UrbanFaith Staff

Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr.

by UrbanFaith Staff | Jan 15, 2021 | Headline News | 0 comments

Video, courtesy of TIME

In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr., we’ve compiled several of the stories we’ve published over the years about his life and ministry.

Meet the theologian who helped MLK see the value of nonviolence

African-American minister, theologian and mystic, Howard Thurman, left a profound influence on Martin Luther King Jr.

Two-Minute Podcast Shorts on Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. Melvin Banks draws Biblical connections and insight into the life and leadership of Martin Luther King, Jr. Amid so much turmoil, take a few minutes and listen to these two-minute podcast shorts.

How civil rights leader Wyatt Tee Walker revived hope after MLK’s death

In a sermon two weeks after MLK’s funeral, civil rights leader, Wyatt Tee Walker, urged young seminarians to be hopeful and take action for making change happen. His sermon has valuable lessons today.

How a heritage of black preaching shaped MLK’s voice in calling for justice

A long heritage of black preachers who played an important role for enslaved people shaped Martin Luther King Jr.’s moral and ethical vision.

MLK’s vision of love as a moral imperative still matters

In the face of violence directed at communities of color and deepening political divisions in the country, King’s words and philosophy are perhaps more critical for us today than at any point in the recent past.

Here’s why MLK Day is more than just another day off

As our nation continues to fight issues of social injustice and racial tension, many question whether or not the ideals memorialized on MLK Day hold true throughout the year.

MLK: Remembering the Dream

We’re honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with engaging articles, podcast shorts, video, and useful resources.

Blacks mostly left behind by progress since Dr. King’s death

More than 50 years after MLK’s death, a minority politics scholar assesses black progress in the US based on poverty, jobs and wealth.

Langston Hughes’ hidden influence on MLK

In order to avoid being labeled a communist sympathizer, King needed to publicly distance himself from the controversial poet.

To honor Dr. King, pediatricians offer four tips to teach kindness to kids

Children learn hatred and violence, two pediatricians write, and they also learn love and respect. Here’s how to teach tolerance.

Dr. Cheryl Sanders’ Seven Leadership Lessons From MLK’S Legacy

Dr. Sanders highlights the seven leadership roles King possessed that are worthy of emulation by religious leaders.

‘Dear Martin’: Bishop’s Letters to MLK Trace the Highs and Lows in Race Relations

For decades, United Methodist Bishop Woodie White has been writing letters to the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., bringing the slain civil rights activist up to date on the latest strides in race relations and some of the remaining challenges that arise each year. By Adelle M. Banks.

Revolution Revisited: A Review of Ed Gilbreath’s “Birmingham Revolution”

If you think you know what Birmingham, King, and the Letter From a Birmingham Jail were all about, think again.

Pealing Bells to Mark 50 Years Since MLK’s Rousing Speech

By Larry Copeland c. 2013 USA Today ATLANTA (RNS) The King Center is urging communities around the world to participate in a bell-ringing ceremony next month to help commemorate the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. King Center...

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: A Man with a Purpose, a Dream, and Influence

What does the legacy of Dr. King mean for young black boys and our nation at large?

Celebrating Dr. King with Service

Rev. Dr. M. William Howard Jr. and gospel artists Richard Smallwood and Tye Tribbett reflect on the influence of MLK on their own lives of service.

The Power of a Praying King

In his book ‘Never to Leave Us Alone,’ religion scholar Lewis V. Baldwin examines the centrality of prayer in the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr.

Faith and Politics at King Dedication

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial dedication ceremony was described as a mix of worship service and partisan political rally, but there’s scant mention of race, racism or God at the site. What’s going on?

King Memorial Controversy Continues

Maya Angelou says a paraphrase of Dr. King’s words makes him sound arrogant and a North Carolina journalist thinks Rev. Billy Graham deserves a statue too.

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Opens

The Martin Luther King Jr. memorial opens today at the National Mall in Washington D.C. in advance of a five-day celebration and Sunday’s dedication.

Stranded on MLK Blvd.

Our nation’s political divisions, economic struggles, and violent communities should remind us that symbolism without substance is a dead-end street.

MLK: A Life

Remembering the life, work, and message of Martin Luther King Jr. -- preacher, peacemaker, prophet. UrbanFaith celebrates the Martin Luther King Jr. Day with this special photo gallery from Life.com. King, the champion of justice and civil rights, said this upon the...

The Day MLK Died

Life.com’s never-before-published photos chronicle the aftermath of Martin Luther King’s murder.

Bishop Vashti McKenzie Encourages Others Through New Gratitude Project

by UrbanFaith Staff | May 25, 2020 | Faith & Work | 0 comments

Video Courtesy of Black Enterprise

Bishop Vashti McKenzie has started her own project to inspire gratitude during COVID-19. The aptly named Gratitude Project focuses on inspiring feelings of gratitude, inspiration and joy to combat anxiety amid COVID-19.

“I’m often asked, ‘How do you stay positive in a crisis?’ The truth is that the pool of pessimism will call my name before the porch of positivity invites me to sit down,” said Bishop McKenzie in a news release. Bishop McKenzie serves as the 117th elected and consecrated bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and was the first woman elected to episcopal office in the more than two centuries history of the denomination. “How you start your day is important. I practice my spiritual disciplines daily whether through prayer, praise, study, meditation, worship, fasting and more. I read devotionals or a book, and use various apps like Abide and Calm.”

McKenzie has partnered with April Ryan, White House correspondent and Washington, D.C. bureau chief for American Urban Radio Network; Carla Harris, renown financial expert and senior client advisor managing director at Morgan Stanley; Sybrina Fulton, founder of The Trayvon Martin Foundation; and American gospel musician Earnest Pugh. She’s encouraging everyone to send their gratitude moments in to be shared via social media. You can find additional words of gratitude at http://thisisyourwakeupcallonline.com and on Bishop Vashti’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

“I’m inviting everyone to join me in a special Gratitude Initiative: pray a gratitude prayer daily; write at least two things about what you’re grateful for, whether in your journal or recorded on your computer, tablet or cell phone; and share what you’re grateful for online or on social media,” said Bishop McKenzie in a news release. “Let’s get this gratitude train going and keep it going! You have to work for it, so love your neighbor as yourself. Let’s be partners in hope, carriers of optimism and purveyors of joy!”

10 Two-Minute Podcast Shorts on Prayer

by UrbanFaith Staff | Apr 28, 2020 | Commentary | 0 comments

It’s hard to relax. We’re in an uncomfortable place right now. The future is unclear. Our leaders are not all stable. And the world economy is in flux. But God. He’s our anchor. His love never changes and we know that when we pray, it helps calm our heavy hearts and anxiety about the uncertainty of it all. Below you’ll find a compilation of two-minute podcast shorts by Dr. Melvin E. Banks, founder of UMI, on prayer. We’ve pulled them from Dr. Banks’ daily radio program called Daily Direction, which covers a variety of issues and topics. So, turn the ringer off on your phone, find a quiet place, be still, and listen.

More on Prayer

Video Courtesy of THE BEAT by Allen Parr

10 Two-Minute Podcast Shorts on Prayer

by UrbanFaith Staff | Apr 26, 2020 | Headline News | 0 comments

More on Prayer

Video Courtesy of THE BEAT by Allen Parr

Words of Encouragement from Urban Faith

by UrbanFaith Staff | Apr 13, 2020 | Commentary | 0 comments

We’ve seen the local and national news and, like you, our timelines and newsfeeds are filled with sad videos. However, it is important that we keep in mind that there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel. And even when times get hard, it is important to remember that God is always in control. So, with that being said, our staff has provided some brief words of encouragement that we have found to be helpful during difficult times. Stay strong!