DALLAS, TX – Faith in Texas, a federation of Faith in Action, announces that executive director Akilah Wallace will be stepping down from her role on October 31. Taking on her position as interim executive director is Dr. Jaime Kowlessar, senior pastor at Dallas City Temple. “I’m extremely grateful to Faith in Texas leaders and supporters for their trust in my leadership, and the opportunity to contribute to a powerful grassroots movement that is focusing on uplifting the lives of those most vulnerable here in Texas,” said Wallace, who is taking on the role as VP of Development of the youth organization Big Thought. “I’m honored to pass the torch to such a respected expert in multi-faith prophetic resistance, and am confident that Faith in Texas will continue to grow and change lives.” Among her accomplishments during the five years she was with Faith in Texas, Wallace led the the organization through key legislative fights and wins including gaining control of tens of millions of dollars in ARP funding, and diverting those funds to re-entry services and housing in Dallas County; helping to secure a Dallas County-wide eviction moratorium and Dallas City ordinance establishing a right-to-cure for Dallas tenants immediately following COVID-19 stay at home orders; launching the Luke 4:18 Bail Fund, which has resulted in being able to bail out over 75 individuals since being launched in 2020; and, most recently, launching The Road to Liberation Campaign last summer and engaging hundreds of community members in a Listening Campaign to set goals for Faith in Texas’s next chapter and hold elected officials accountable. “I am thrilled for the opportunity to lead Faith in Texas for this period of time, and am confident that we can continue to guide the community, support our current and formerly incarcerated/detained siblings, and find ways to dismantle systems of racism and white supremacy and advance our goals on The Road to Liberation,” said Dr. Kowlessar. “I am grateful to Akilah for the path she has created, and will work with the board and staff to make this an easy transition.” Dr. Kowlessar earned his doctorate from Union Theological Seminary in 2017, and has served as the senior pastor at Dallas City Temple for five years. He is the author of two books,“Don’t Leave the Neighbor Out of the Hood” and “Justice or Just Us; Sermons and Reflections on the Pursuit of Life, Liberty, and Happiness,” and will be stepping up from his role as a clergy leader with Faith in Texas to fill this position. ### Faith in Action is the largest grassroots, faith-based organizing network in the United States. The nonpartisan organization works with 1,000 religious congregations in more than 200 cities and towns through its 46 local and state federations. For more information, visit www.faithinaction.org. Faith in Action is a 501c(3). Faith in Action and its affiliates are non-partisan and are not aligned explicitly or implicitly with any candidate or party. We do not endorse or support candidates for office.
Faith in Texas Executive Director Akilah Wallace Responds to Chauvin Verdict
Faith in Texas Executive Director Akilah Wallace issued the following statement in response to former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin being found guilty on all counts related to his murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. “George Floyd should still be alive. As should all the other precious lives lost at the hands of those meant to serve and protect. I pray this verdict provides some consolation to the Floyd family as they continue the difficult journey of healing. Sadly, Derek Chauvin is not the only police officer who has abused his power, nor will he be the last. This verdict is accountability for one man and the only semblance of justice available to us now, but until we address the root causes of the conditions and climate that allowed for this tragedy to occur in the first place, we will continue to find ourselves here again and again. Case in point, as the Chauvin verdict was being read, a teenaged girl in Ohio was shot and killed by police. There was no time to process the developments of one tragedy before being gut-punched with yet another. As people of faith, we are called to, “Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed” (Jer. 22:3 NIV). For every victim robbed of their full life; for every family robbed of mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, and other irreplaceable members; for every community robbed of neighbors and friends––we can no longer let this call go unanswered. George Floyd deserved better. Daunte Wright deserved better. Ma’Khia Bryant deserved better. Adam Toledo deserved better. Diamond Ross deserved better. Botham Jean deserved better. Atatiana Jefferson deserved better. WE DESERVE BETTER. This complex, multilayered moment is part of a lengthy, ongoing journey to combat systemic injustice and co-create the Beloved Community we all deserve and desire. Faith in Texas will persist in the work to dismantle the oppressive systems that continue to target our most vulnerable community members, oppose legislation rooted in white supremacy and racist values, and reimagine true safety, justice, and liberation for all people.” ## Visit the coalition website to learn more about the Texas George Floyd Act currently moving through the Texas legislature: txgeorgefloydact.com. Join our Rapid Action Network to stay informed about how you can partner with Faith in Texas during the ongoing Legislative Session.
Faith in Texas Joins Over 100 Faith Leaders to Sign Letter Supporting Texas George Floyd Act
Today, Faith in Texas, along with CAIR, Texas Impact, and faith leaders across the state, held a virtual press conference in support of the Texas George Floyd Act. More than 100 leaders and organizations from diverse faith and religious backgrounds have signed on in support of the Texas George Floyd Act (HB 88) and all of its components. The George Floyd Act is comprised of several bills encompassing a range of reforms designed to prevent other people from enduring the police misconduct that George Floyd and other Black and Brown Texans have experienced. “In this legislative session, we have an opportunity to do something revolutionary to liberate oppressed people who suffer at the hands at times of law enforcement. These bills are the first step to addressing that. We should reimagine what safety looks like in this country and I think we can do it beginning in the Lone Star State. I urge Texas legislators to have the courage to do that new thing. To be a part of history that says we are contributing to the type of change that will allow people – all people – to be protected.” – Rev. L. Robin Murray, Faith in Texas Lead Community Organizer The letter reads, in part: “As people of faith, we yearn for peace. But peace demands righteousness and justice. We stand united in the belief that this moment, and George Floyd’s death, demands meaningful police reform. In this critical moment, we are called to address our policing culture at the very roots, not only for the Black community, or even the community as a whole but for police officers as well. The Texas George Floyd Act is a strong bill and a good first step towards addressing the injustice that George Floyd experienced at the hands of police and that many Texans experience every day. It is about correcting things that we know are wrong. It is about safety for all people. It is about peace, justice, strong communities, and safe neighborhoods.” View the full letter. “The George Floyd Act is long overdue for Texas and we are calling our faith leaders to join one of our State’s most important calls to action of our time by standing for justice. Now is the time for our Texas legislature to pass meaningful, common-sense laws that will hold law enforcement accountable and make our communities and their families safer. Racial profiling and brutal abuses by police are a reality that disproportionately impacts Black, Indigenous, people of color, and low-income people in the state of Texas and across our nation. To work on building unity and healing, we must begin by honoring George Floyd’s memory by working in solidarity across all faiths by supporting true reform that delivers that.” Ambreen Hernandez, Director of Operations, CAIR-Houston “Texas Impact supports the George Floyd Act because the power of the State should be used to strengthen minority communities and democratic institutions—not to protect white privilege. Our faith traditions teach that all people should have equal access, equal opportunity, and equal protection under the law because all people are created in God’s image.” Bee Moorhead, Executive Director, Texas Impact The George Floyd Act is supported by a growing statewide coalition of more than 70 groups. More information about the coalition can be found at its website, txgeorgefloydact.com.
