Discussion | The 411 on Faith: Communities in Dialogue

A moderated conversation with local spiritual leaders about belief, worship and how religious traditions shape everyday lives in New York City.

Henry Goldschmidt (series moderator) is the Education Program Associate at the Interfaith Center of New York and the author of Race and Religion Among the Chosen Peoples of Crown Heights.

Panelists include:

Dr. Thelma C. Davidson Adair is an ordained elder in the Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church of New York City, and director of the Arthur Eugene & Thelma Adair Head Start Program. She is a veteran community advocate, and resident of Harlem since 1942. Her tireless efforts on behalf of her church and community have been recognized, over the years, by numerous honors, awards, and degrees for outstanding service. In 1987, the New York Daily News described her as “a treasure in a city filled with treasures.”

Aisha al-Adawiya is the founder of Women in Islam, an organization of Muslim women working for human rights and social justice. She organizes and participates in conferences, symposia, and other forums on Islam, gender equity, conflict resolution, cross-cultural understanding, and peace building. She also coordinates Islamic input for the Preservation of the Black Religious Heritage Documentation Project of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and serves as a consultant to numerous interfaith organizations.

Maria Terrero is the Co-Director of the traditional and contemporary Dominican music ensemble KumbaCarey. She has worked as an educator, sharing Afro-Dominican culture with public school students through music and dance residencies granted by the Caribbean Cultural Center and other institutions. Her spiritual practice honors a variety of belief systems, including the Afro-Caribbean religious traditions of the Dominican Republic – La 21 Division.