On June 17, 2015, a young white stranger walked into a Bible study at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C. (sometimes known as “Mother Emanuel” because of its role as one of America’s most historic Black churches). That…
America needs a ‘third Reconstruction,’ Barber tells new administration
America needs a “third Reconstruction,” William Barber II said in a homily at the virtual inaugural prayer service for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris hosted by Washington National Cathedral on Thursday, Jan. 21. “Reconstruction” refers first to…
The end of Trump’s presidency does not end America’s root problem
Donald Trump’s presidency ended with the United States leading the world in the number of deaths caused by the coronavirus pandemic. He left Washington, D.C., as more federal troops were in Washington than at any other time since the Civil War,…
Some hard questions for reflection on this MLK Day
As we remember the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. during this season, I have a few questions for reflection for the American church. For you to properly interpret my intent, please understand that I ask these questions…
Kentucky seminary receives Baugh Foundation grant to start Institute for Black Church Studies
Supported by a $750,000 multi-year grant from the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation, Baptist Seminary of Kentucky will launch the Institute for Black Church Studies in Louisville, Ky., this fall. The institute will offer continuing education for Black church leaders and a…
American Protestants less open to sermons on race in 2020, survey finds
A growing number of American churchgoers weren’t in the mood for sermons on race in 2020, the year that police killings of unarmed African Americans energized the Black Lives Matter movement and sparked widespread social unrest, according to a newly…
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…
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…
SBC seminary presidents meet with Black pastors but don’t change position on Critical Race Theory
Five weeks after the six white presidents of the Southern Baptist Convention’s seminaries ignited a firestorm of protest for their denunciation of Critical Race Theory, they met with a group of Black SBC pastors and didn’t back down. The result…