I don’t think all police officers are bad people. I think many are good people, trying to do a very hard job for very little pay, and that they are doing so out of a real sense of service to…
What should we learn from the Derek Chauvin verdict?
April 20, 2021, is another day that will be marked in history as a turning point in America’s racial reckoning. The question now is what we will learn from this moment. When a jury unanimously convicted former Minneapolis police officer…
If you’re not concerned about the Southern Baptists, you ought to be!
“I just ran into some weirdos in the airport,” Uncle Eugene reported. “You know, the kind with their heads shaved except for a little ponytail at the back.” “I think they’re Hare Krishna,” I said. “Well, whatever,” Uncle Eugene continued…
Greg Garrett, Baylor prof and BNG columnist, awarded Baugh grant for research on race and media
BNG columnist and Baylor University professor Greg Garrett has received a three-year, $488,000 grant from the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation to further his research on how film and other media shape attitudes about race and racism. “I’m so…
Baylor and Buckner remind us: We’ve not yet reckoned with our past ties to slavery
A special commission at Baylor University recently reported on its historical research about the university’s founders and their connection with slavery and the Confederacy. This follows on the heels of a discovery reported in September 2020 that R.C. Buckner, for…
Learning to see my hometown from a different perspective with a little help from my friends
I’m from Knoxville, Tenn. You probably haven’t thought much about the mid-sized Southern city I call home for the same reasons you don’t often find yourself imaginatively drifting off in the middle of a busy work day with thoughts of…
Why we must not turn away from the Derek Chauvin trial
I may have too harshly judged the disciples because they did not show up at the Crucifixion. But now — watching the Derek Chauvin trial, looking on with horror and looking away with disgust — I understand. It is difficult…
Ways of seeing racism
We have encountered many people struggling to answer this call, laboring daily to see the truth about American racism and the way it shapes both our individual and common lives. This is not true of everyone, of course. In every…
It’s up to the Senate now to fix our democracy
Everywhere I go, I meet people of all ages and backgrounds who wonder whether their votes count, whether they can really make a difference. Many of them, sadly but understandably, believe our government no longer works for them. I get…
De La Torre calls for ‘badass believers’ to decolonize Christianity
Miguel De La Torre is no stranger to hate mail as the author of dozens of books, articles and blog posts challenging the theological foundations and racial assumptions of white political and religious power. “It’s ranged from being called the…
That time I went to the school board meeting to speak against banning books
This week, I found someone who has it rougher than pastors in handling dissent generated from right-wing conspiracy theories and fear of the LGBTQ community: Public school administrators. I had no idea how bad this is, and yet I should…
George Floyd’s murder: Knowing what cannot be unseen
Like you, I have read and heard many comments from people who viewed the video footage of the death of George Perry Floyd on May 25, 2020, at the corner of 38th Street and Chicago in Minneapolis. The painful video…