How Hakeem Jeffries’ Black Baptist upbringing and deep-rooted faith shapes his House leadership

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stood together at the annual National Prayer Breakfast — an opportunity, in the words of one introductory speaker, to “put our political differences aside.”

Such differences are vast between Johnson, a staunchly conservative Republican, and Jeffries, a hero to liberal Democrats. But at the prayer breakfast earlier this month, they collegially took turns reading Scripture — evoking how their shared Christianity confronts evil.

It was a fleeting moment of unity for the two Baptist leaders who work side-by-side in the House but are miles apart politically and theologically. Jeffries, whose faith is rooted in the Black social gospel, has not been shy — just not as outspoken as Johnson regarding the role faith plays in his political duties.

Jeffries spoke in depth with The Associated Press about his religious upbringing, which was centered at Cornerstone Baptist Church in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. He declined several invitations to comment on present-day dynamics in the House, including the lingering cross-party tensions brought on by Donald Trump’s presidency and his efforts to contest the 2020 election.

However, Jeffries’ religious commitment while in office has been noticed by his political peers.

“There’s nothing that the public can detect more clearly than sincerity, especially young people — they know when you’re real. In terms of being a person of faith and justice, Hakeem Jeffries is real,” said former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

Jeffries, a New York Democrat who became minority leader in November 2022, handed the speaker’s gavel to Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, on Oct. 25.

Outside of that ceremonial moment, the