It may be low-grade trauma. I have found it difficult to focus since the events of Jan. 6, when the United States Capitol was overthrown, with lawmakers huddled inside. My lack of focus has left me doom scrolling, watching countless…
Give yourself some grace during the pandemic
We already were sick and tired when we had to watch a riot that made us wonder what country we are living in. Then we remembered how many horrible moments we have experienced in the last year and were not…
Understanding the trauma and finding hope after the siege of the nation’s Capitol
As I reflect on the violent attack on our nation’s Capitol, words that continually linger in my mind are “trauma” and “hope.” Still, why would I write about the siege of the Capitol when so many have already written eloquently…
Why I long for the church of my youth
In this age of alternative facts, when truth means whatever people want it to mean, I find myself longing wistfully for the Christian tradition in which I was raised — although, for the most part, it has long since passed…
‘He being dead, yet speaketh’
Another new year has come, and I have a new year’s resolution — actually a rerun of 2020 that never clicked. Clean out a stack, or two, of “When I get a moment, I want to read this” newspapers, journals…
Toxic masculinity, 24-hour news and complacency fed the Jan. 6 riots
The mob riots of Jan. 6 in Washington, D.C., have rightfully angered many of us, while also injecting tons of confusion into our national conversation. Which is saying a lot since our national conversation already was in tatters from so…
A lesson from 19th century North Carolina: Lost cause, lost opportunity
Sid Alexander had the option to choose against racism. He lived in a crucial moment. He had meaningful power. He had opportunity to break decisively and publicly with a resurgent white supremacy movement. But Sid could not rise to the…
Dear white Christians, are you done praying yet?
We all watched with horror last week as white supremacists breeched the Capitol, leaving a pool of blood, death and destruction in their wake. As an African American, my first thought was simple, “White people can get away with anything…
I’ve been accused of sowing hate
Over the last seven months, I’ve been accused of sowing hate and division with my social media posts. This summer, I lost a lifelong friend because of it. After George Floyd was killed, I began writing posts about racial justice,…