This guide is designed to help reporters uncover fresh, compelling and nuanced religion stories in advance of the United States Semiquincentennial celebrations in July 2026.

Andrew Ali Aghapour is a scholar, storyteller, writer, and artistic producer living in Durham, NC. With a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from UNC-Chapel Hill, he worked as the Consulting Scholar of Religion and Science for the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, where he helped develop the “Discovery and Revelation,” exhibition and co-author the exhibit […]

Oluwafunke Adeoye, or Funke as everyone calls her, is a lawyer, human rights defender and founding executive director of Hope Behind Bars Africa, an organization that promotes human rights and criminal justice reforms in Nigeria.

Michael Muhammad Knight is a scholar, author and gonzo journalist whose work covers Islamic studies, American Islam, hadith literature, gender studies, race and theories of the body.

Matthew J. Cressler is a scholar, comics creator and teacher whose work focuses on religion, race and justice. He is also chief of staff for the Corporation for Public Interest Technology. He is the author of Authentically Black and Truly Catholic: The Rise of Black Catholicism in the Great Migration (NYU Press, 2017).

In this guide, we offer background, resources, expert sources and related content to help you better report on the religious life of Black Americans.

Gopal Patel is leading faith-based environmental activist who believes in the power of engaged religion and spirituality to address the world’s biggest climate-related challenges. He was the founder of a movement called Bhumi Global, which sought to activate Hindu youth in support of Planet Earth.

In this edition of ReligionLink, we offer resources, relevant stories and expert sources for reporting on religion and climate change in the extremes.

Luke Beck Kreider is assistant professor of religion and sustainability at the Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College in Indiana. His research expertise focuses on the moral, religious and cultural dimensions of environmental issues, and his teaching spans the fields of environmental studies, religion, ethics and peace studies.