Heritage
Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr.
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.
W.E.B. Du Bois embraced science to fight racism as editor of NAACP’s magazine
As editor of the magazine for 24 years, Du Bois featured articles about biology, evolution, archaeology in Africa and more to refute the rampant scientific racism of the early 20th century.
Podcast Shorts: How Do People of Faith Address Violence?
The constant drumbeat of negative news stories about violence, from the rioters who stormed the Capitol to the latest neighborhood or school shooting, is all so unnerving. Dr. Melvin E. Banks offers biblically based, two-minute podcast shorts that cover injustice, gang violence, drug dealers, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
New Mississippi flag almost official: Lawmakers move for final ratification
Today, the Mississippi state Senate is expected to pass on to the governor final ratification of a new state flag — sans the divisive Confederate battle emblem that flew for 126 years.
A century ago, James Weldon Johnson became the first Black person to head the NAACP
The influential civil rights group got its start following a wave of brutal white-led violence against Black people in Springfield, Illinois.
One-on-One with Nikole Hannah-Jones on the 1619 Project and more
The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist on the reaction to the 1619 Project, racial disparities during the pandemic, and the fight for a true democracy.
Women, Black History, and the Right to Vote
Roslyn M. Brock, Associate Minister at the historic Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, VA, and the youngest person elected Chairman of the NAACP National Board, speaks on social justice, Black history, and celebrating the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote.
Black Panthers and Black Lives Matter — parallels and progress
Comparing the 1960s and 1970s Black Panther Party and today’s Black Lives Matter movement reveals parallels and progress.
John Lewis traded the typical college experience for activism, arrests and jail cells
Though he had a speech impediment and came from humble beginnings, John Lewis went on to become a giant of the civil rights movement.
Black religious leaders are up front and central in US protests – as they have been for the last 200 years
From the earliest days of the anti-slavery movement, Black religious leaders have infused the fight for civil rights with spirituality.
An Innovative and Interactive Way to Learn Black History
When you first see the Black History 365 history curriculum book, it looks like any other textbook. But take a peek inside and that’s where the ordinary becomes extraordinary.
Mary Lou’s Sacred Jazz
Commentary: Mary Lou Williams inspired Duke Ellington and a generation of future jazz legends. But it’s her sacred jazz, and journey of faith, that captivated my spirit.
Juneteenth: Freedom’s promise is still denied to thousands of blacks unable to make bail
Just as with so many other criminal justice policies, pretrial detention disproportionately affects African-American men and women, destabilizing black families in the process.
Miniseries about Madam C.J. Walker Leaves Out Philanthropic Legacy
America’s first self-made female millionaire and founder of a black hair-care empire supported the NAACP and the Tuskegee Institute, helped preserve Frederick Douglass’ home. She also tried to used her prominence to stop lynching.
America’s always had black inventors, even when excluded from patents
Though U.S. patent law was created with color-blind language to foster innovation, the patent system consistently excluded black inventors born or forced into American slavery from recognition.
Meet the Black snowshoers who walked 621.3 miles across Canada in 1813
The Canadian soldiers who took part in one of the biggest feats of the War of 1812 included Black soldiers of the 104th New Brunswick Regiment of Foot.
Let America be America again
An uncompromising voice for social justice, Langston Hughes is heralded as one of America’s greatest poets. It wasn’t always this way.
60 Years Later, SNCC Offers Important Lessons for Today’s Student Activists
April 15, 2020, marks 60 years since the founding of SNCC, one of the most important organizations to engage in grassroots organizing during the modern civil rights movement, radically transforming youth culture.
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.
7 lessons from NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson’s life and career
NASA scientist Katherine Johnson was instrumental in getting people to the moon. Here are some of the lessons one mathematics professor believes she taught us all.
How one man fought to end whites-only Dem primaries – and why that matters now
South Carolina’s black community has a long history of fighting for democratic rights.
The power of a song in a strange land
Spirituals were created out of the experience of enslaved people in the US. They weren’t songs of anger – but of an abiding belief in the victory of good over evil.
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.
Often-reticent Justice Clarence Thomas speaks about his faith in new documentary
Justice Clarence Thomas, the member of the Supreme Court known for his reticence, speaks for much of a new two-hour documentary about his life called “Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words.”
On the 100th anniversary of the Negro Leagues, a look back at what was lost
While segregation was a shameful period in baseball history, the Negro Leagues were a resounding success and an immense source of pride for black America.
How African American folklore saved the cultural memory and history of slaves
All over the world, community stories, customs, and beliefs have been passed down from generation to generation. This folklore is used by elders to teach family and friends about their collective cultural past. And for African Americans, folklore has played a particularly important part in documenting history too.
Hidden figures: How black women preachers spoke truth to power
Since the 19th century, a long line of black women preachers set in motion a tradition that spoke against injustices and questioned patriarchal attitudes. Here’s their story.
The Forgotten Voices of Race Records: Pullman Porters, the Rev TT Rose, and the ‘Man with a Clarinet’
The Pullman Porters, the Rev TT Rose, and the ‘Man with a Clarinet’ — In the 1920s, many black musicians were exploited by record companies, and faded into anonymity. Here are some of their stories.
Powerful Stories Hidden in Abandoned Cemeteries
African-American cemeteries across the country have largely been neglected, their powerful histories obscured by weeds, debris and, as much as anything, the passage of time.
Why Christians Should Celebrate Black History Month
Jemar Tisby, co-founder of the Reformed African American Network, makes a case for the relevance and importance of Black History Month.
A brief history of black names, from Perlie to Latasha
A scholar disproves the long-held assumption that black names are a recent phenomenon.
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.
What Everyone Should Know About Reconstruction
COMMENTARY: Based on my experience teaching social studies and my current work preparing social studies educators, I consider understanding what happened during the Reconstruction essential for exploring black power, resilience, and excellence.
Reform Jews call for reparations for slavery
Delegates to the Union for Reform Judaism’s biennial meeting in Chicago on Friday (Dec. 13) voted overwhelmingly to advocate for the creation of a federal commission to study and develop proposals for reparations to African Americans for slavery.
Slave life’s harsh realities are erased in Christmas tours of Southern plantations
Fictional accounts of white Southerners make it seem it was fun to be a slave on a plantation at holiday time. Many of today’s tours repeat such stories.
Celebrating UMI at 50 with Vintage Video and Images
UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc.) turns 50 in 2020! Take a look back through time and see how far God has brought us!
COMMENTARY: Learning resistance and courage from Ida B. Wells
A careful reading of Wells helps to deconstruct the current fear-based systems that serve the powers, principalities and spiritual wickedness in high places that stand in the path that leads to Beloved Community.
GI Bill opened doors to college, but black vets faced obstacles
Although the GI Bill enabled generations of former service members to acquire higher education and enter the middle class, the bill’s benefits were distributed in ways that create uneven outcomes.
What lost photos of Blue Notes say about South Africa’s jazz history
A rare set of photographs of South Africa’s most famous jazz ensemble, the Blue Notes, has added valuable insights to the music archive
Abiy Ahmed Wins Nobel Peace Prize, big challenges still await Ethiopia
Abiy Ahmed was awarded the prize for efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea.
Who was the first black child to go to an integrated school?
School integration is often thought of as something that took place in the 1960s. But the first black student to desegregate a school by court order was an Iowa girl named Susan Clark in 1868.
After 30 years leading church, Marvin Winans still says ‘music is what I do’
Winans is marking the anniversary of his church, now with 1,800 members in the Motor City, while remaining committed to helping his community through the schools and ministries he has started to help train youth and give women a safe place to live.
16th St. Baptist church to recall bombing with messages of love, action
This Sunday, the 16th Street Baptist Church marks the 56th anniversary of the attack that killed four young girls by unveiling a refurbished space where visitors can watch videos about kindness, as well as the civil rights history of the church and its community.
Using Black History and Culture to Help Students Succeed
The success of African-centered schools like Paul Robeson Malcolm X in Detroit has spurred districts in other parts of the country to replicate the approach.
Ghana’s Year of Return 2019: traveler, tourist or pilgrim?
For Africans and diasporans, learning about their heritage is important. But it remains to be seen how this will translate into a sustained continental and diasporan engagement.
400 years of black giving: From the days of slavery to the 2019 Morehouse graduation
Billionaire Robert F. Smith made a big splash when he told Morehouse grads he would pay off their student debt. Yet his generosity adheres to a long African American tradition.
Toni Morrison and the holiness of the living, breathing flesh
With Morrison, we are reminded that we are our stories. When we do not tell them, listen to them, appreciate them and learn from them, we are all poorer souls.
Pumpsie Green, 1st black player on Boston Red Sox, dies
Former Boston Red Sox infielder Elijah “Pumpsie” Green, the first black player on the last major league team to field one, has died. He was 85.