia Mae Center is a place of learning, pilgrimage and spiritual renewal, a safe venue for difficult conversations, and a healing space for all who enter its doors.
Sacred Spaces: Racial Justice and Spirituality in Action Program is guided by an advisory committee consisting of leaders across diverse industries. The advisory committee meets regularly to advise the Cathedral on the program. Members include, but are not limited to:
- The Rev. Canon Leonard L. Hamlin, Sr., Canon Missioner and Missioner of Equity and Inclusion, Washington National Cathedral
- The Rev. Dr. Paul Smith, Civil Rights Veteran and Pastor Emeritus, First Presbyterian, Brooklyn Heights
- Karen Chong (Co-Chair), Vice President of Audience Strategy, Age Inclusion, Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, AARP
- C. Howie Hodges, II (Co-Chair), Partner and Managing Director, CENTRI Capital
- Michaela Angela Davis, Writer and Image Activist
- Dr. Hildi Hendrickson, Former Associate Professor of Anthropology, Long Island University Brooklyn
- Joy Thomas Moore, President and CEO, JWS Media Consulting
- Elle Moxley, Executive Director & Founder, Masha P Johnson Institute
- Mossi K. Tull, Chief Operating Officer, Jackson and Tull
- Dr. Dianna Vass, Associate Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, University of Maryland, Baltimore
- James R. Woody, Member, Cathedral Chapter; retired, founding Executive Director and President, the Bishop John T. Walker School for Boys
Program Partners
The Cathedral is grateful for the support of Trinity Church Wall Street through a grant from its Leadership Development Program.
2024 Cohort Update
In its inaugural year, Sacred Spaces has featured online and on-site workshops and conversations led by nationally-renowned speakers and mentors. The marquee program thus far was the 3-day, 2-night session hosted at the Cathedral’s Virginia Mae Center, where participants engaged in workshops, breakout sessions, and guided tours. The on-site session also enabled participants to build community through meaningful conversations and immersive experiences.
This cohort is represented by a diverse group of nonprofit and corporate leaders working towards creating a more just and equitable society. They hail from across the United States and represent such organizations as:
- AT&T
- The LGBTQ Center of Los Angeles
- Shell
- The University of St. Thomas
- The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, D.C
- Children’s Literacy Project
- Duke University
- Faith & Empowerment
- Washington Hebrew Congregation
- The Holistic Empowerment Institute
These participants have devised a wide range of inspiring projects to promote social change, and continued work over the summer through monthly expert-led coaching sessions and a virtual Changemaker Talk. To conclude the program, the cohort will return to the Cathedral in September for additional programming and to share their plans with Cathedral staff and community leaders.
2024 Leaders and facilitators
Experts and community leaders provide input on specific program components throughout the planning and then facilitate cohort workshops.
- Ana T. Chapa, Apoyo, LLC
- Ambassador Suzan Johnson Cook, Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom
- Dr. Gregory C. Ellison II, Fearless Dialogues, Emory University
- Sukari Pinnock Fitts, Shiftwork Consulting, Georgetown University
- Dr. Sarah Elizabeth Lewis, Harvard University
- Marc H. Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League
- The Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III, Trinity United Church of Christ
- Phillip Picardi, Los Angeles LGBT Center
Partner With Us
The Cathedral is eager to further develop the Sacred Spaces: Racial Justice and Spirituality in Action Program in future years and through additional cohorts. To learn more about Sacred Spaces, please contact [email protected].