The Rev. Nathan Kirkpatrick directs Pulpit & Pew, an interdenominational research project that studies pastoral leadership issues.

U.S. Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., in 2007 became the first member of Congress in memory to publicly self-identify as an atheist.

An online “celebrity atheist” site lists hundreds of well-known actors, athletes and business leaders who it says are atheists, agnostics or skeptics.

African American Studies and Research Center at Purdue University focuses on African Americans and their connections to the African Diaspora in the Caribbean and Latin America.

Center for Black Women in Church and Society at the Interdenominational Theological Center seeks to enhance the participation and relationship with African American women in church and society.

Center for the Study of African-American Politics at Oxford provides resources on African American society and culture throughout history. Contact through the website.

Frederick Douglass Institute for African and African-American Studies at the University of Rochester works to promote the development of African and African-American studies in undergraduate and graduate education and through research at the University of Rochester.

Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University of Louisiana works to prepare lay men and women for more meaningful and effective ministry within the Black community and to inspire leadership among individuals of all ages.

The Institute for Research in African-American Studies at Columbia University studies historical and contemporary formations in black culture, politics, and society.