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Laurinburg NC: A Lesson on Healing the Racial Divide in America

When I told Ambassador Young of my Laurinburg experience, he smiled and said: “You know, Rick, the problem of systemic racism in this country is not all that difficult to understand. As your Laurinburg example tells us, the cause is primarily economic. When white folks have good jobs, they make good neighbors. When they are unemployed and scared or underemployed and resentful, there are problems.”

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AME Church statement on Democratic VP nominee Senator Kamala Harris

  “This is the Day that the Lord has Made” In May 2020, presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee, Joe Biden committed to adding a woman to his ticket. Throughout the summer, Biden has been encouraged to select a …

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John Lewis asked that The New York Times publish this message from him on the day of his funeral.

Though I am gone, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe.

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She Who Cannot Be Shamed, Tamed or Contained

A 95-page, full color collection of art, essays, questions and practices to liberate our spiritual imaginations. On this global pilgrimage, you will encounter ten ancient images (reimagined by one of Christena’s favorite modern artists) of the Black female Divine ranging from She Who Clears Our Path to She Who Declares that You are Enough to She Who is Unapologetically Black — and beyond!

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David Freudberg Interview with John Lewis: Man of Conscience

When America lost John Lewis, who died last weekend at age 80, part of our nation’s moral compass was silenced. Many have learned of his remarkable life story: the child of poor Alabama sharecroppers who — through deep moral convictions — came to be known as the “conscience of Congress.”

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Leaning In: A Prayer of Intention (Lyric Video)

    “Leaning In: A Prayer of Intention” is a sung prayer of intercession that aims to break down the distinction between the typical “us” and “them:” of such prayers. It also shifts away from petition (asking …

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The Subversion of Jesus by the Rich and Powerful – Part One

Violence against people of color. Violence against women. Authoritarian and confused reaction to a pandemic. A fundamentalist distortion of Christianity. And controlling influence by the rich and powerful.

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“Male and Female, and…”: A brief interview and sermon from Beatitudes Church

Black and white. Light and dark. Good and evil. This binary way of cataloging and compartmentalizing our thoughts and experiences is useful when it comes to categorizing much about life. But what about gender identity?

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Preachin’ to the Chickens: Remembering John Lewis

In Remembrance: Growing up the son of an Alabama sharecropper, John Lewis practiced preaching to the chickens; from whence he clearly developed his oratorical style. He matured and went on to devote a lifetime of service as the “conscience” of the Congress; often preaching, as it were, to a flock of chickens of another sort. But this time with a calmer, constant, steady and unwavering voice.

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What it means to defund the police

Whenever we are engaging difficult issues in a complex and multicultural world, vocabulary and language can either help us understand one another — even in our disagreement — or fail us, and add to misunderstandings. When it comes to the issue of “re-imagining” policing or “defunding” police forces, language is failing us.

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LOVE, which we call God, IS a STRANGE ATTRACTOR!

To the powers that be, Jesus’ execution was little more than the routine death of a homeless, outcast who spent far too much time creating social unrest. Nothing more than the insignificant death of a troublemaker without influence in the halls of power, who would not or could not moderate his own behavior. An insignificant troublemaker dies, under the rule of law, and yet, the impact continues to reverberate all around the world, nearly 2000 years after it should have been long forgotten.

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I Dream A World

SCRIPTURE Zechariah 8.1–8

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Looking at Systemic Racism through the Eyes of a Faith Leader, with Dr. Alice Graham

  In the third episode of the Born Black Faith & Reason Series, Debo and Catherine Young talk with Dr. Alice Graham, the executive director of Back Bay Mission in Biloxi. Dr. Graham recounts her own experience …

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An Allegory for July 4, 2020

I’ve been feeling somewhat discouraged lately, as I guess we all have. Every day, it seems, more bad climate news slaps us in the face. Add to that the covid pandemic, unrecognized by Trump and disregarded by his followers, and racial injustice, not unrecognized but rather played upon by Trump and his sycophants.

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What, to Black America, is this 4th of July?

This Fourth of July, Americans are being forced to see the nation’s celebration for independence differently. The combination of the coronavirus pandemic, which has disproportionately affected Black Americans, and the ongoing protests in response to the police killing of George Floyd have brought attention to this nation’s centuries-old history of anti-Black violence. 

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The Call of This Moment: An Antiracism Workshop with Rev. Jacqui Lewis, Ph.D.

We’re delighted to announce that the recordings from our June 17th and June 18th Anti-Racism Workshop are now available for purchase. To honor what you all paid to attend in person, and to encourage folks to join future classes in real time, we’ve priced both classes together for $25, and made each individual class available for $15.

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The Color of Compromise

The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism

The Color of Compromise is both enlightening and compelling, telling a history we either ignore or just don’t know. Equal parts painful and inspirational, it details how the American church has helped create and maintain racist ideas and practices. You will be guided in thinking through concrete solutions for improved race relations and a racially inclusive church.

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