Rev. Jamal Bryant says Black churches must reclaim their historic mantle of leadership — and guide the nation through what he calls a moral and civic crossroads.
Why it matters: Bryant, who called Rev. Jesse Jackson his "superhero" and "blueprint," is stepping into a prophetic tradition shaped by Jackson and other civil rights giants — many of whom are now gone.
- Jackson, who died Tuesday and is expected to be honored with a funeral next week, embodied a model of ministry fused with movement-building that shaped Atlanta's political culture and beyond.
- Bryant says it's a tradition that must now be revived for a new generation.
What he's saying: "While other boys my age wanted to be Michael Jordan, I wanted to be Jesse Jackson. His poise, passion, and purpose were my blueprint. In 6th grade, I wore a Jackson for president button every day," Bryant told Axios.
Case in point: Bryant, pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in metro Atlanta, launched a 40-day Target fast — urging churches and consumers to boycott companies retreating from racial equity commitments — signaling a renewed call for Black churches to reclaim their role.
- Target later reported sharp sales declines and a leadership shake-up.
- Bryant drew inspiration from campaigns like Montgomery and Birmingham to pressure those in power.
The big picture: For centuries, the Black church has been more than a place of worship — it's been a headquarters for resistance. Born in the hush harbors of slavery, sharpened during Reconstruction and formalized in the Civil Rights Movement, the church fused faith with action.
- Black pastors led nearly every major push for justice in America — from emancipation and voting rights to labor, housing and education reform. Their pulpits doubled as command centers for marches, boycotts and civic organizing.
- Jackson was standing on the balcony in Memphis when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, a moment that cemented his place in the movement's inner circle.
Zoom out: The same institutions that anchored the Civil Rights Movement are again stepping into the breach as the drumbeat of Trump-era attacks on civil rights and diversity grows louder.
- Clergy such as Bryant, the Rev. Otis Moss III and the Rev. William H. Lamar IV are using social media, podcasts and the pulpit to lead a new wave of prophetic activism — mobilizing Black faith communities to confront today's political, economic and cultural backlash with clarity and conviction.
- "We have to have a focused agenda, because the next step after rage is burnout," Bryant said. "People are waiting for the rallying cry — we just have to be clear about what direction we're taking them."
- "The Black church has to clear its throat and cry aloud," Bryant told Axios. "If we're not careful, we'll find ourselves on an island of irrelevance."
Zoom in: Bryant said he's in daily strategy threads with pastors across the country — "Frederick Haynes in Dallas, Marcus Cosby in Houston, Charlie Dates in Chicago, Steve Green in New York, and Talbert Swan in Massachusetts."
Reality check: Civil rights attorney Maya Wiley called the Target fast a potent example of "mobilizing moral voice with economic consequence," saying leaders like Bryant and Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner are reclaiming the Black church's historic leverage — both spiritual and financial — to resist today's rollbacks.
- "If we lose that voice, we lose a moral compass in this country," she said. "It's not just about preserving tradition — it's about protecting democracy."
Yes, and: Rev. William Barber of the Repairers of the Breach told Axios that faith leaders must also build broad, multiracial coalitions.
- "This is not a time for a new pseudo Black nationalism," Barber said. "It's got to be multiracial, multigenerational, multigeographical. What Trump and them would want is for us to pit ourselves against one another."
- Barber, who co-led the modern Poor People's Campaign inspired by Dr. King's final crusade, said clergy have a moral obligation to show how issues like voting rights and Medicaid cuts hurt all Americans.
Bottom line: "We're at what Malcolm Gladwell calls a breaking point," Bryant said. "The people will not sit idly by while the Constitution is obliterated."
Faith in motion: Black clergy on the frontlines, from past to present.
