Black Pastors March on DNC and Third Way Offices in Washington Demanding Economic Justice
A coalition of Black pastors and faith leaders held a "Substance Over Symbolism" rally in Washington, D.C., on September 17, 2026, targeting the Democratic National Committee and the organization Third Way. Led by Dr. Delman Coates and Dr. Willie Francois III, the group demanded a federal job guarantee, universal health care, and other economic policies. The coalition launched SOSforAmerica.org to coordinate civic action across congregations.
A coalition of Black pastors and faith leaders marched on the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee and the offices of Third Way in Washington, D.C., on September 17, 2026, demanding what they called "substance over symbolism" in economic policy.
Dr. Delman Coates, founder of the Black Church Center for Justice and Equality and senior pastor of Mt. Ennon Baptist Church, led the rally alongside Dr. Willie Francois III, senior pastor of Fountain Baptist Church and second vice president of the Progressive National Baptist Convention.
The coalition said political institutions have spent too long offering symbolic gestures while ignoring the material needs of Black communities. They specifically targeted Third Way's reported $15 million effort to discredit progressive populist movements.
The group framed its demands as the unfinished work of the Civil Rights Movement, citing the economic justice agenda championed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the historical Freedom Budget.
Their policy demands included a federal job guarantee, universal health care and Medicare for All, universal pre-K, fully funded K-12 schools, tuition-free public college, universal affordable housing, and voting rights protections through the For the People Act.
The coalition launched SOSforAmerica.org to coordinate registration, share policy resources, and organize civic action for congregations across the country.
