“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 […]
By now, everyone has heard, and seen, the moment forever enshrined in television history as “The slap heard around the world”. Will Smith’s physical response to Chris Rock’s comedic attack on Jada Pinkett Smith was viewed in real-time by millions and rewatched and remixed countless more times. Presently, a version where Mr. Rock sheds gold […]
As I’ve walked the streets of places like San Juan, Havana, the Bahamas, I have become aware of a Black culture that I reside just outside of. There is a dash or dollop of Africa that you can hear in the music, see in the radiant colors of the people’s skin, and taste in the […]
Here it goes again. I opened my email to read the results of my lease-to-purchase application. I have settled for a lease option at this time because there is an urgent need to move. I share a bedroom with my two daughters, aged six and twelve. Let me tell you: the twelve-year-old drives me crazy […]
Meet Natasha Robinson, who will be serving as Interim President of The Witness Foundation. You can learn more about The Witness Foundation and its work at www.thewitnessfoundation.co Natasha Sistrunk Robinson is the President of T3 Leadership Solutions, Inc. She is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy (2002), former United States Marine Corps Captain, and former […]
Shannon Polk, Executive Director of The Witness Foundation moved out of her role to take on a new assignment. She will transition into a new role as president and chief executive officer of Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Polk began her work at The Witness Foundation in October 2020 where during […]
My good friend Jemar Tisby recently wrote an excellent article for The Witness BCC about the latest controversy to surround Transformation Church in Tulsa, OK and Pastor Mike Todd. In his article, Jemar offers a poignant response to “Spittlegate” and casts vision for the church as it should be. I hope that you will take […]
Editor’s Note: This article contains a full and graphic description of the indecent at hand. Reader discretion is advised. A spitty situation As much as some churchgoers may like to attend a congregation with a well-known preacher, they probably don’t want him to end up in a story on TMZ. For members of Transformation Church […]
By now, you’ve probably encountered the infamous video of Pastor Mike Todd of Transformation Church in Tulsa, OK. No, not that one, the other one. No, no, no, even more recent than that. There you go, THAT one. I could sit here and break down bar for bar what made Pastor Todd’s sermon illustration so […]
We are embroiled in one of the most tumultuous periods of our recent collective memory. This is largely due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, which has taken the lives of nearly a million people in the United States. To many, this has simultaneously been a time of national reckoning with another deadly “virus”: systemic racism. The American Medical Association (AMA) has rightly deemed racism “a public health […]
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. […]
Brown skin, you know I love your Brown skin. I can’t tell where yours begins. I can’t tell where mine ends. -India Arie A new day begins Breathe The exhaustion of thousands of stressors pull me (us) in every direction. I have waited this long to explicitly think about my maleness out loud, to […]
Should those with a platforms speak on life or death issues like Covid-19, Vaccinations, Justice or otherwise? Well… it depends. Let’s talk about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Like… What do we do with them? There is a shifting world under our feet and the realities of what we have been taught socially and relationally, and the family conversation overall have changed. It’s different to be a Black parent now…while also being a Black son/daughter. For reference this week be sure to check […]
“Dreadlocks are dirty.” Her frosty white words fell upon my melanated skin as they flurried across my 7th-grade classroom. Every student was oblivious to the squall except me. I sat quietly imagining my aunt, whose dreadlocks were so beautifully styled, unashamedly cultured, and so unapologetically black. This was one of the countless instances that left […]
…Are y’all still leaving loud? Listen, Tyler and Jemar are back on the mic together and the return does not disappoint! In this episode, we discuss why some of us are hesitant to “Leave Loud” and confront some of the things that keep us from making an essential decision. Whether fear, idols, the approval of […]
Listen to this author interview and be sure to buy her book! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I am not here to debate abortion. In fact, I’m not even going to share my own complex views on this issue because what I think really doesn’t matter. Instead, I’m here to talk about the weaponization of Black women’s bodies in the abortion discussion. The morning after the 2016 election, I sat in my […]
This week, Jemar shares his PHD journey. Alternate names include: “Phinally Done!” “PhDone!” “Dr.J” “Three Little Letters” “The Man, THe Myth, The Doctor” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Run or Walk 5K, 10K, 26 Miles or 50 Miles Throughout SeptemberUpload your distances & photos daily to win a prize: 9/1 – 9/30 The Active Witness Challenge is a virtual fundraiser to commemorate the 1956 March on Selma. It is not remiss that we are in the midst of our generation’s Civil Rights Movement. Whether participants walk, run, or support through a donation, we have an opportunity to be active about our witness. We run because they walked. This fundraising challenge is for supporters to run or walk throughout September 2021