The Black church is again at the center of American politics — and its leaders feel like a target

There have been periods in U.S. history when one particular institution rises to the forefront of the prevailing political dynamics. The Black church is experiencing one of those periods at this moment. That is largely due to a prominent leader in it running in one of the most consequential and closely watched U.S. Senate races — in Georgia — and the church’s centrality to the movement for racial justice, which was a dominant theme of 2020.