It is hard to believe we are now marking the fifth anniversary of one of the most shameful days in American history. On January 6, 2021, President Donald Trump incited a violent insurrection at the United States Capitol that resulted…
How the Black Church saved me from white evangelicalism
There was a time when I almost lost myself trying to fit into white evangelical spaces that never were designed for me. These were spaces where I was preemptively labeled a “liberal” and my passion for racial justice was dismissed…
Why don’t white evangelicals listen to Black Christians?
As a Black Christian man, I have engaged white evangelicals in numerous discussions about the existence of racism within America and Christianity. These conversations have continued throughout my entire adult life. I have observed that many white evangelicals only listen…
Charlie Kirk was no King
The assassination of right-wing influencer and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk has driven me into a period of deep reflection. Kirk’s killing — allegedly by 22-year-old Tyler Robinson — is unjustifiable and should be condemned by all Americans. Yet,…
Trying to make sense of nonsense
As I reflect on Donald Trump being elected to a second term as president, I sit here at a Cracker Barrel in the Louisville, Ky., area with a mixture of country and contemporary Christian music playing in the background. Patriotic…
Black bodies provide cover for Republican racism
There was a time when Black Republicans like Frederick Douglass championed the cause of racial justice. They were the “progressives” of their day. None were perfect, but most had a sense of integrity. Colin Powell comes to mind when I…
The Big White Lie: Racist propaganda dishonors the image of God
Sir Winston Churchill famously said, “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.” This could be applied to propaganda, as it is often based on blatant lies or embellishments. The…
Letter to the Editor: A vote for Harris is a vote for hope
Dear Editor: Not since Barack Obama became our 44th president have I been filled with such unbounded hope regarding our nation’s future. Former President Donald Trump’s deadly insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, and delayed attempts to hold him accountable had…
More than a dream: The undiluted legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
It has been 60 years since one of the most iconic gatherings in U.S. history, On Aug. 28, 1963, in Washington D.C., the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was held. Simply known as the March on Washington, this…
Trump, ‘law and order,’ and evangelical hypocrisy
“There’s a new sheriff in town” is a familiar American idiom. It evokes the image of a strong man who has come into a lawless Western town to establish much-needed law and order. This is a man who would rule…
Juneteenth: Moving from symbolism to substance
When President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation Jan. 1, 1863, it changed the legal status of more than 3.5 million enslaved Black people in the Confederate states from enslaved to free. It was two-and-a-half years later, on June 19,…
Preying preachers: Confronting clergy sexual abuse
There should be zero tolerance when it comes to clergy abuse of congregants. However, we learned years ago of how child sexual abuse by priests has been tolerated within the Roman Catholic Church. Since then, it has become unequivocally clear…