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Dear friend,

This week marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki—a moment that calls us to remembrance, resistance, and renewal. In the words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,

“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.”

As well-funded pro-nuclear ideologues rally behind a “peace through strength” spending plan for the next decade, remembering the past becomes not only an act of moral clarity but also a call to action. Yet take heart: our story is not finite. It is still being written—and together, we can shape its direction. The stakes are immense, but so is the power we hold when we rise with hope, faith, and a fierce commitment to ending poverty and building peace.

Join us this week at Kairos we:
* Celebrate the start of a new Black August season with the Freedom Church of the Poor
* Get ready for We Pray Freedom—a new collection of prayers, rituals, and liturgies from communities working to end poverty
* Remember and recommit to the ongoing work of nuclear disarmament

Till earth and heaven ring,

We Pray Freedom

Kairos Center
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** Black August with Freedom Church of the Poor
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In the face of growing repression, state violence, and religious nationalism, this season calls us to spiritual clarity, deep connection, political competency, and steadfast commitment to liberation for all who are oppressed.

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Watch Oshara Hayes sing “Lift Every Voice” ([link removed])
Lift Every Voice and Sing Service Playlist ([link removed])
2025 Black August Music Playlist ([link removed])

Join Freedom Church of the Poor every Wednesday and Sunday evening during this Black August. Gratitude to our season partners: the SSING Network, New Disabled South, Highlander Center, and The Black Joy Experience with Black Youth Project 100.

Let Black August be our altar. Let struggle be our prayer. Let collective liberation be our destiny.
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Freedom Church of the Poor Sunday Services
Sundays | August 3 – August 31
6:00PM ET / 5:00PM CT / 3:00PM PT

Bible Study (Zoom only)
Wednesdays | July 30 – August 27
6:00PM ET / 5:00PM CT / 3:00PM PT
RSVP here ([link removed])
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** Help us launch We Pray Freedom
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Next month we release our new book, We Pray Freedom: Liturgies and Rituals from the Freedom Church of the Poor. Help us expand our reach about this powerful collection of prayers, rituals, and liturgies from communities committed to abolishing poverty, by participating in various calls to action.

This week’s call to actions are below:

* Follow/Like Broadleaf Books, Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, Charon Hribar, and the Kairos Center on all social media platforms if you haven’t already
* Add We Pray Freedom to your Amazon wish-list. This helps the book be rated higher as a “most-wished for” title
* Add We Pray Freedom to your Goodreads To-Read shelf
* Share on your socials! Post the We Pray Freedom preorder graphics and share this link on your social media bit.ly/WePrayFreedomPreOrder


** Digital Toolkit + Pre-Order Link
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Get the Social Media Toolkit ([link removed])
Pre-Order We Pray Freedom ([link removed] )


** Social Media Graphics
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** #WePrayFreedom
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We Pray Freedom Pre-Order [Square Graphic] ([link removed])
We Pray Freedom Pre-Order [4:5 Graphic] ([link removed])
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** INKSTICK: Can the New Nuclear Arms Race be Rolled Back?
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Earlier this year I attended a book party to celebrate the release of Theoharis’s book, which Noam Sandweiss-Back coauthored. The event was a revelation: It was more like a revival meeting than a dry panel on public policy. There was at least as much singing as talking, and different members of the group took the lead at different points, whether in leading songs or in giving remarks. By William D. Hartung
Read More ([link removed])
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Kairos Center is fiscally sponsored by Tides Center, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your gift may be tax deductible pursuant to §170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code. Please visit www.tides.org/state-nonprofit-disclosures ([link removed]) for additional information.

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