“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 […]
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 […]
“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 […]
Lord, we cry out in our breathlessness for you.
How long, O Lord, until we breathe again?
There is a war on my skin. And it didn’t begin with my parents’ bodies. It wasn’t ceased by a signed document. Didn’t desist when the chains fell off. Time didn’t end it, only camouflaged it. Soldiers dressed up as my fellowmen, Riding in cars (not horses) this time With flashing lights and sounds, Guns […]
We learn to think differently & holistically about God and the world when we consider the experiences and opinions of others.
Lady Justice turns a blind eye from broken bronze bodies laid in mahogany.
“When I Consider the Darkness” is my latest spoken word piece, featuring the wonderful K.A. Ellis. I touch on the topics of racism, persecution, and persevering hope in a very personal poem. I share it in hopes of fostering empathy in conversations around racial reconciliation, while offering unshakable hope to those overwhelmed by the darkness. Story Behind […]
We march. We chant. We sing. We link arms. We love hard. And for what? Are you weary in your fight for social justice, racial reconciliation, or understanding? This spoken word poem is for you.
An original poem from one of our regular contributors, Quina Aragon.
