Recognizing Bishop William J. Barber II

Floor Speech

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Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a true man of faith, Bishop William J. Barber II, who is stepping down from his ministry at North Carolina's Greenleaf Christian Church after serving his congregation and community for 30 years with love and devotion.

Under Rev. Dr. Barber's remarkable leadership, Greenleaf Church blossomed into a vibrant parish proclaiming the gospel in all aspects of community life. He secured investments to provide the community with a childcare center, computer literacy job training, affordable housing for families, a low-income senior living facility, a celebrated after- school program, a restaurant, a free community garden, a gang- prevention program, and an HIV/AIDS ministry. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he kept services going and grew a massive online ministry. During Rev. Dr. Barber's tenure, seven individuals have received a call to ministry from Greenleaf and have gone on to complete Master of Divinity and doctoral degrees, and three of them now pastor other congregations.

As an active community leader, Rev. Dr. Barber famously built a powerful grassroots coalition to advocate for moral public policy in the North Carolina General Assembly, leading the way to expand ballot access, increase the state minimum wage and pass the Racial Justice Acts challenging the racist application of the death penalty. This coalition, which grew into the Forward Together movement, also helped secure the freedom of several innocent Black men who had been awaiting execution on death row. In 2013, the coalition's ``Moral Monday'' demonstrations mobilized tens of thousands of people to protest voter suppression and other acts of what Rev. Dr. Barber calls ``policy violence.''

In 2015, Rev. Dr. Barber founded Repairers of the Breach, a nonpartisan, interfaith movement that advances moral and constitutional values to combat policies affecting the most vulnerable communities. After a 26-state ``moral revival'' tour in partnership with the Kairos Center for Religion, Rights & Social Justice, Rev. Dr. Barber and Repairers of the Breach re-launched the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival in 2018. This powerful movement is continuing the work of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other leaders who first launched the Poor People's Campaign in 1968 to build a broad, interracial movement for economic justice. Under Rev. Dr. Barber's leadership, the revived Poor People's Campaign has built a national community of hundreds of organizations committed to addressing the interlocking injustices of poverty, racism, ecological devastation, militarism and religious nationalism.

Rev. Dr. Barber's extraordinary eloquence and moral passion have uplifted the fortunes of countless Americans. He previously served as president of the North Carolina NAACP and on the National NAACP Board of Directors. He has published four books and hundreds of articles, and inspired the introduction of a Third Reconstruction Resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives during the 117th Congress. Rev. Dr. Barber earned a bachelor's degree from North Carolina Central University, a Master of Divinity from Duke University, and a doctorate from Drew University with a concentration in Public Policy and Pastoral Care. He has had ten honorary degrees conferred upon him.

Yale Divinity School recently honored Rev. Dr. Barber by naming him as Founding Director of the Center for Public Theology and Public Policy.

I hope that the House will join me in celebrating Bishop William J. Barber II for his three decades of selfless service at the Greenleaf Christian Church and for his contributions to our Nation as a moral movement leader. I look forward to continuing to work together for many years to come.

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