Is racism mostly a reality of the past? Has America largely overcome its fixation with skin color? Have we become post-racial? The signs of progress inundate our society. We have seen black people and other people of color enter all segments of life from blockbuster movies, to the Supreme Court, to billionaire-level wealth. It appears […]
A recent statement entitled “The Gospel and Social Justice” has deservedly garnered much attention and opposition. For those who found the new statement wanting, then another declaration on Christians and justice, written forty-five years ago, may offer a better perspective. In November 1973, a group of evangelicals gathered in Chicago to compose a documenting asserting […]
In the current state of public discourse offensive statements have become commonplace. I tend to ignore most of those comments, but occasionally some of them deserve a response. After reading Rod Dreher’s blog post entitled “Of Shitholes and Second Thoughts” I decided this is one of those perspectives that cannot go unchallenged. I shared my […]
The recent not guilty verdict of the officer who killed Philando Castile has added to the pain of being black in America. As I’ve pondered the events, as well as the dashcam footage that authorities released after the decision, I thought, “If Philando Castile was a threat, then black people are never safe.” To recap, […]
Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, recently spoke on The Ezra Klein Show and shared his thoughts about Confederate monuments, justice and repentance. Stevenson knows what he’s talking about when it comes to these topics. Born and raised in the segregated South, he has experienced firsthand what it’s like to grow up in […]
NOTE: The following is not an endorsement of all of President Obama’s policies nor an endorsement of the Democratic party. The intention is to reflect on the content of a single speech as it impacted a single writer. On January 10, 2017, President Obama delivered his formal farewell speech to end his eight year term. The […]
Fact-Checking Before Lamenting We don’t really know all the facts. Those are the words we utter before the cultural fact-finding mission begins. Google serves as our personal private investigator. We make sure our imaginary jurors’ badges are snug against our bodies. Our eyes dart back and forth across the screen reading articles, looking to explain violence against black bodies. […]
Another blow has been struck against confidence in the criminal justice system in America. A grand jury decided not to indict the two officers whose actions on November 22, 2014 led to the death of 12 year old Tamir Rice. Officer Garmback drove the police cruiser and Officer Loehman jumped out of the vehicle before […]
Sunday August 9, 2015 marks one year since white former police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. This shooting resulted in weeks of organized, disorganized, and sometimes violent protests, while also igniting a much needed dialogue about race and race relations in the U.S. Since Brown’s death, numerous […]
If you think America is post-racial, just wait about seven days and you will have cause to re-evaluate that claim. Instances of racial violence perpetrated against African Americans have become nearly a weekly occurrence. This time the place is Cincinnati and the person is Sam DuBose. Lecrae Starts a Conversation A body cam video shows […]
New Testament professor, Jarvis Williams, applies ideas of tough-mindedness and tender-heartedness from one of MLK’s sermons to the situation in Ferguson and African Americans today.
