I recently returned to Texas after living in Boston for the last several years. I grew up in Texas. I’m not unaccustomed to the culture here, but sometimes I’m a bit taken off guard by aspects of West Texas culture…
If you think racial equity exists in America today, you’re in the minority
Americans who contend there’s a level playing field for Blacks and whites today are in the minority of public opinion, according to new research by Gallup. The polling firm finds a growing number of Americans believe non-white people are subject…
Knowing our history does not make us anti-American
“Denial is not a river in Egypt.” I used to hear that sarcastic and humorous pun without really understanding it. After reading too much news for the last year, I understand it too well now. If you’re as slow as…
Six ways white and multiethnic churches can heal the wounds of racial trauma
“Trauma” is a word that comes from the Greek term for “wound.” Often, the most painful wounds are not physical, but those that cannot be seen with the natural eye. There is a particular type of trauma that can impact…
We will continue to teach Critical Race Theory
Our schools will continue to discuss ideas such as Critical Race Theory, and we will continue to have difficult conversations about how slavery, Jim Crow (a term coined in Louisville), and the constructed notion of white superiority shaped our history…
Nice white women participate in white supremacy too
The term “white supremacist” tends to elicit a stereotypical image of a raging, gun-toting, Confederate-flag-waving white man. The image is fueled by recent acts of extremism like the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., four years ago or the…
Making peace with my ancestral research
My husband and I have enjoyed delving into our ancestries. At one point in the past, we visited upstate New York, where we looked at gravestones, nearly erased with acid rainfall, and at documents in the historical archives in county…
BNG plans three-day event to explore hidden history of racism in Virginia
Baptist News Global will offer a three-day interactive educational event in Virginia this September focused on exploring the hidden history of racism in America. The event is open to all BNG readers. Participants will engage with BNG Executive Director Mark…
Author was called to action by hearing KKK leader describe his racist ‘Damascus Road experience’
Author Susan K. Williams Smith was sickened to learn that a passage from the New Testament inspired Samuel Bowers’ to launch the Mississippi White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1960s. Smith’s new book, With Liberty and Justice…
Pharaoh is the model for American politicians who want to forget our history
The stories we tell matter. The stories some try to silence matter, too, maybe even more. Legislatures across our country are using the rhetoric of fear to push through bills that seek to control the story of our country. So…
We can’t have two Independence Days
There was great fanfare over the decision by Congress earlier this month to establish Juneteenth as a federal holiday. The president acknowledged that it was long overdue (and indeed, it was). But many within the Black community lamented that the…
Organized foes of Critical Race Theory shouldn’t set the direction of our school district
Last week, a phalanx of protesters showed up in force at the Fort Worth Independent School District school board meeting to challenge the racial equity and cultural inclusion initiatives our nearly 90% Black and brown district has instituted in recent…