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 […]
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.
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 […]
With COVID-19, this election, voter suppression, racism, brutality, and natural disasters, 2020 has been brutal. Adding to our trauma is the collective grief of losing many of our notable figures. On Saturday, October 31, Gospel music legend Rance Allen was added to that number. It’s important that his death not be lost in the sea […]
What a journey Lecrae has been on! Lecrae’s debut studio album “Real Talk” was released in 2004 and he has reached heights no other Christian rapper has. The Grammy-Award winning artist has grown as a man, a husband, a father, and as a Christian in the public eye over the last sixteen years. Most would […]
We have been forced, due to a lack of progress and an overall apathy, to become the freedom fighters of our own lives.
It was a spring afternoon and I was returning home from a pretty good day in high school. I got a smile from my crush, popped some lunch table jokes off at my friends’ expense, and my all-white Forces stayed clean. I was winding down the day with my ritual of sinking into my headphones […]
This is a first for the Pass the Mic podcast. In the hundreds of episode we’ve done over the years, we’ve never had this particular privilege. The rapper Seun (S.O.) Otukpe chose our podcast to debut his new song, “White Jesus.” In this song, S.O. lyrically dismantles the myth that Jesus is a European-looking white […]
Read Part 1 here. Some will challenge that these stated claims have more to do with the displeasure of “Old Town Road’s” style rather than Lil Nas X’s race. And to prove it’s not a color issue, they will assuredly highlight black Country artists of today like Darius Rucker. Rucker, a former member of the […]
When I arrived at Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, I was quickly immersed in West Texan traditions. This included an undesired baptism into the abyss of country music. The inescapable honky-tonk sounds flooded the dormitory halls and our football locker room. I hated it. As far as I knew, country music contradicted everything about […]
Christology runs through the veins of the Negro Spirituals.
“Every man wanna act like he’s exempt,” Hill raps on “Lost Ones,” as she encourages even the toughest to repent because even they “can’t slick talk on the day of judgement.”
How do you repay the gift of life?
Once listeners grasp the narrative of this album, the emotions hit like the waves that swallowed our ancestors centuries ago.
“Follow a Crescendo to its highest point and you’ll find that even at your lowest, you were going somewhere higher.”
It’s time to Pass the Remote! Jemar and Tyler are back to talk about Donald Glover’s provocative viral music video, “This is America”. The conversation gets…interesting. Listen in as we discuss: Is Donald Glover better than Kanye West? What does this video’s racial symbolism mean? What can this video teach us about black joy? Is […]
“How did you get here? What made you keep going?”
The recruitment of African artists is one of the aspects that makes this album remarkable.
