In so many ways, we are still experiencing the beginning birth pains of an integrated America. In some ways, we’ve made significant and hopefully irreversible progress. In other ways, it might as well be the first day of integration or the mad years of Jim Crow.
Black pastor urges CBF to partner with institutions in the ‘hood’
An African-American pastor says Baptists should become less concerned about “just having blacks in white space” for the sake of diversity and more involved in building institutions that empower predominantly black neighborhoods.
Pastor says being black a ‘burdensome joy’
An African-American minister described the experience of being black in America as a “burdensome joy” at a New Baptist Covenant luncheon June 23 during the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly in Greensboro, N.C. “Much of who I am and what…
When will there be enough women ministers?
Early this year in the wake of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s death, his colleague, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, was asked when there will be enough women on the Supreme Court. Her answer caused quite a stir as she quickly…
Historian says it’s ‘too late in the denominational game’ for segregated ministry
Baptists no longer have the luxury in today’s culture of ministering to their communities in silos separated by race, Baptist historian Bill Leonard said June 23 at a New Baptist Covenant luncheon at the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly in…
Service at Emanuel marks transition to normalcy, worship
In a well-attended Sunday morning worship service at Emanuel AME Church that felt like a purposeful return to normalcy, the Rev. Betty Deas Clark importuned her listeners to trust that the Lord will relieve burdens and provide comfort.
Do only black football players sexually assault coeds at Baylor?
This is a big month in race relations among Baptists. This week at the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, Jerry Young, president of the National Baptist Convention USA Inc. was a speaker, and a participant with SBC president…
The shame is mine: ‘Roots’ 2016
This week I was one among the millions who watched A&E’s powerful and devastating “re-imagination” of the epic miniseries Roots, brought to the small screen for a new audience against the not-so-new backdrop of this, the latest iteration of the…
As racial healing seems elusive, New Baptist Covenant plans next summit
Former President Jimmy Carter, who has long put religion and racial reconciliation at the center of his life, is on a mission to heal a racial divide among Baptists and help the country soothe rifts that he believes are getting…
Why #BlackLivesMatter vandalism matters
In the last couple of months, the Black Lives Matter sign that hangs from a post on the front lawn of our church has been vandalized several times. Sometimes the metal sign has been severely bent. Other times, someone has…
Jimmy Carter, seeing resurgence of racism, plans Baptist conference for unitybng
Former President Carter, who has long put religion and racial reconciliation at the center of his life, aims to heal a racial divide among Baptists and help the country soothe rifts he believes are getting worse.
Bridging the gap between the heart and systemic injustice
If you could ask a fish, “How’s the water?”, the fish would probably respond by saying, “What in the world is water?” That was the observation of David Foster Wallace in a commencement speech at Kenyon College used to illustrate…