In a new op-ed for The Columbus Dispatch, Jessica A. Johnson, a lecturer at Ohio State Lima, discusses a recent interview with PRRI CEO Robert P. Jones’ did on his new book, “White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity.” Jones recently spoke to CNN about his book, which proved the inspiration for Johnson’s piece. “I believe that this present moment of racial strife is providing an extraordinary opportunity for white and Black churches to finally break down years of racial division,” Johnson adds to the conversation. On July 28th, Simon & Schuster will release “White Too Long.” For a limited time, if you pre-order the book you you can receive a bookplate signed by the author. To redeem, e-mail a copy of your proof of purchase and your mailing address to sspublicity@simonandschuster.com with the subject line “WHITE TOO LONG Bookplate.” Only available within the USA.

In an April piece for Sojourners, PRRI CEO and founder Robert P. Jones examined the xenophobic tendencies that have resurfaced during the pandemic. “Already, xenophobic ideas are being spread from the highest office in the land. There is evidence of a surge of anti-Asian racism on white supremacist websites, and there are steady reports of Asian Americans being targeted,” Jones writes. In the months since Jones’ piece was published, racial inequalities related to the pandemic have continued. In a recent piece for Smithsonian Magazine, Lila Thulin examines the impact this disease has had on marginalized communities. “When you see the disproportionate impact COVID-19 is having, particularly for blacks, but also we’re seeing emerging data on Indigenous folks, it is just laying bare the ways racism is operating in this moment to produce those inequities,” Thulin writes.

Entertainer Nick Cannon was recently the subject of headlines after making anti-Semitic comments. At CNN, John Blake examines this moment, and others, to write of the historic partnership Black and Jewish Americans have. Blake points to PRRI data that shows that 44% of Black Protestants say Jewish people face a lot of discrimination, more than double the 20% of white evangelical Protestants that said the same. “African Americans are actually more likely than White Americans and the general population to say that Jews face a lot of discrimination in the US today,” PRRI’s Robert P. Jones, tells Burke.

In an interview aired Sunday on Fox News, President Trump claimed the Confederate flag was more a symbol of southern pride than of racism. “It depends on who you’re talking about, when you’re talking about,” Trump says. “When people proudly had their Confederate flags they’re not talking about racism. They love their flag, it represents the South. They like the South … I say it’s freedom of many things, but it’s freedom of speech.” According to PRRI data from 2019, Americans are divided along party lines over the symbolism of the Confederate flag, with 70% of Democrats saying it is more a symbol of racism than Southern pride, along with 41% of independents, and just 17% of Republicans.