On Friday, September 2, Amazon Studios will dazzle audiences with quite possibly the most ambitious (and verifiably the most expensive) episodic undertaking in all of screen-adapted geekdom. I had the honor of seeing the first two episodes of Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power in an advance screening, and let me tell you: […]
Note: This article contains descriptions of Bridgerton that some readers might consider to be minor spoilers and links to articles that contain spoilers.Can Black folks get a moment of peace? Can we exist without always having to address our collective trauma? Since the start of the pandemic, I have found myself implementing every imaginable method […]
Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from Truth’s Table: Black Women’s Musings on Life, Love, and Liberation. Preorder your copy today! From the chapter, “DECOLONIZED DISCIPLESHIP” by Ekemini Uwan The irony of all ironies is that I originally wrote this essay, “Decolonized Discipleship,” years ago because an “urban” white evangelical organization reached out and […]
“When somebody hurts you, they take power over you; if you don’t forgive them, then they keeps the power.” -Cicely Tyson (as Myrtle in Diary of a Mad Black Woman) Age 7 I was walking to class when I heard, “You act so white.” I froze. My heart sank. At seven years old, I felt […]
On October 29, Netflix released Colin in Black & White. The series centers around Colin Kaepernick’s high school years and tackles a variety of issues involving race, history, and his life as a teenager trying to find his way in the world. One of the prevailing themes is Colin trying to find his true calling. […]
Editor’s Note: We sometimes receive submissions from our audience that are unique, creative, or are otherwise “out of the box” for The Witness BCC blog. From time to time, we hope to bring you some of these submissions. In 2016, author Kisha Mitchell asked, “Brown girl, Brown girl, what do you see?” In 2017, poet […]
God of the Dust, We praise you for being a Maker who is capable of dreaming up glory from dirt. As we journey through this Lenten season, help us to remember our origin story and find ourselves deeply grounded in bodies made from the lowest part of creation, yet alive with gloried breath from the […]
Widely known as the African American National Anthem, “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” started as a poem by James Weldon Johnson. His brother, John Rosamund Johnson, set it to music in 1899. Anthems matter. A national anthem is a symbol that represents the history, beliefs, and traditions of a people. “Lift Ev’ry Voice…” is more […]
Whenever someone significant to the Black community passes away, my whole world stops. My heart starts beating in a different rhythm and I have to drop everything I’m doing, sometimes even if I can’t afford to. I constantly refresh my social media feed and take in every tribute I can find from people who loved […]
“Do you trust me enough to let me vindicate you?” Did you vindicate my people when they died fighting for their freedom from the most brutalized form of slavery? Did you vindicate them when the French kidnapped and killed their leader? When white Americans sided with their oppressors and imposed fines on them that lead […]
We started the Cultural Artifacts episodes in 2015 because we wanted to encompass the awesome things — books, albums, podcasts, sermons, people, events, movies, TV shows, and so on — that we’ve consumed in a given year. (Here’s the kicker: it doesn’t have to come out in the given year. It just has to be consumed in the given year.
We have the distinct privilege of running an excerpt from Jemar Tisby’s latest book, How to Fight Racism. We hope that you enjoy it and that you will purchase a copy at www.HowToFightRacism.com. Jemar is the founder of The Witness BCC and CEO of The Witness Inc.
The white nationalism cloaked in self-righteous Jesus worship absent Christ-likeness has been enthroned as the state religion in America yet corrupting many expressions of Christianity beyond her shores and is such a telling indictment. So many of the Christian voices I’d come to love and respect have become loudly complicit in this dangerous religious circus and Jesus cult that many are growing increasingly despondent of.
In times when those who are in authority refuse to deal with oppression (even within Church), still we rise. As we push back against oppression, it is important for each of us to prioritize our mental health, especially during particularly trying times. We see you. We value you. Most of all, we want to see you flourish.
Here is a list of songs curated by our staff to help you lament, pray, and heal.
Adapted from August Wilson’s 1982 stage play, Ma Rainey tells the fictionalized story of recording artist Ma Rainey and her band as they record an album in Chicago. Set in the 1920s, the subjects of race, prejudice, and exploitation sit at the story’s forefront. The movie speaks to the Black condition in America both then and now.
Our guest today is no stranger to many of you! The Rev. Dr. Esau McCaulley, PhD is a New Testament scholar and an Anglican Priest. He is a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times. He has also appeared in outlets such as Christianity Today, Washington Post, and of course, The Witness: BCC. He […]
Lord, we cry out in our breathlessness for you.
How long, O Lord, until we breathe again?
We have a special episode for y’all today! Netflix just recently released a Black Gospel choir special called “Voices of Fire” executive produced by Grammy-winning recording artist Pharrell Williams. Pharrell’s uncle Bishop Ezekiel Williams along with a host of Gospel Music legends set out on a 6-part journey to build the world’s most inspiring Gospel […]
Can the power of music heal the racial divide in America? Bishop Ezekiel Williams hopes so, which is why he set out to build the world’s most diverse gospel choir. Bishop Williams, pastor of Faith World Ministries in Norfolk, Virginia, sees music as a unifying force that can bridge divides and shape his predominantly Black […]
What a special guest we have on the podcast today! If you are familiar with the conversation about reconciliation and justice in the church, you won’t get very far without hearing the name, the Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter Mcneil. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil is a dynamic speaker, author, professor and reconciliation thought leader. Her mission […]
