On September 28 and 29, Notre Dame Law School's Religious Liberty Initiative will host the Black Church & Religious Freedom Conference at the University of Notre Dame's main campus in partnership with the Seymour Institute for Black Church and Policy Studies.
Central to the goal of advancing critical conversations on this topic is recognizing the profound influence of the Black Church in advocating for religious freedom. In addition, the conference aims to recognize Notre Dame as a place where people of different faiths come together to pursue religious liberty and to establish Notre Dame as a key player in the fight for racial justice.
We’re excited to share with you our current conference schedule.
Thursday, September 28
| Time | Event | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. |
Registration with Coffee and Pastries |
Morris Inn, ballroom prefunction |
| 9:30 to 9:45 a.m. |
Opening Remarks |
Smith Ballroom, Morris Inn |
| 9:45 to 11:00 a.m. |
Keynote: International Religious Freedom: Nigeria |
Smith Ballroom, Morris Inn |
| 11:00 to 11:15 a.m. |
Break |
|
| 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. |
Panel: Religious Freedom & Racial Justice |
Smith Ballroom, Morris Inn |
| 2:00 to 3:15 p.m. |
Panel: The Black Church's Response to LGBTQ+ Issues |
Smith Ballroom, Morris Inn |
| 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. |
Campus Tour Registration was required |
Meet in the lobby of Morris Inn |
| 6:30 p.m. |
Banquet, Keynote & Award Ceremony Registration was required |
McKenna Conference Center, 2nd floor |
Friday, September 29
| Time | Event | Venue |
|---|---|---|
|
8:30 - 9:30 a.m. |
Faith Service with Coffee and Pastries |
Morris Inn |
| 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. |
Panel: Religious Ministries Reaching Vulnerable Black Populations |
Smith Ballroom, Morris Inn |
| 10:45 to 11:00 a.m. |
Break |
|
| 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. |
Panel: Violence in the Black Community, BLM and Religious Freedom |
Smith Ballroom, Morris Inn |
| 1:45 to 3:00 p.m. |
Panel: Education, School Boards and Religious Freedom |
Smith Ballroom, Morris Inn |
| 6:30 p.m. |
Reception Registration was required |
Stayer Center |
| 7:30 p.m. |
CeCe Winans Concert Registration was required |
Leighton Concert Hall, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center |
About the Notre Dame Law School Religious Liberty Initiative
Established in 2020, the Notre Dame Law School Religious Liberty Initiative promotes and defends religious freedom for all people through advocacy, formation, and thought leadership. The initiative protects the freedom of individuals to hold religious beliefs as well as their right to exercise and express those beliefs and to live according to them.
The Religious Liberty Initiative has represented individuals and organizations from an array of faith traditions to defend the right to religious worship, to preserve sacred lands from destruction, to promote the freedom to select religious ministers, and to prevent discrimination against religious schools and families.
Learn more about the Religious Liberty Initiative at religiousliberty.nd.edu.