Auburn

“Messaging Toward a New America”

2017

$185,000

Who are the Martin Luther Kings and the Abraham Joshua Heschels of our day? And how do we ensure their voices and messages reach and move Americans? These questions are at the heart of Auburn, a 200-year-old institution dedicated to helping multi-faith clergy and activists develop the leadership skills needed to build a more just America. Today this work is urgent. With communities increasingly divided, religious leaders are uniquely positioned to provide guidance that speaks not to our political affiliation but to our deepest values and higher selves. To meet the moment, Auburn will both draw upon the organization’s own expertise as well as partner with top researchers, pollsters, and thinkers working at the intersection of religion, politics, and culture. The goal: to identify and articulate which messages about freedom, justice, and equality (and other shared values) have the most power to galvanize Americans across fault lines. Their learnings will be informed and disseminated by their national network of tens of thousands of faith-based activists, along with Auburn’s Senior Fellows.