A coalition of faith leaders, homeowners and legal advocates gathered at a Bedford-Stuyvesant church on May 20 to launch the Black Homeowners Agenda, a grassroots campaign organizers describe as an effort to protect, stabilize and expand Black homeownership in New York City neighborhoods they say are facing displacement pressure.

The interfaith rally, held at 10 a.m. at Antioch Baptist Church at 828 Greene Ave., was billed by organizers as the kickoff of a citywide campaign. According to a media advisory issued by the organizers, the launch was led by the Rev. Dr. Robert Waterman alongside Rabbi Rachel Timoner, joined by New York Communities for Change, the advocacy group Neighbors Not Profits, the Legal Aid Society and interfaith leaders.