When my husband and I learned that we were going to be parents, we wondered how the actual birth would go. We had heard some devastating statistics about the maternal mortality rate in the United States. Black women in the United States die from pregnancy-related causes at three to four times the rate of white women, regardless of education, income, or other socioeconomic factors.

This sermon was given by Rabbi David Stern, an active member of the RAC-TX team, at the Joint Jewish and African American religious service with the Texas Legislative Black Caucus Conference on April 6, 2021.

Thank you to Reverend Miller and Rabbi David Segal

This campaign aims to help dismantle systemic racism by educating, inspiring, and empowering individuals and communities to look inwardly to make communal change and outwardly to win legislative change.

Deep-rooted systemic racism is deeply impacting People of Color across the U.S., including Jews of Color. Last fall, TV host and podcaster Nick Cannon visited the RAC to speak with Reform Jewish leaders about this crucial topic. 

This is not yet the America most of us dream of, but it is an unavoidable part of our DNA. American equality and exceptionalism are checks that are still in the mail. If we truly love what this country is capable of, we must continue to speak the hard truth to power.

Jewish Disability Advocacy Month is an opportunity to participate in working toward a more just world.

The LAs are at the heart of every aspect of our social justice work, but to date, the fellowship has not fully reflected the diversity of the Movement it represents – and we’re committed to changing that.

Many of these steps are ones we called for in outreach to the transition team, and they are already having a positive impact. But legislation is vital to ensure these steps cannot be overturned at the discretion of a new president.

The Religious Action Center outlines our legislative priorities to members of the 117th Congress, urging them to join us in the pursuit of a more just and compassionate world.