Wake Forest University School of Divinity to Convene National Leaders on Strengthening Solidarity and the Future of American Democracy

The daylong symposium, presented by the School’s Initiative on Religion, Pluralism, and American Public Life (iRPA), will convene diverse faith and civic leaders to examine how to build solidarity and strengthen American democracy.  

“As we celebrate 250 years of American democracy, this symposium asks a question every generation has been called to answer: How do we build and sustain bonds of solidarity across lines of difference to strengthen and enhance our democracy?” said Dean and Wake Forest Professor of the Humanities Corey D. B. Walker. “This important convening invites us to imagine a democracy deepened by solidarity and grounded in a capacity to recognize our differences while affirming the worth, value, and dignity of our shared humanity and the wellbeing of the common good.”

The symposium is part of the School of Divinity’s Initiative on Religion, Pluralism, and American Public Life, a national forum for scholarship and public engagement examining the role of religion in a diverse democracy. Grounded in Wake Forest University’s motto, Pro Humanitate, the Initiative on Religion, Pluralism, and American Public Life, the Initiative brings together scholars, faith leaders, policymakers, and civic leaders to explore some of the most consequential questions facing our nation.

This symposium will be hosted by Melissa Rogers, Distinguished Scholar in Faith, Law, and Public Policy at Wake Forest University School of Divinity, who previously served as Special Assistant to Presidents Obama and Biden and Executive Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

The program will feature keynote lectures by the Reverend Dr. Walter Earl Fluker, Martin Luther King Jr. Professor Emeritus of Ethical Leadership at Boston University School of Theology, and Rabbi David Saperstein, Director Emeritus of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and former United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. 

Walter Fluker is an internationally recognized scholar of ethical leadership whose work examines the intersections of religion, democracy, race, and public life. He has served as a distinguished lecturer for the US Embassy in Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria; Cape Town, Pretoria and Durban, South Africa, China; and India. David Saperstein served as the country’s chief diplomat on religious freedom issues during the second term of the Obama Administration and taught seminars for decades at Georgetown University Law Center. The Washington Post has called Saperstein the “quintessential religious lobbyist on Capitol Hill.” 

An afternoon public conversation, “Strengthening Solidarity Across the Nation,” will bring together diverse leaders from religious communities and civic organizations:

• Marcus Coleman, Vice President, Community Resilience Strategy, United Way Worldwide. Coleman leads community resilience strategy at United Way and previously directed the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where he built an initiative promoting protection of places of worship and community spaces. 

• Hurunnessa Fariad, President, Fariad LLC. Fariad is known for building bridges across diverse communities, including as founder of Fariad LLC;  a board member of Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy; and her previous leadership with the Multi-Faith Neighbors Network. She is also founder of The ADAMS BEAT Choir, the first youth choir based at a U.S. mosque.
• Rev. Dr. Joel Hunter, Chairman, Central Florida Pledge Campaign. Hunter, a longtime pastor and civic leader, co-founded the Pledge in 2024, which asks residents to treat all people with kindness and respect, especially those with whom they disagree. Hunter has also served in leadership councils for the World Evangelical Alliance and the National Association of Evangelicals.

• Shannon Minter, Legal Director, National Center for LGBTQ Rights. Minter has played leading roles in state and federal marriage equality cases and is a coauthor of Family Law for LGBTQ People. He’s also an advisory member of the Dallas Alliance for Religious Freedom and works to build bridges between LGBTQ people and conservative religious communities.
• Amy Spitalnick, Chief Executive Officer, Jewish Council for Public Affairs. Spitalnick convenes Jewish coalitions working across communities to build a just and inclusive American democracy. She previously led Integrity First for America, which won its groundbreaking lawsuit against hate groups responsible for violence in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017.

Together, these participants will explore what solidarity requires and how citizens might build relationships across lines of difference and disagreement.

“Time and again, these influential leaders have brought together unlikely allies to defuse conflict and make common cause,” said Melissa Rogers, Distinguished Scholar in Faith, Law, and Public Policy at Wake Forest University School of Divinity and host of the symposium. “An event highlight will be the opportunity to hear fascinating stories about their painstaking efforts to spur much-needed change in communities, law, and public policy. These stories will offer not only practical insights but also hope and inspiration for tackling some of the most challenging problems facing our nation today.” 

The symposium will take place from 10am – 4:30pm on Thursday, September 17, 2026 in Wait Chapel at Wake Forest University. The event is free and open to the public. Register at go.wfu.edu/divinity.