Long March Ahead: African American Churches and Public Policy in Post-Civil Rights America

Long March Ahead assesses the public policy activism of black churches since the Civil Rights movement. Social scientists and clergy consider the churches’ work on a range of policy matters over the past four decades: affirmative action, welfare reform, health care, women’s rights, education, and anti-apartheid activism. Some essays consider advocacy trends broadly while others focus on specific cases. Long March Ahead points to the need for black churches to complement the excellent work they do in implanting policies set by others by getting more involved in influencing public policy themselves. It is an important look at the political role of African American churches after the great policy achievements of the civil rights era.