Commentary

The lifesaving power of gratitude (or, why you should write that thank you note)

Gratitude may be more beneficial than we commonly suppose.

What Americans hear about social justice at church – and what they do about it

Today, many Americans are pessimistic about inequality, political divisions and ethnic conflict. Yet, as these surveys show, social justice-minded congregations inspire members to work for policies that support their vision of the public good.

King Richard: An Interview with Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton

UrbanFaith sat down with Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton who play tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams alongside Will Smith in King Richard in theaters and on HBO Max this Friday!

Americans are in a mental health crisis – especially African Americans. Can churches help?

For a variety of reasons, many African Americans face barriers to mental health care. But strengthening relationships between churches and mental health providers can be one way to increase access to needed services.

‘Colin loved the church’: Powell recalled as Episcopalian at cathedral funeral

Former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Colin Powell, known as a four-star general and as a onetime secretary of defense, was remembered at his funeral at the Washington National Cathedral Friday (Nov. 5) as a man of the Episcopal faith.

Nearly half of all churches and other faith institutions help people get enough to eat

Almost half of U.S. congregations participate in some kind of food distribution program, government benefits often don’t cover the full food costs of people facing economic hardship.

35 Years of Christians in Hip-Hop

A notable, special, and interesting collection of 30 rap songs by Christian artists, including a bunch of “honorable mention” titles.

Fisk Jubilee Singers continue to sing spirituals 150 years later

A century and a half ago, nine young men and women embarked on a trip from Fisk University, establishing a tradition of singing spirituals that both funded their Nashville, Tennessee, school and introduced the musical genre to the world.

Is Kanye West’s “Donda” a Gospel Album?

Kanye West’s “Donda” is now one of the highest-grossing albums of all time in the Gospel/Christian category, but many believers are still asking: is Kanye West’s “Donda” album a Gospel album?

Help And Hope For Haiti: An Interview with Fr. Joseph Philippe

In spite of the negative images, there is long term hope and help for Haiti. One of the people doing tremendous work not only in the aftermath of natural disasters, but daily, is Father Joseph Philippe.

Removal of Robert E. Lee leaves Arthur Ashe as Richmond’s remaining witness

The last Confederate monument still standing on Richmond, Virginia’s Monument Avenue, the massive tribute to General Robert E. Lee, was removed on Wednesday (Sept. 8).

The Miracle Mentality

Acclaimed author and motivational speaker Tim Storey explains how miracles can help you get out of a bad situation and get you into a better place.

What are the Jewish High Holy Days? A look at Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and a month of celebrating renewal and moral responsibility

Over the next few weeks, members of the Jewish faith will observe the High Holy Days in the month of Tishrei in the Jewish calendar, usually in September and October. These holidays commemorate concepts such as renewal, forgiveness, freedom and joy.

How to Fight Racism: An Interview with Jemar Tisby

In his new book, How to Fight Racism, New York Times best-selling author Jemar Tisby continues the conversation about racial reconciliation in the church, but adds a framework for how to do it.

Breaking the Myth of Generational Curses

We must reject the myth of generational curses as believers. Ezekiel and Jeremiah make that clear. Jesus breaks every curse. We can put our faith in God knowing we are not being punished for the sins of our parents.

Hurricane Ida: 4 essential reads about New Orleans’ high hurricane risk and what climate change has to do with the storms

Hurricane Ida hit the Louisiana coast with 150 mph winds on Aug. 29, 2021, 16 years to the day after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans on nearly the same path.

He Saw That It Was Good: An Interview with Sho Baraka

How can we hear and follow God in the midst of our fractured reality in ways that are faithful and life-giving? UrbanFaith sat down with the artist, activist, and creative Sho Baraka to talk about his new book He Saw That It Was Good, which helps us think through some of the most pressing questions in our world.

Historically Black college in South Carolina offers free tuition

ROCK HILL, S.C. (AP) — A small historically Black college in South Carolina is offering all full-time students free tuition for the upcoming 2021-22 academic year. Clinton College President Lester McCorn made the announcement last week for qualifying full-time...

William Pannell wrote ‘The Coming Race Wars?’ nearly 30 years ago. It still resonates today

n his book, “The Coming Race Wars?,” theologian William Pannell foresees the poor and disenfranchised engaging in violent urban uprisings and revolts across the world similar to the 1992 Los Angeles riots. It will only be a matter of time, he writes, “before some cop blows it again in his or her treatment of a Black person, probably a Black man.”

Big, Bold, & Beautiful: An Interview with Kierra Sheard-Kelly

UrbanFaith sat down with Gospel artist, entrepreneur, and now author Kierra Sheard Kelly about the release of her first book: Big, Bold, and Beautiful: Owning the Woman God Made You to Be which shares experiences, wisdom, and encouragement to walk in freedom through faith

From Football Field to Mission Field: Interview with Benjamin, Asa, & Rev. Kenneth Watson

Benjamin and Asa Watson were prepared by their father Rev. Ken Watson to be pros on the football field and examples on the mission field. UrbanFaith sat down with the Watson men to discuss their faith and the impact it had on their success.

Bob Moses, civil rights leader, led us to imagine the end of racism

The death of Bob Moses on Sunday (July 25) at age 86 should make anyone who dares meddle with Americans’ voting rights in this country pause. The life of the great educator and civil rights leader in Mississippi during the turbulent and violent 1960s reminds us that there may be no more noble cause and that it attracts powerful champions.

Sparked by pandemic fallout, homeschooling surges across US

Although the pandemic disrupted family life across the U.S. since taking hold in spring 2020, some parents are grateful for one consequence: They’re now opting to homeschool their children, even as schools plan to resume in-person classes.

Retiring Bishop Vashti McKenzie, first AME Church woman prelate, reflects on a groundbreaking career

(RNS) — Just-retired Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie is an apologist for an adaptive style of leadership. It's what has helped her succeed as the first woman to hold many roles in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. And it's a style of leadership she said was needed...

Why Should Christians Have Churchwide Conferences?

We all look forward to summer vacations, summer hours, and summer…denominational general conferences? Many Christians ask, why are we having these conferences? Why are these issues being debated? Why aren’t we just doing what the Bible says?

With Harris and Hannah-Jones, Howard University is on a roll

With the surprise twin hiring of two of the country’s most prominent writers on race, Howard University is positioning itself as one of the primary centers of Black academic thought just as America struggles through a painful crossroads over historic racial injustice.

Cooking Up Success In Community: An Interview with Chef Q

UrbanFaith sat down with Chef Q who is the Executive Chef & Owner of Q1227 restaurant outside of Sacramento as he shared his recipe not only to survive, but thrive as an restauranteur, person of faith, and community catalyst in the midst of the pandemic.

States want to prevent schools from telling the truth about racism in America. Here’s what educators can do about it.

At least half a dozen states have introduced legislation to prevent the teaching of Critical Race Theory in schools. So what is the solution?

Black community has new option for health care: The church

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Every Sunday at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, the Rev. Joseph Jackson Jr. praises the Lord before his congregation. But since last fall he's been praising something else his Black community needs: the COVID-19 vaccine. "We want to continue to...

Slave-built infrastructure still creates wealth in US, suggesting reparations should cover past harms and current value of slavery

The fact that centuries-old relics of slavery still support the economy of the United States suggests that reparations for slavery would need to go beyond government payments to the ancestors of enslaved people to account for profit-generating, slave-built infrastructure.

NIH director: We asked God for help with COVID-19, and vaccines are the ‘answer to that prayer’

To help explain the role of faith groups in the national vaccine push, Religion News Service spoke with Francis Collins, an evangelical Christian who also serves as director of the National Institutes of Health. Collins discussed the program, as well as his faith and how he views the intersection of religion and science. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

US prisons hold more than 550,000 people with intellectual disabilities – they face exploitation, harsh treatment

Prison life in the U.S. is tough. But when you have an intellectual, developmental or cognitive disability – as hundreds of thousands of Americans behind bars do – it can make you especially vulnerable.

Why is Juneteenth Becoming a Big Deal?

Why is this small commemoration that was lost from mainstream history now becoming such a big deal in the media? We share a few observations that I believe are making Juneteenth the new national Black summer holiday.

Trying to Avoid Racist Health Care, Black Women Seek Out Black Obstetricians

In addition to shared culture and values, a Black physician can offer Black patients a sense of safety, validation and trust. Research has shown that racism, discrimination and unconscious bias continue to plague the U.S. health care system and can cause unequal treatment of racial and ethnic minorities.

Racism Derails Black Men’s Health, Even as Education Levels Rise

More education typically leads to better health, yet Black men in the U.S. are not getting the same benefit as other groups, research suggests. The reasons for the gap are vexing, experts said, but may provide an important window into unique challenges faced by Black men as they try to gain not only good health but also an equal footing in the U.S.

Why people with disabilities are at greater risk of going hungry – especially during a pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed uncomfortable and distressing truths about American society: namely, the struggle many Americans face just getting by. Yet, while the pervasive food insecurity that has always existed in the U.S. became more visible, how the problem disproportionately affects people with disabilities has received less attention.

Finding Faith and Community on Virtual Campuses: An Interview with Shaylen Hardy

In the midst of the turmoil of a pandemic and national leaders of campus ministries sought to support Black students. I had the opportunity to interview Shaylen Hardy, the President of Intervarsity’s Black Campus Ministries, about her experiences and insight leading one of the largest networks of Black campus ministries through the pandemic.

What veterans’ poems can teach us about healing on Memorial Day

Memorial Day may have “official” roots honoring Union dead, but veteran poets of recent wars have found ways to honor all those who have died in battle.

The death penalty’s last gasp?

State executions are not something most Americans want to see “return to normal” after the pandemic. Many of us would like to see the nine-month halt on state executions be “the new normal.” For the first time in my 45-year life, a majority of Americans are done with the death penalty. The states that held on to slavery the longest are the same states that continue to hold on to the death penalty.

The American Rescue Plan is welcome relief for faith communities

Our faith convinces us that we have a moral imperative to care for all of those left behind in this crisis. We need the support of our government, a government that works for all the people.

Philanthropists and politicians: Religion is not a problem to solve, it’s a partnership opportunity

Philanthropy, governments and other sectors should never instrumentalize faith, nor impose their values on faith communities. Instead they should partner with them.

“America Is Not Racist”-A Prophetic Reflection

For African Americans who watched the two addresses of President Joe Biden and Senator Tim Scott, their discussions of racism stood out.

We Need Servants of Peace, Not Soldiers of Fear

A broadened sense of fear can promote the tribal instinct to band together against a dangerous ‘Other.’

10 Two-minute Podcast Shorts on Justice

These two-minute Daily Direction podcasts by UMI Founder Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr., will get you thinking about the intersection of Christianity, social justice, and the role of the church.

Can We Respond to George Floyd’s Case with Hope?

People breathed a sigh of relief for accountability by a law enforcement officer, but many noted that this guilty verdict could not bring restoration of George Floyd’s life. There is still much violence in the land and great need for God’s intervention.