I have the honor of serving a progressive congregation in one of the most beautiful cities of the Southeast. Our church is steeped in history with strong liturgical worship, and we pride ourselves on being welcoming and affirming, while also…
To the mother who complained about Amanda Gorman’s poem
Dear Concerned Mother, You were astute to signal the potential problems the published poem, “The Hill We Climb” by Amanda Gorman, might cause for your own two children and other elementary school readers at Bob Graham Education Center in Miami…
Rising from the ashes: God’s empowering message for displaced women
For the past few weeks, the same headline has echoed throughout the United States: “Title 42 Ends.” Title 42 is a regulation implemented to halt immigration during a national health crisis. While not expressly intended for this, the law inadvertently…
How the Progressive National Baptist Convention plans to put faith into action
What will it take to organize and mobilize your organization or congregation on justice issues? At the Progressive National Baptist Convention, we believe that is a critical question as we face our current environment and look toward the 2024 elections….
Believe me: The struggle of Black pain
Chronic pain is something many people all over the world deal with and are all too familiar with the numerous side effects of such pain. Chronic pain can be caused by a variety of things such as fibromyalgia, surgery or…
They’ll know we are Christians by our what?
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord. We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord. And we pray that our unity will one day be restored. And they’ll know we are…
How to celebrate Pentecost without balloons, plastic doves or salsa
A few years ago, on Pentecost Sunday, I noticed red and orange balloons streaming upward from the church altar. The service bulletin explained these were meant to symbolize the infamous tongues of fire at the first Pentecost. After the service…
The generational pain and hope of the Southern Baptist witch trials
I was born in 1993 in the same month that, just a state away, Al Mohler was being elected to replace Roy Honeycutt as president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Both my parents attended and graduated from Southern in the…
Why demographic shifts haven’t yet swamped the Republican Party
Over the weekend, I had an email conversation with Tom Edsall of the New York Times. I’m thankful for Edsall as a reporter who asks big, thorny questions and gives ample space in his column for complicated answers from scholars and experts….
Tina Turner kept the divine flame burning
At the age of 42, I walked down the streets of New York City for the first time. In my initial observation, I conceded and admitted the hype was real. The city that never sleeps is the measuring stick of…
Remembering Bob Seymour: Being wise as serpents and harmless as doves
One of the best friendships I made when I moved to North Carolina was with Bob Seymour, founding pastor of Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church in Chapel Hill. We shared the same birthday and often celebrated together at one…
Here’s why Ron DeSantis has gone to war with Disney
On the surface, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ attack on the Walt Disney Co. makes no sense. Why would a Republican governor go after one of the largest businesses and economic drivers in the state? Aren’t Republicans pro-business? Likewise, why would…