— People of all ages and backgrounds packed Duke University Chapel Thursday night for a conversation on race with United States Sen. Bernie Sanders and the Rev. William Barber II.

The discussion was a part of Duke Chapel's Bridge Panel series, which was originally scheduled for January but was postponed.

Duke Chapel was full of people who came to see the preacher and the politician speak, and Duke Chapel Dean Luke A. Powery moderated the discussion.



The evening’s theme was “The Enduring Challenge of a Moral Economy: 50 Years After Dr. King Challenged Racism, Poverty, and Militarism,” and the high-energy event began with the crowd singing and clapping.

“All of our people should be able to live with dignity and security,” Sanders said. “And that’s what the struggle is about.”

The conversation centered around the actions and beliefs of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and how people should move forward today in that same spirit.

“I was taught there was no separation between Jesus and justice,” Barber said. “And any attempt to separate the two was heresy.”

The audience was given the opportunity to write down questions for the two men. Powery said one of the driving purposes of the discussion was to connect people from different walks of life.