Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) Blogs

Office of Public Witness

Raising a Prophetic Voice through the Social Justice Policy of Presbyterians Since 1946

A Peaceful Transition of Power

After days of high anxiety and ballot counting, on November 7, 2020, former vice-president Joe Biden became the 46th President-elect of the United States of America. He received almost seventy-nine million votes, has a sizable lead in the Electoral College, and insurmountable leads in each state he won. However, President Trump refuses to accept the… Read more »

Making “Never Again” a Reality

by Ailih Weeldryer, OPW Intern for International Issues This July marked the 25th anniversary of the massacre at Srebrenica, a turning point in the Bosnian War that many agree qualifies under the international definition of genocide. For Bosnian Muslims, the memory of the massacre and campaign of ethnic cleansing enacted by Serbian forces looms large. Many… Read more »

PCUSA Joins Faith Groups in Call to Senators to Lead Global Covid-19 Response

WASHINGTON, DC—On September 17, 2020, seventeen faith-based national organizations, representing thousands of members serving poor and vulnerable people around the world, delivered a letter to Senators urging them to pass legislation that includes international assistance to address the social and economic impacts of COVID-19. September 17, 2020 Dear Senator, As representatives of faith-based organizations serving… Read more »

The Prophetic Witness of Black Women

By Langley Hoyt This March, I attended the Beyoncé Mass created by Rev. Yolanda Norton. The mass uses Beyoncé’s music as a tool to have empowering conversations about Black women and God and to lament the violence against Black women. The most impactful part of Beyoncé Mass, for me, was when the choir sang Beyoncé’s… Read more »

COVID19 and the Power Imbalance of International Trade Policy

by Hannah Graunke, Summer Fellow, Office of Public Witness As governments are scrambling to enact life-saving policies during the COVID-19 pandemic, investors and international corporations are striving to save their profits at the expense of citizens around the globe. More and more nations are taking measures to ensure adequate health care, water, and electricity for… Read more »

Rev Hawkins joins letter urging aid to assist with COVID19 in Latin America and the Caribbean

June 8, 2020 Dear Senator McConnell, Senator Schumer, Representative Pelosi, and Representative McCarthy, As the United States faces an escalating health crisis at home, we cannot afford to ignore the situation among our neighbors in Latin America and the Caribbean, which has now been declared the new epicenter of the pandemic. According to the World… Read more »

A Time for Action

A Statement from Rev. Jimmie R. Hawkins, Director of the Office of Public Witness The week of May 24th will be remembered as a week of lament, mourning, grief, and outrage. Death has been a constant presence throughout the world as lives have been impacted by loss and pain. The most troubling aspect is the… Read more »

PCUSA joins humanitarian and civil society groups calling on Congress to include North Korea aid exemptions in next COVID relief package

Today, the Presbyterian Church (USA) along with 35 organizations representing humanitarian, research, peacebuilding, faith-based, human rights, and other civil society groups sent a letter to Congress urging immediate sanctions exemptions for humanitarian assistance to the people of North Korea during the pandemic. The organizations collectively have more than 40 million constituents. May 5, 2020 The… Read more »