Race & Religion
Mormons know how the Church sanctioned racial exclusion. That policy has a paper trail.
By Jana Riess — March 10, 2023
(RNS) — Paul Reeve's new book argues the decision to ban Blacks from priesthood and the temple began with Brigham Young but wasn't fully entrenched until the early 1900s under Joseph F. Smith.
White supremacist propaganda scaled new heights in 2022, ADL report finds
By Yonat Shimron — March 9, 2023
(RNS) — The Patriot Front, based in Texas, was responsible for 80% of propaganda distributions in 2022, the ADL report concluded.
Columbus artist’s dreadlocked, tattooed icons offer a fresh take on the saints
By Kathryn Post — March 8, 2023
COLUMBUS, Ohio (RNS) — They were the ‘original social justice warriors,’ says artist Gracie Morbitzer.
Baptist Joint Committee gains faith and justice center, grows religious liberty work
By Adelle M. Banks — March 6, 2023
(RNS) — ‘One of the things that we prioritized in our work was really reimagining religious freedom through the experiences of marginalized communities,’ said Sabrina E. Dent, the center’s president.
Meet the organization preserving and promoting the stories of Black Methodists
By Emily McFarlan Miller — March 1, 2023
(RNS) — After funding from the United Methodist Church General Conference ended and in-person events were put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic, the AAMHC is looking for donations in order to continue its work.
For many congregations, wiping out medical debt has become a popular calling
By Yonat Shimron — March 1, 2023
DURHAM, N.C. (RNS) — While donations from religious groups constitute less than 20% of RIP Medical Debt's overall revenue, they are becoming an increasingly common way for congregations to do social justice.
Faith leaders urge Biden to sign executive order for reparations study by Juneteenth
By Adelle M. Banks — March 1, 2023
(RNS) — They urged Biden to base an order on the structure of H.R. 40, legislation proposed for decades that has yet to pass on Capitol Hill.
It’s time to stop erasing Black Muslim Americans from the story of Islam in the US
By Salima Suswell — February 27, 2023
(RNS) — Black Muslim Americans make up approximately 20% to 25% of the Muslim American population, often leading the way for all Muslims in the area of civil activism.
A brief history of the Black church’s diversity, and its vital role in American political history
By Jason Oliver Evans — February 27, 2023
(The Conversation) — Millions of enslaved Africans were forcefully converted to the Christian faith. The Black church came about when African Americans began to establish their own congregations.
‘Woke Wars’ infiltrate Christian colleges, prof under fire for racial justice unit
By Kathryn Post — February 24, 2023
(RNS) — What happens when racial justice education is flagged as indoctrination?
At Maryland church, it’s ‘Caribbean Sabbath,’ not just Black History Month
By Adelle M. Banks — February 23, 2023
HYATTSVILLE, Md. (RNS) — ‘It's a space where our members and their family and friends can feel celebrated, can feel affirmed,’ said Pastor Trevor Kinlock.
How John and Alice Coltrane’s music inspired a vision for American Hinduism
By Murali Balaji — February 22, 2023
(RNS) — They were two of the religion’s most impactful and unique gurus in its evolution into an American way of life.
Professor Joeckel on why his contract, teachings on racial justice are ‘under review’
By Jemar Tisby — February 20, 2023
(RNS) — An incident at Palm Beach Atlantic University is the latest salvo in an increasingly high-stakes conflict over teaching about race in higher education.
Harvard, National Council of Churches, Reform Jews seeking reparations blueprint
By Adelle M. Banks — February 20, 2023
(RNS) — ‘This is not a mere research paper,’ said the Rev. Cornell William Brooks, a Kennedy School professor and former president of the NAACP.
Docuseries on Black church highlights history, links to biblical orthodoxy
By Adelle M. Banks — February 13, 2023
(RNS) — 'We wanted to show the substantive differences between the denominations but also show that the primary arguments were not about orthodoxy,' said producer Justin Giboney.
