{"id":"_lKbwYLetmoVQjz4m","feed":{"title":"Word In Black","imageUrl":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","items":[{"id":"oN7O7HJiEn3tOnXF","title":"Finding Fellowship: How a Black Maryland Community Bridged Racial Divides","description":"Jason Green thought he was returning home to say goodbye to his grandmother. Instead, sitting beside Ida Pearl Green’s bed in a Montgomery County, Maryland, nursing facility, the former White House aide to President Barack Obama found himself listening to stories about a Black church, two white congregations, and an unlikely 1968 experiment in fellowship that survived one of the most turbulent periods in American history. Those conversations would eventually become “Finding Fellowship,” a PBS documentary that asks what a bitterly divided nation in the era of President Donald Trump might learn from communities that chose reconciliation over retreat. LEARN MORE: ‘Reparations Sunday’ Brings a Hot Debate Into Black Churches Green calls the documentary “a microcosm of America” and how a community moved past division and embraced “what can be accomplished with intention, purpose, and sacrifice.” It tells the story of how the churches in a historically Black community in Maryland set aside division and suspicion to unite in the aftermath of the King assassination — and how the Black church is the only one still standing. Historic Black Community His grandmother is also the catalyst for Green’s new book, “Too Precious to Lose,” about how Quince Orchard, a historically Black community in Maryland that’s not far from Washington, D.C., is in danger of being wiped out by suburban development and the ravages of time. While the central story of his film emphasizes unity, the story “is also about demonstrating the importance of intentionally preserving our history and heritage,” says Green, a preacher’s kid who once considered entering the ministry. “Our film is raising awareness of that Pleasant View [Maryland] historic site and raising the funds to ensure it is saved and preserved to be a site for inspiration for generations to come.” On its website, the Pleasant View Historical Association describes the community as the social hub of Quince Orchard, a once-rural community in danger of being overtaken by homes and shopping centers. It’s home to Pleasant View United Methodist Church, the Quince Orchard Colored School, and Pleasant View Cemetery. Accidental Historian In some ways, Green was hardly a likely chronicler of Pleasant View’s history. A Yale-trained lawyer who worked on Obama’s presidential campaign and later served in the White House, Green had built a career worlds away from the community that shaped his family. For years, career opportunities and public service had pulled him farther from it. “I was kind of marching down this world feeling like I had it figured out,” Green said. “I was on this journey of self-importance.” There are important lessons from our past that can help us navigate where we’re trying to go.Jacob GReen, Author and documentary filmmaker Then came the call from his mother in 2013: Ida Pearl Green, who had shaped his earliest understanding of faith, service, and community, was nearing the end of her life. Green’s grandmother was born in 1918 and reared in Quince Orchard. Active well into her 100th year, Ida Pearl Green embodied a generation forged by hard work, faith, and perseverance. ‘Here to Serve Someone’ When he was a boy, Ida Pearl Green had taken her grandson on volunteer visits to nursing-home residents. When he asked why they spent time with people they could not help, she offered a lesson he took to heart: “We’re not here to save someone. We’re here to serve someone.” That lesson “allowed me, even at five years old, to understand that I could make someone’s life better simply by showing up and being present,” Green told Word In Black in a recent interview. After receiving the call about his grandmother, Green quickly arrived at her bedside, carrying guilt over the years he had missed with her. Long conversations with her, however, would become the foundation for “Too Precious to Lose.” As he spent time with her, stories began to emerge that he had never fully heard before. She told him about growing up in Quince Orchard, a close-knit Black farming community anchored by faith, education, and mutual support. She described a world where Black churches, teachers, and neighbors formed a protective network that nurtured generations. Green found himself longing for the community she described, which thrived despite existing beneath the shadow of Jim Crow. “I kept thinking, ‘Wait a minute. How did y’all have this Black solidarity community?’” he said. Faith and Fellowship Her stories also revealed a remarkable chapter in local civil rights history. Green learned how his family’s historic Black church, faced with declining enrollment and aging facilities, elected to merge with two white congregations facing similar challenges. The vote happened just after King’s assassination, launching years of difficult conversations about race, identity, and shared community. Green was stunned. The story challenged his assumptions about community and reconciliation, eventually inspiring him to leave the White House and begin working on “Finding Fellowship.” On his final day with the administration, Green brought his grandmother to meet Obama in the Oval Office. Neither she nor the president knew Green planned to resign. The choice would become one of the most meaningful decisions of his life. RELATED: Why Teaching Black History Is Sacred Work As he dove into research and Trump rose to political prominence, “I remember hearing that the country hadn’t been this divided ‘since 1968,’” Green said in an interview published on the Obama Foundation website. “My grandmother had told me this story from 1968 about people overcoming their division, and I thought perhaps this was a story that could help us as we try to figure out how we’re going to move forward into the future.” Important Lessons Doctors initially predicted Ida Pearl Green, then in her mid-90s, she had only months to live. Instead, she lived nearly 11 more years, dying just shy of her 107th birthday. Those years back home, away from the demands of Washington, gave Jason Green time to preserve family stories, document community history, and deepen relationships that might otherwise have been lost. Today, he sees those stories as more than family memories. He believes they offer guidance for a nation wrestling with division, uncertainty, and isolation. “We’ve been here before,” Green said. “There are important lessons from our past that can help us navigate where we’re trying to go.” The post Finding Fellowship: How a Black Maryland Community Bridged Racial Divides appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"As
\n

Jason Green thought he was returning home to say goodbye to his grandmother.

\n\n\n\n

Instead, sitting beside Ida Pearl Green’s bed in a Montgomery County, Maryland, nursing facility, the former White House aide to President Barack Obama found himself listening to stories about a Black church, two white congregations, and an unlikely 1968 experiment in fellowship that survived one of the most turbulent periods in American history. 

\n\n\n\n

Those conversations would eventually become “Finding Fellowship,” a PBS documentary that asks what a bitterly divided nation in the era of President Donald Trump might learn from communities that chose reconciliation over retreat.

\n\n\n\n

LEARN MORE: ‘Reparations Sunday’ Brings a Hot Debate Into Black Churches

\n\n\n\n

Green calls the documentary “a microcosm of America” and how a community moved past division and embraced “what can be accomplished with intention, purpose, and sacrifice.” It tells the story of how the churches in a historically Black community in Maryland set aside division and suspicion to unite in the aftermath of the King assassination — and how the Black church is the only one still standing. 

\n\n\n\n

Historic Black Community

\n\n\n\n

His grandmother is also the catalyst for Green’s new book, “Too Precious to Lose,” about how Quince Orchard, a historically Black community in Maryland that’s not far from Washington, D.C., is in danger of being wiped out by suburban development and the ravages of time. 

\n\n\n\n

While the central story of his film emphasizes unity, the story “is also about demonstrating the importance of intentionally preserving our history and heritage,” says Green, a preacher’s kid who once considered entering the ministry. “Our film is raising awareness of that Pleasant View [Maryland] historic site and raising the funds to ensure it is saved and preserved to be a site for inspiration for generations to come.”

\n\n\n\n

On its website, the Pleasant View Historical Association describes the community as the social hub of Quince Orchard, a once-rural community in danger of being overtaken by homes and shopping centers. It’s home to Pleasant View United Methodist Church, the Quince Orchard Colored School, and Pleasant View Cemetery. 

\n\n\n\n

Accidental Historian

\n\n\n\n

In some ways, Green was hardly a likely chronicler of Pleasant View’s history. 

\n\n\n\n

A Yale-trained lawyer who worked on Obama’s presidential campaign and later served in the White House, Green had built a career worlds away from the community that shaped his family. For years, career opportunities and public service had pulled him farther from it.

\n\n\n\n

“I was kind of marching down this world feeling like I had it figured out,” Green said. “I was on this journey of self-importance.”

\n\n\n\n

There are important lessons from our past that can help us navigate where we’re trying to go.

Jacob GReen, Author and documentary filmmaker
\n\n\n\n

 Then came the call from his mother in 2013: Ida Pearl Green, who had shaped his earliest understanding of faith, service, and community, was nearing the end of her life.

\n\n\n\n

Green’s grandmother was born in 1918 and reared in Quince Orchard. Active well into her 100th year, Ida Pearl Green embodied a generation forged by hard work, faith, and perseverance. 

\n\n\n\n

‘Here to Serve Someone’

\n\n\n\n

When he was a boy, Ida Pearl Green had taken her grandson on volunteer visits to nursing-home residents. When he asked why they spent time with people they could not help, she offered a lesson he took to heart: “We’re not here to save someone. We’re here to serve someone.”

\n\n\n\n

That lesson “allowed me, even at five years old, to understand that I could make someone’s life better simply by showing up and being present,” Green told Word In Black in a recent interview.

\n\n\n\n

After receiving the call about his grandmother, Green quickly arrived at her bedside, carrying guilt over the years he had missed with her. Long conversations with her, however, would become the foundation for “Too Precious to Lose.” 

\n\n\n\n

As he spent time with her, stories began to emerge that he had never fully heard before. She told him about growing up in Quince Orchard, a close-knit Black farming community anchored by faith, education, and mutual support. She described a world where Black churches, teachers, and neighbors formed a protective network that nurtured generations.

\n\n\n\n

Green found himself longing for the community she described, which thrived despite existing beneath the shadow of Jim Crow.

\n\n\n\n

“I kept thinking, ‘Wait a minute. How did y’all have this Black solidarity community?’” he said.

\n\n\n\n

Faith and Fellowship

\n\n\n\n

Her stories also revealed a remarkable chapter in local civil rights history. Green learned how his family’s historic Black church, faced with declining enrollment and aging facilities, elected to merge with two white congregations facing similar challenges. The vote happened just after King’s assassination, launching years of difficult conversations about race, identity, and shared community.

\n\n\n\n

Green was stunned. The story challenged his assumptions about community and reconciliation, eventually inspiring him to leave the White House and begin working on “Finding Fellowship.” 

\n\n\n\n

On his final day with the administration, Green brought his grandmother to meet Obama in the Oval Office. Neither she nor the president knew Green planned to resign. The choice would become one of the most meaningful decisions of his life.

\n\n\n\n

RELATED: Why Teaching Black History Is Sacred Work

\n\n\n\n

As he dove into research and Trump rose to political prominence, “I remember hearing that the country hadn’t been this divided ‘since 1968,’” Green said in an interview published on the Obama Foundation website. “My grandmother had told me this story from 1968 about people overcoming their division, and I thought perhaps this was a story that could help us as we try to figure out how we’re going to move forward into the future.”

\n\n\n\n

Important Lessons

\n\n\n\n

Doctors initially predicted Ida Pearl Green, then in her mid-90s, she had only months to live. Instead, she lived nearly 11 more years, dying just shy of her 107th birthday. Those years back home, away from the demands of Washington, gave Jason Green time to preserve family stories, document community history, and deepen relationships that might otherwise have been lost.

\n\n\n\n

Today, he sees those stories as more than family memories. He believes they offer guidance for a nation wrestling with division, uncertainty, and isolation.

\n\n\n\n

“We’ve been here before,” Green said. “There are important lessons from our past that can help us navigate where we’re trying to go.”

\n

The post Finding Fellowship: How a Black Maryland Community Bridged Racial Divides appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/06/finding-fellowship-how-a-black-maryland-community-bridged-racial-divides/","site":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","originalAuthor":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Health","Uncategorized"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-06-12T16:36:59.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/JasonGreen_Book_Hero_Image.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-06-12T16:40:56.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/JasonGreen_Book_Hero_Image.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"zIV5yS2GBWh1DWge","title":"Why ‘Climate Justice’ Isn’t Resonating in Communities Most at Risk","description":"Climate activists have spent years arguing that climate change is also a civil rights issue. But a new study suggests one of the movement’s most popular phrases — “climate justice” — may not be connecting with many of the people it is meant to reach, including residents of Black and low-income communities that face some of the greatest environmental risks. The findings raise a challenge for advocates: if communities understand the dangers of climate change but not the language used to describe them, the movement may need a different way to make its case. Just 36% of respondents were familiar or very familiar with the term “climate justice,” while two-thirds were not, according to the paper, recently published in the journal PLOS Climate. The results illustrate that the lack of familiarity with climate justice is not just an academic concern. “Of course, our findings should not be interpreted as a lack of interest in ‘climate justice’ in Los Angeles County and its low-income communities,” the authors of the study wrote. “People living on low incomes do tend to be more aware that climate change disproportionately affects their communities and are more supportive of climate policies, provided they are combined with economic policies such as affordable housing and raising the minimum wage,” according to the study. “Responses to the term ‘climate justice’ may therefore have been more positive among low-income respondents if it had been accompanied by a more detailed elaboration.” The findings matter because Black Americans disproportionately experience many of climate change’s consequences. Multiple studies have shown Black communities are more likely to experience extreme heat, flooding, air pollution, and other environmental hazards as a result of a warming planet. At the same time, those communities often have fewer resources to recover from disasters. Climate justice emerged as a framework to explain those disparities, but the new research suggests the terminology itself may not be resonating with the people most affected. The paper examined how people in Los Angeles responded to the term climate justice and related terms: climate change, global warming, climate crisis, and climate emergency. The researchers picked Los Angeles, which includes a number of historically Black communities, because it’s “an area that might be expected to respond well to the term ‘climate justice’ due to its exposure to climate-related hazards, strong pro-environmental attitudes, and substantial income inequality.” The survey results prove otherwise, even when accounting for income. Among the survey’s two cohorts — those who earn more than $60,000 annually and those who earn less — there was no significant difference in understanding of climate justice. Respondents were also asked follow-up questions to gauge how the term might prompt them to respond, as well as to get a sense of specific micro- and macro-level actions that might be taken to alleviate the problem. Concern, urgency, policy support, and willingness to decrease red meat consumption were all lowest among those surveyed about climate justice compared to the other, more familiar terms related to climate change. Whether or not it’s worth the time and effort to make climate justice a more widely familiar and well-understood term is an open question. However, the authors of the study instead see that there are already good options at hand. “Using familiar language like ‘climate change’ or ‘global warming’ will elicit more public concern and willingness to act,” they wrote. The post Why ‘Climate Justice’ Isn’t Resonating in Communities Most at Risk appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"The
\n

Climate activists have spent years arguing that climate change is also a civil rights issue.

\n\n\n\n

But a new study suggests one of the movement’s most popular phrases — “climate justice” — may not be connecting with many of the people it is meant to reach, including residents of Black and low-income communities that face some of the greatest environmental risks.

\n\n\n\n

The findings raise a challenge for advocates: if communities understand the dangers of climate change but not the language used to describe them, the movement may need a different way to make its case.

\n\n\n\n

Just 36% of respondents were familiar or very familiar with the term “climate justice,” while two-thirds were not, according to the paper, recently published in the journal PLOS Climate. The results illustrate that the lack of familiarity with climate justice is not just an academic concern. 

\n\n\n\n

“Of course, our findings should not be interpreted as a lack of interest in ‘climate justice’ in Los Angeles County and its low-income communities,” the authors of the study wrote. 

\n\n\n\n

“People living on low incomes do tend to be more aware that climate change disproportionately affects their communities and are more supportive of climate policies, provided they are combined with economic policies such as affordable housing and raising the minimum wage,” according to the study. “Responses to the term ‘climate justice’ may therefore have been more positive among low-income respondents if it had been accompanied by a more detailed elaboration.” 

\n\n\n\n

The findings matter because Black Americans disproportionately experience many of climate change’s consequences. 

\n\n\n\n

Multiple studies have shown Black communities are more likely to experience extreme heat, flooding, air pollution, and other environmental hazards as a result of a warming planet. At the same time, those communities often have fewer resources to recover from disasters. 

\n\n\n\n

Climate justice emerged as a framework to explain those disparities, but the new research suggests the terminology itself may not be resonating with the people most affected.

\n\n\n\n

The paper examined how people in Los Angeles responded to the term climate justice and related terms: climate change, global warming, climate crisis, and climate emergency. 

\n\n\n\n

The researchers picked Los Angeles, which includes a number of historically Black communities, because it’s “an area that might be expected to respond well to the term ‘climate justice’ due to its exposure to climate-related hazards, strong pro-environmental attitudes, and substantial income inequality.”  

\n\n\n\n

The survey results prove otherwise, even when accounting for income. Among the survey’s two cohorts — those who earn more than $60,000 annually and those who earn less — there was no significant difference in understanding of climate justice.

\n\n\n\n

Respondents were also asked follow-up questions to gauge how the term might prompt them to respond, as well as to get a sense of specific micro- and macro-level actions that might be taken to alleviate the problem.

\n\n\n\n

Concern, urgency, policy support, and willingness to decrease red meat consumption were all lowest among those surveyed about climate justice compared to the other, more familiar terms related to climate change. 

\n\n\n\n

Whether or not it’s worth the time and effort to make climate justice a more widely familiar and well-understood term is an open question. However, the authors of the study instead see that there are already good options at hand.

\n\n\n\n

“Using familiar language like ‘climate change’ or ‘global warming’ will elicit more public concern and willingness to act,” they wrote. 

\n

The post Why ‘Climate Justice’ Isn’t Resonating in Communities Most at Risk appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/06/why-climate-justice-isnt-resonating-in-communities-most-at-risk/","site":"Willy Blackmore","originalAuthor":"Willy Blackmore","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Climate","Climate Justice","climate justice"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-06-10T16:54:40.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GettyImages-2221656096.jpg?fit=723%2C483&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-06-10T16:55:58.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GettyImages-2221656096.jpg?fit=723%2C483&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"JXv1ncwpLGqieMKG","title":"From Prison to Purpose: Transforming Re-entry in San Francisco","description":"Bayron Wilson openly acknowledges he served time in prison. But he rejects the labels society places on people like him, which can become barriers as powerful as prison walls. “I am not an ex-con,” Wilson said. “I am a father, I’m a husband, I’m a boss, I am a Black man. I have so many other things that I am, but I’m not an ex-con.” LEARN MORE: Six Years Later, Black Churches Refuse to Forget Floyd Changing the narrative around formerly incarcerated people is at the heart of Wilson’s work as chief operating officer and co-founder of Urban Alchemy, a San Francisco-based nonprofit. He and Dr. Lena Miller — a therapist, co-founder, and CEO —have grown Urban Alchemy into one of the nation’s largest employers of formerly incarcerated and justice-impacted people while providing services for unhoused residents and communities in crisis. Trauma and Healing The organization employs approximately 1,300 people, with Wilson estimating that nearly all of them have experienced arrest or incarceration, homelessness, addiction, or mental health challenges. All of them, he says, have value. “We can be much more than what the world tries to call us,” Wilson said. The organization’s roots trace back to San Francisco’s Hunters Point neighborhood, one of the city’s historic Black communities. Wilson recalled watching Miller, a trauma specialist, bring together young people from rival groups while teaching about the impact of trauma on behavior. At the time, Wilson said he didn’t get Miller’s approach, in part because he was dealing with his own issues — including a crime that would land him in prison. “When you’re currently in it, you don’t understand all the facts of trauma,” he said. After his release, Wilson turned his life around. He worked in reentry programs helping formerly incarcerated individuals find employment. What he observed troubled him: organizations that said they supported people returning home from prison but only offered dead-end jobs with little opportunity for growth. What has surprised me is there are so many gifted, so many talented Black men and Brown men in prison. They just need an opportunity.Bayron Wilson, co-founder, urban alchemy Urban Alchemy was built to remove those barriers. “There’s not going to be any ceilings,” Wilson says. “This is about opportunities. You can go as high as you want in the organization.” Emotional Intelligence The organization operates through three primary areas: housing communities, connected communities, and safe communities. Housing communities include shelters and temporary housing that emphasize dignity and relationship-building. Connected communities include Oasis centers that offer showers, storage, restrooms and welcoming spaces for unhoused residents. And safe communities provide alternatives to traditional law enforcement responses for people experiencing homelessness, behavioral health crises and other nonviolent situations. The approach, Wilson says, is rooted in trauma-informed care and empowering their clients. Wilson frequently references the idea that trauma can lead to emotional intelligence when people are given opportunities to heal. “Those closer to the problem happen to be those closer to the solution,” he said, pointing to comic book superhero origin stories, like Spider-Man’s radioactive spider bite and the destruction of Superman’s home planet. “Every superhero goes through something,” Wilson says. “When you go through something, you’re either going to use your power for good or use your power for bad.” Common Experiences Many Urban Alchemy staffers share origin stories with the people they serve. That common ground often creates trust that traditional systems struggle to establish. “A lot of Black men nowadays, we’re ‘justice impacted’” through their own arrest or incarceration or a loved one’s, Wilson says. “Our father, our brother, someone in your family might experience that. Whether you want to say it or not, it impacted you in some kind of way.” Rather than focusing solely on past mistakes, Urban Alchemy encourages a focus on purpose. “This isn’t a second-chance organization,” Wilson said. “I’m just living in my purpose.” That philosophy extends to the people in Urban Alchemy facilities who are experiencing homelessness. Staff refer to residents as guests and strive for excellent service. “We want to give them a five-star treatment,” he said. “We believe in first and foremost, you have to know the story.” ‘Believe in Yourself’ The work has reshaped Wilson’s own understanding of people behind bars. “What has surprised me is there are so many gifted, so many talented Black men and Brown men in prison,” he said. “They just need an opportunity.” Wilson, a graduate of Grambling State University, said he encountered extraordinary intelligence while incarcerated. “There were so many brothers back there that I learned had much higher EQ than I could ever imagine,” he said. “So many brothers that are so much more intelligent, read so many more books, understood the Bible so much better than I did.” For parents raising children in neighborhoods where trauma is common, Wilson offers simple but powerful advice. Trust your heart as much as your mind, don’t allow life’s daily frustrations to dictate major decisions, and that something as simple as breathing can interrupt cycles of trauma and poor decision-making. “Believe in yourself,” he said. “Don’t let anyone or anything take you away from your light. You’re so much more to the world.” For Wilson, Urban Alchemy’s mission is not merely about employment, housing or public safety. It is about restoring dignity and helping people transform hardship into purpose. “We understand the vision,” he said. “We’re going to change the world.” The post From Prison to Purpose: Transforming Re-entry in San Francisco appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"A
\n

Bayron Wilson openly acknowledges he served time in prison. But he rejects the labels society places on people like him, which can become barriers as powerful as prison walls.

\n\n\n\n

“I am not an ex-con,” Wilson said. “I am a father, I’m a husband, I’m a boss, I am a Black man. I have so many other things that I am, but I’m not an ex-con.”

\n\n\n\n

LEARN MORE: Six Years Later, Black Churches Refuse to Forget Floyd

\n\n\n\n

Changing the narrative around formerly incarcerated people is at the heart of Wilson’s work as chief operating officer and co-founder of Urban Alchemy, a San Francisco-based nonprofit. He and Dr. Lena Miller — a therapist, co-founder, and CEO —have grown Urban Alchemy into one of the nation’s largest employers of formerly incarcerated and justice-impacted people while providing services for unhoused residents and communities in crisis.

\n\n\n\n

Trauma and Healing

\n\n\n\n

The organization employs approximately 1,300 people, with Wilson estimating that nearly all of them have experienced arrest or incarceration, homelessness, addiction, or mental health challenges. All of them, he says, have value.

\n\n\n\n

“We can be much more than what the world tries to call us,” Wilson said.

\n\n\n\n

The organization’s roots trace back to San Francisco’s Hunters Point neighborhood, one of the city’s historic Black communities. Wilson recalled watching Miller, a trauma specialist, bring together young people from rival groups while teaching about the impact of trauma on behavior.

\n\n\n\n

At the time, Wilson said he didn’t get Miller’s approach, in part because he was dealing with his own issues — including a crime that would land him in prison. “When you’re currently in it, you don’t understand all the facts of trauma,” he said.

\n\n\n\n

After his release, Wilson turned his life around. He worked in reentry programs helping formerly incarcerated individuals find employment. What he observed troubled him: organizations that said they supported people returning home from prison but only offered dead-end jobs with little opportunity for growth.

\n\n\n\n

What has surprised me is there are so many gifted, so many talented Black men and Brown men in prison. They just need an opportunity.

Bayron Wilson, co-founder, urban alchemy
\n\n\n\n

Urban Alchemy was built to remove those barriers.

\n\n\n\n

“There’s not going to be any ceilings,” Wilson says. “This is about opportunities. You can go as high as you want in the organization.”

\n\n\n\n

Emotional Intelligence

\n\n\n\n

The organization operates through three primary areas: housing communities, connected communities, and safe communities.

\n\n\n\n

Housing communities include shelters and temporary housing that emphasize dignity and relationship-building. Connected communities include Oasis centers that offer showers, storage, restrooms and welcoming spaces for unhoused residents. And safe communities provide alternatives to traditional law enforcement responses for people experiencing homelessness, behavioral health crises and other nonviolent situations.

\n\n\n\n

The approach, Wilson says, is rooted in trauma-informed care and empowering their clients. Wilson frequently references the idea that trauma can lead to emotional intelligence when people are given opportunities to heal.

\n\n\n\n

“Those closer to the problem happen to be those closer to the solution,” he said, pointing to comic book superhero origin stories, like Spider-Man’s radioactive spider bite and the destruction of Superman’s home planet. 

\n\n\n\n

“Every superhero goes through something,” Wilson says. “When you go through something, you’re either going to use your power for good or use your power for bad.”

\n\n\n\n

Common Experiences

\n\n\n\n

Many Urban Alchemy staffers share origin stories with the people they serve. That common ground often creates trust that traditional systems struggle to establish.

\n\n\n\n

“A lot of Black men nowadays, we’re ‘justice impacted’” through their own arrest or incarceration or a loved one’s, Wilson says. “Our father, our brother, someone in your family might experience that. Whether you want to say it or not, it impacted you in some kind of way.”

\n\n\n\n

Rather than focusing solely on past mistakes, Urban Alchemy encourages a focus on purpose.

\n\n\n\n

“This isn’t a second-chance organization,” Wilson said. “I’m just living in my purpose.”

\n\n\n\n

That philosophy extends to the people in Urban Alchemy facilities who are experiencing homelessness. Staff refer to residents as guests and strive for excellent service. 

\n\n\n\n

“We want to give them a five-star treatment,” he said. “We believe in first and foremost, you have to know the story.”

\n\n\n\n

‘Believe in Yourself’

\n\n\n\n

The work has reshaped Wilson’s own understanding of people behind bars.

\n\n\n\n

“What has surprised me is there are so many gifted, so many talented Black men and Brown men in prison,” he said. “They just need an opportunity.”

\n\n\n\n

Wilson, a graduate of Grambling State University, said he encountered extraordinary intelligence while incarcerated.

\n\n\n\n

“There were so many brothers back there that I learned had much higher EQ than I could ever imagine,” he said. “So many brothers that are so much more intelligent, read so many more books, understood the Bible so much better than I did.”

\n\n\n\n

For parents raising children in neighborhoods where trauma is common, Wilson offers simple but powerful advice. Trust your heart as much as your mind, don’t allow life’s daily frustrations to dictate major decisions, and that something as simple as breathing can interrupt cycles of trauma and poor decision-making. 

\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

“Believe in yourself,” he said. “Don’t let anyone or anything take you away from your light. You’re so much more to the world.”

\n\n\n\n

For Wilson, Urban Alchemy’s mission is not merely about employment, housing or public safety. It is about restoring dignity and helping people transform hardship into purpose.

\n\n\n\n

“We understand the vision,” he said. “We’re going to change the world.”

\n\n\n\n

\n

The post From Prison to Purpose: Transforming Re-entry in San Francisco appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/06/from-prison-to-purpose-transforming-re-entry-in-san-francisco/","site":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","originalAuthor":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Religion","religion"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-06-09T20:34:19.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IMG_4494.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-06-09T20:41:03.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IMG_4494.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"U1NDUHfgXi6z922B","title":"Most Christians Want To Give Consistently. Few Actually Do","description":"At offering time in many churches, one is likely to hear that God loves a cheerful giver. A new national study of faith-based believers suggests that joy exists when the offering plate comes around, but when it comes to consistent, long-term giving, there is a significant gap between what many believers’ intentions are and what they actually do. Researchers with the faith-based giving platform Givelify found that while 95% of Christian donors surveyed said they aspire to give consistently, only about 30% currently meet that standard. Yet despite economic uncertainty, most Christians remain generous, optimistic, and want to support their church financially. LEARN MORE: Next Lifetime or This One? Eryka Badu Ignites a Tithing Debate The data, released today, are part of Givelify’s latest research on faith-based generosity and giving behavior. Researchers say the study could help churches better understand donor motivations while potentially unlocking billions of dollars in additional support for congregations and community ministries. Financial Challenges “What we’re seeing here is that it’s the consistency that is not matching the aspirations of people,” said Wale Mafolasire, founder and chief executive officer of Givelify. “The intention is there, but when we look at what the data shows, only 30% of the people are actually doing what they intend to do.” It’s also critical information for the Black church, which has historically played expanded roles in addressing food insecurity, housing instability, economic hardship, education, and community development. At the same time, shrinking membership and changing attitudes toward tithing among younger members pose ongoing financial challenges for Black churches. The study surveyed nearly 2,000 Christian donors and almost 900 church leaders, including pastors, associate pastors, and financial administrators. According to researchers, the sample included strong representation from Black churches and Black donors, reflecting Givelify’s extensive presence in African American congregations. What we’re seeing here is that it’s the consistency that is not matching the aspirations of people. The intention is there, but … only 30% of the people are actually doing what they intend to do.Wale Mafolasire, Givelify founder and chief executive officer Despite economic uncertainty, inflation, and other financial pressures, researchers found reasons for optimism. Generosity ‘Alive and Well’ Researchers estimate that even modest improvements in giving consistency could generate up to $30 billion in additional annual giving nationwide, translating to roughly $50,000 more per church each year. Despite inflation and economic uncertainty, 57% of churches reported increased year-over-year giving, and most church leaders expect endorsing to continue growing in 2026. Meanwhile, giving behavior is increasingly becoming digital: 81% of donors now use online or mobile platforms, making generosity more immediate, habitual and integrated into daily life. “Generosity is alive and well,” Mafolasire said. “Pastors are optimistic about it, churchgoers are optimistic about it, looking into the future.” When congregants tithe or set up automatic offerings, churches have greater financial stability and can plan outreach or food ministries with greater confidence. The more consistently a congregation can translate offerings into resources, the greater its capacity to serve its community. Consistency Defined One of the study’s most significant contributions is the specific definition of a “consistent giver.” Rather than focusing on tithing or automatic recurring donations, researchers define consistent giving as contributing at least once per month for at least nine months of a calendar year. “We’re introducing a new definition for consistent giving so that everybody can be on the same page,” Mafolasire said. “We’re defining that as giving one or more times a month, or most months in a year.” The nine-month threshold emerged from donor responses rather than researchers’ assumptions, according to David King, Indiana University’s Lake Institute on Faith and Giving, who helped lead the project. “It wasn’t something that we had preconceived and came in there with,” King said. “The clear definition sort of bubbled up from what the data was saying back to us.” ‘Life Happens’ Researchers said donors wanted room for life’s disruptions without losing their identity as faithful givers. “Life happens,” Mafolasire said. “The identity of someone who has been doing this thing consistently—they do not want to lose that identity because life happened one or more times in a year.” The study also revealed a disconnect between church leaders and donor behavior. While actual consistency rates averaged about 30%, pastors estimated that roughly 54% of their congregations were giving consistently. Researchers attributed some of that gap to pastoral optimism and, in some cases, limited visibility into members’ giving patterns. Automatic or Intentional “Pastors tend to be very, very optimistic individuals,” Mafolasire said. “The nature of the calling asks pastors to be hopeful and optimistic no matter what’s going on.” Another surprise involved recurring electronic giving. Many church leaders associate recurring donations with faithful stewardship and consistent support. Yet researchers found that automatic giving alone does not guarantee consistency. “We saw that pastors equated consistent giving to automatic recurring giving,” Mafolasire said. “The data shows us that even with recurring givers, the rate of consistency is still 30%.” Only about 17% of surveyed donors said they preferred a “set it and forget it” approach through automatic recurring gifts. “The vast majority of the people that the survey tried to understand their perspective on said they want to be intentional about their giving,” Mafolasire said. Giving is Good Researchers identified four distinct donor profiles that they believe can help churches tailor stewardship efforts more effectively. The largest segment, called “steady givers,” represented about 27% of donors. These individuals give consistently and are satisfied with their current level of giving. They also tended to have the highest incomes and educational attainment. Another group, “awakening givers,” made up approximately 21% of respondents. These donors aspire to consistent giving but have not yet established regular habits, often citing financial constraints. Researchers also identified “devoted givers,” who not only give consistently but actively seek additional opportunities to contribute their time, talent and financial resources. RELATED: Meet the Genius Behind Your Church’s Digital Donations “We find that their level of spirituality tends to be at the highest of all four groups,” Mafolasire said. King believes churches should focus less on pressure and more on encouragement. He said research points to the importance of helping people connect generosity with faith formation rather than obligation. “Giving is not only good for the church and the church’s budget,” King said. “It’s good for the giver.” The post Most Christians Want To Give Consistently. Few Actually Do appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"A
\n

At offering time in many churches, one is likely to hear that God loves a cheerful giver.  A new national study of faith-based believers suggests that joy exists when the offering plate comes around, but when it comes to consistent, long-term giving, there is a significant gap between what many believers’ intentions are and what they actually do. 

\n\n\n\n

Researchers with the faith-based giving platform Givelify found that while 95% of Christian donors surveyed said they aspire to give consistently, only about 30% currently meet that standard. Yet despite economic uncertainty, most Christians remain generous, optimistic, and want to support their church financially.

\n\n\n\n

LEARN MORE: Next Lifetime or This One? Eryka Badu Ignites a Tithing Debate

\n\n\n\n

The data, released today, are part of Givelify’s latest research on faith-based generosity and giving behavior. Researchers say the study could help churches better understand donor motivations while potentially unlocking billions of dollars in additional support for congregations and community ministries.

\n\n\n\n

Financial Challenges

\n\n\n\n

“What we’re seeing here is that it’s the consistency that is not matching the aspirations of people,” said Wale Mafolasire, founder and chief executive officer of Givelify. “The intention is there, but when we look at what the data shows, only 30% of the people are actually doing what they intend to do.”

\n\n\n\n

It’s also critical information for the Black church, which has historically played expanded roles in addressing food insecurity, housing instability, economic hardship, education, and community development. At the same time, shrinking membership and changing attitudes toward tithing among younger members pose ongoing financial challenges for Black churches. 

\n\n\n\n

The study surveyed nearly 2,000 Christian donors and almost 900 church leaders, including pastors, associate pastors, and financial administrators. According to researchers, the sample included strong representation from Black churches and Black donors, reflecting Givelify’s extensive presence in African American congregations.

\n\n\n\n

What we’re seeing here is that it’s the consistency that is not matching the aspirations of people. The intention is there, but … only 30% of the people are actually doing what they intend to do.

Wale Mafolasire, Givelify founder and chief executive officer
\n\n\n\n

Despite economic uncertainty, inflation, and other financial pressures, researchers found reasons for optimism.

\n\n\n\n

Generosity ‘Alive and Well’

\n\n\n\n

Researchers estimate that even modest improvements in giving consistency could generate up to $30 billion in additional annual giving nationwide, translating to roughly $50,000 more per church each year. Despite inflation and economic uncertainty, 57% of churches reported increased year-over-year giving, and most church leaders expect endorsing to continue growing in 2026. 

\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, giving behavior is increasingly becoming digital: 81% of donors now use online or mobile platforms, making generosity more immediate, habitual and integrated into daily life.

\n\n\n\n

“Generosity is alive and well,” Mafolasire said. “Pastors are optimistic about it, churchgoers are optimistic about it, looking into the future.”

\n\n\n\n

When congregants tithe or set up automatic offerings, churches have greater financial stability and can plan outreach or food ministries with greater confidence. The more consistently a congregation can translate offerings into resources, the greater its capacity to serve its community.

\n\n\n\n

Consistency Defined

\n\n\n\n

One of the study’s most significant contributions is the specific definition of a “consistent giver.”

\n\n\n\n

Rather than focusing on tithing or automatic recurring donations, researchers define consistent giving as contributing at least once per month for at least nine months of a calendar year.

\n\n\n\n

“We’re introducing a new definition for consistent giving so that everybody can be on the same page,” Mafolasire said. “We’re defining that as giving one or more times a month, or most months in a year.”

\n\n\n\n

The nine-month threshold emerged from donor responses rather than researchers’ assumptions, according to David King, Indiana University’s Lake Institute on Faith and Giving, who helped lead the project.

\n\n\n\n

“It wasn’t something that we had preconceived and came in there with,” King said. “The clear definition sort of bubbled up from what the data was saying back to us.”

\n\n\n\n

‘Life Happens’

\n\n\n\n

Researchers said donors wanted room for life’s disruptions without losing their identity as faithful givers.

\n\n\n\n

“Life happens,” Mafolasire said. “The identity of someone who has been doing this thing consistently—they do not want to lose that identity because life happened one or more times in a year.”

\n\n\n\n

The study also revealed a disconnect between church leaders and donor behavior. While actual consistency rates averaged about 30%, pastors estimated that roughly 54% of their congregations were giving consistently.

\n\n\n\n

Researchers attributed some of that gap to pastoral optimism and, in some cases, limited visibility into members’ giving patterns.

\n\n\n\n

Automatic or Intentional

\n\n\n\n

“Pastors tend to be very, very optimistic individuals,” Mafolasire said. “The nature of the calling asks pastors to be hopeful and optimistic no matter what’s going on.”

\n\n\n\n

Another surprise involved recurring electronic giving. Many church leaders associate recurring donations with faithful stewardship and consistent support. Yet researchers found that automatic giving alone does not guarantee consistency.

\n\n\n\n

“We saw that pastors equated consistent giving to automatic recurring giving,” Mafolasire said. “The data shows us that even with recurring givers, the rate of consistency is still 30%.”

\n\n\n\n

Only about 17% of surveyed donors said they preferred a “set it and forget it” approach through automatic recurring gifts.

\n\n\n\n

“The vast majority of the people that the survey tried to understand their perspective on said they want to be intentional about their giving,” Mafolasire said.

\n\n\n\n

Giving is Good

\n\n\n\n

Researchers identified four distinct donor profiles that they believe can help churches tailor stewardship efforts more effectively.

\n\n\n\n

The largest segment, called “steady givers,” represented about 27% of donors. These individuals give consistently and are satisfied with their current level of giving. They also tended to have the highest incomes and educational attainment.

\n\n\n\n

Another group, “awakening givers,” made up approximately 21% of respondents. These donors aspire to consistent giving but have not yet established regular habits, often citing financial constraints.

\n\n\n\n

Researchers also identified “devoted givers,” who not only give consistently but actively seek additional opportunities to contribute their time, talent and financial resources.

\n\n\n\n

RELATED: Meet the Genius Behind Your Church’s Digital Donations

\n\n\n\n

“We find that their level of spirituality tends to be at the highest of all four groups,” Mafolasire said.

\n\n\n\n

King believes churches should focus less on pressure and more on encouragement. He said research points to the importance of helping people connect generosity with faith formation rather than obligation.

\n\n\n\n

“Giving is not only good for the church and the church’s budget,” King said. “It’s good for the giver.”

\n\n\n\n

\n

The post Most Christians Want To Give Consistently. Few Actually Do appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/06/most-christians-want-to-tithe-consistently-few-actually-do/","site":"Joseph Williams and Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","originalAuthor":"Joseph Williams and Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Religion","religion"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-06-08T20:12:59.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GettyImages-1440014643.jpg?fit=724%2C483&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-06-08T20:13:29.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GettyImages-1440014643.jpg?fit=724%2C483&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"aGn32vHg4ETNWfU8","title":"Black Men: “Manning Up” Isn’t a Mental Health Flex","description":"Black men are dying from a mental health crisis that too often goes unseen. As deaths from suicide, overdoses and alcohol abuse rise among Black Americans, experts warn that cultural expectations around masculinity, mistrust of mental health systems and a shortage of Black providers are preventing many men from getting help before it is too late. In the waning days of the pandemic, the U.S. saw the number of deaths from suicide, alcohol use, and drug overdoses — called “deaths of despair” — among Black Americans surpass occurrences among whites for the first time. Between 2013 and 2022 the rates of these deaths tripled among Black Americans. The Painful Numbers Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show twice as many people died by suicide in 2023 than from homicide. In fact, it was the second leading cause of death among people aged 10 to 34 and the fourth leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 35 and 44. That same year, the suicide rate among males was nearly 4 times higher than among females—with Black men also being four times as likely to die from suicide as Black women. Among younger Black men, the trajectory is especially troubling. University of Georgia researchers last year found that childhood exposure to trauma, poverty, and racism leads many young Black men to believe they don’t have value and are unable to trust community support systems. Between 2007 and 2020, the suicide rate among Black youth ages 10 to 17 nearly tripled, rising faster than any other racial or ethnic group. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death for people between ages 20 and 24. For Black men in the same age group, however, the suicide rate surpassed that of their white peers in 2024—a dreadful historical first. Playing Tough Can Be Fatal Traditional definitions of masculinity — stoicism, staunchly self-reliant and emotionally controlled — are found to increase the likelihood that men of all age ranges will avoid professional help. Researchers find those men fear being judged as weak, a perception that significantly raises stress and contributes to untreated depression and anxiety. In 2023, just 17 percent of American men saw a mental health professional, roughly half the rate of women. Among men who said they were depressed, only one in four received any counseling or therapy in the past year. Black adults, however, were 36 percent less likely to have received mental health treatment in the previous year, even though they had similar or higher rates of anxiety and depression as whites. In a newly released report, the JED Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the emotional health and preventing suicide for teens and young adults found that boys are socialized from an early age to internalize their emotions rather than express them. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death for people between ages 20 and 24. For Black men in the same age group, however, the suicide rate surpassed that of their white peers in 2024—a dreadful historical first. The report, titled The Emotional Lives of Boys and Young Men, found that when that distress surfaces, it often looks very different from the depression and inactivity seen in girls and young women. Instead, according to the report, boys and young men are more likely to disguise their distress by withdrawing, displaying anger or aggression, or engaging in daredevil behavior— reckless driving, substance abuse, compulsive gambling, or risky sexual encounters. At the same time, online environments, like video games and social media can be a double-edged sword, according to the report.. “Digital environments can amplify both harmful and supportive pathways, with opportunities for humor, distraction, and connection,” the report says, but also provides “exposure to harmful content, cyberbullying, and gambling and sports betting.” Black Provider Shortage While research indicates that having a caregiver of the same gender and race is beneficial, Black practitioners are still an extreme minority in all segments of the mental health profession. Only 4% of psychologists are Black and just 2% of psychiatrists, who are medical doctors, and a scant 11% of licensed professional counselors are Black. But research has shown that peer-based support groups can be effective in communities plagued by lack of access to mental health professionals, as well as mistrust of clinical environments. Organizations such as JED have launched partnerships with fraternal organizations to reverse these trends. Last month, JED announce it is working with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. as part of The JED Greek-Letter Organizations (GLO) programs. “The Jed Foundation recognizes that fraternities and sororities are powerful communities for connection, leadership, and identity development,” Dr. ShirDonna Lawrence, senior manager of JED GLO, said in a statement. “This makes them essential partners in advancing student mental health and well-being on and off campus.” It’s also a mutually beneficial relationship, which “strengthens Alpha’s enduring mission and advances JED’s work in culturally responsive, community-centered mental health promotion,” Lawrence said. RELATED: As White ‘Deaths of Despair’ Made News, Black Ones Skyrocketed The post Black Men: “Manning Up” Isn’t a Mental Health Flex appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"Young
\n

Black men are dying from a mental health crisis that too often goes unseen. 

\n\n\n\n

As deaths from suicide, overdoses and alcohol abuse rise among Black Americans, experts warn that cultural expectations around masculinity, mistrust of mental health systems and a shortage of Black providers are preventing many men from getting help before it is too late.

\n\n\n\n

In the waning days of the pandemic, the U.S. saw the number of deaths from suicide, alcohol use, and drug overdoses — called “deaths of despair” — among Black Americans surpass occurrences among whites for the first time. Between 2013 and 2022 the rates of these deaths tripled among Black Americans.

\n\n\n\n

The Painful Numbers

\n\n\n\n

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show twice as many people died by suicide in 2023 than from homicide. In fact, it was the second leading cause of death among people aged 10 to 34 and the fourth leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 35 and 44.

\n\n\n\n

That same year, the suicide rate among males was nearly 4 times higher than among females—with Black men also being four times as likely to die from suicide as Black women.

\n\n\n\n

Among younger Black men, the trajectory is especially troubling. 

\n\n\n\n

University of Georgia researchers last year found that childhood exposure to trauma, poverty, and racism leads many young Black men to believe they don’t have value  and are unable to trust community support systems.  Between 2007 and 2020, the suicide rate among Black youth ages 10 to 17 nearly tripled, rising faster than any other racial or ethnic group.

\n\n\n\n

Suicide is now the second leading cause of death for people between ages 20 and 24. For Black men in the same age group, however, the suicide rate surpassed that of their white peers in 2024—a dreadful historical first.

\n\n\n\n

Playing Tough Can Be Fatal

\n\n\n\n

Traditional definitions of masculinity — stoicism, staunchly self-reliant and emotionally controlled — are found to increase the likelihood that men of all age ranges will avoid professional help. Researchers find those men fear being judged as weak, a perception that significantly raises stress and contributes to untreated depression and anxiety. 

\n\n\n\n

In 2023, just 17 percent of American men saw a mental health professional, roughly half the rate of women. Among men who said they were depressed, only one in four received any counseling or therapy in the past year. Black adults, however, were 36 percent less likely to have received mental health treatment in the previous year, even though they had similar or higher rates of anxiety and depression as whites.

\n\n\n\n

In a newly released report, the JED Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the emotional health and preventing suicide for teens and young adults found that boys are socialized from an early age to internalize their emotions rather than express them. 

\n\n\n\n

Suicide is now the second leading cause of death for people between ages 20 and 24. For Black men in the same age group, however, the suicide rate surpassed that of their white peers in 2024—a dreadful historical first.

\n\n\n\n

The report, titled The Emotional Lives of Boys and Young Men, found that when  that distress surfaces, it often looks very different from the depression and inactivity seen in girls and young women. 

\n\n\n\n

Instead, according to the report, boys and young men are more likely to disguise their distress by withdrawing, displaying anger or aggression, or engaging in daredevil behavior— reckless driving, substance abuse, compulsive gambling, or risky sexual encounters. 

\n\n\n\n

At the same time, online environments, like video games and social media can be a double-edged sword, according to the report.. 

\n\n\n\n

“Digital environments can amplify both harmful and supportive pathways, with opportunities for humor, distraction, and connection,” the report says, but also provides “exposure to harmful content, cyberbullying, and gambling and sports betting.” 

\n\n\n\n

Black Provider Shortage

\n\n\n\n

While research indicates that having a caregiver of the same gender and race is beneficial, Black practitioners are still an extreme minority in all segments of the mental health profession.  Only 4% of psychologists are Black and just 2% of psychiatrists, who are medical doctors, and a scant 11% of licensed professional counselors are Black. 

\n\n\n\n

But research has shown that peer-based support groups can be effective in communities plagued by lack of access to mental health professionals, as well as mistrust of clinical environments.  

\n\n\n\n

Organizations such as JED have launched partnerships with fraternal organizations to reverse these trends. Last month, JED announce it is working with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. as part of  The JED Greek-Letter Organizations (GLO) programs. 

\n\n\n\n

“The Jed Foundation recognizes that fraternities and sororities are powerful communities for connection, leadership, and identity development,” Dr. ShirDonna Lawrence, senior manager of JED GLO, said in a statement. “This makes them essential partners in advancing student mental health and well-being on and off campus.” 

\n\n\n\n

It’s also a mutually beneficial relationship, which “strengthens Alpha’s enduring mission and advances JED’s work in culturally responsive, community-centered mental health promotion,” Lawrence said.

\n\n\n\n

RELATED: As White ‘Deaths of Despair’ Made News, Black Ones Skyrocketed 

\n\n\n\n

\n

The post Black Men: “Manning Up” Isn’t a Mental Health Flex appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/06/black-men-manning-up-isnt-a-mental-health-flex/","site":"Jennifer Porter Gore","originalAuthor":"Jennifer Porter Gore","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Health","Uncategorized","health","mental health"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-06-05T11:16:00.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GettyImages-mensMH.jpg?fit=724%2C482&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-06-05T11:18:06.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GettyImages-mensMH.jpg?fit=724%2C482&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"PU3isBD9cVUUAcZI","title":"Why are Red Foods Popular During Juneteenth Celebrations?","description":"Chef Krystal Carter has had a passion for culinary arts since the age of 4. She knew her way around a kitchen and the story behind Juneteenth. What she did not know was the historical context behind the celebration of red foods. And it wasn’t until she entered Juneteenth Houston’s first red food cook-off competition that she learned of this. “Before last year, I didn’t have a concept of the importance of red foods as it pertained to Juneteenth or to our people,” said Carter, a Houston home cook who competes under the name Chef Krissy D. “And then I went into research.” The hibiscus flower, which she had long used in floral arrangements, was brought to the Americas by enslaved Africans, valued for its medicinal properties and deep red hue. The drink in the pitcher at every cookout she had ever attended was a living artifact of a culture that crossed an ocean and refused to disappear. “I have a shirt that I wear that says, ‘ My freedom wasn’t free.’ And I think about the blood that was shared by our ancestors to get us to be able to dance in the streets,” Carter said. “To be able to have that cookout, to have that community, to be able to just celebrate where we have come in the amount of time that we’ve made it.” Carter is not alone in that discovery. Most people sitting at a Juneteenth table have never been told the full story of what they are eating, or why. A tradition rooted in West Africa Red Velvet cake is a signature dish eaten during Juneteenth celebrations. Credit: Juneteenth Houston According to culinary historian Michael Twitty, the red foods tradition at Juneteenth traces directly to the Yoruba and Kongo peoples of West Africa, brought to Texas during the final decades of the Atlantic slave trade. Red represented spiritual power, sacrifice, and transformation. West African hosts welcomed guests with red-hued bissap, a drink made from hibiscus flowers. Those offerings crossed the Atlantic alongside enslaved people to nourish their bodies, and quietly became the centerpiece of the oldest Black holiday in America. Debra Blacklock-Sloan, a sixth-generation Texan with more than 30 years of experience as a genealogist and historical researcher, has spent her career documenting exactly this kind of unbroken line. She is also precise about the history surrounding June 19, 1865, the day Union Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. “Texas was part of the Confederacy,” Blacklock-Sloan said. “When (Abraham) Lincoln issued the proclamation, it did not apply to Confederate states. Quit saying we got the news late. We have to tell people the truth about Juneteenth.” And I think about the blood that was shared by our ancestors to get us to be able to dance in the streets,” Carter said. “To be able to have that cookout, to have that community, to be able to just celebrate where we have come in the amount of time that we’ve made it.” Chef Krystal Carter, Culinary Arts Professional That insistence on accuracy extends to the food. She grew up celebrating June 19 as her mother’s birthday, eating barbecue and drinking red soda water, with no understanding of what the color meant or where it came from. “We are eating this food, not knowing what the symbolism is,” she said. “We tell them with our friends, with our families, with our kids. Like the griots of West Africa, we have to keep passing it down.” Keeping tradition alive After emancipation, the Harris County Festival Association raised $800 to purchase 10 acres in the city’s Fourth Ward, land that became Emancipation Park, the first public park bought by formerly enslaved people specifically for Juneteenth celebrations. That history is part of why John Nicklos, Chair of Juneteenth Houston, believes the work being done here matters in a way it cannot be replicated elsewhere. This year, Juneteenth Houston will launch the second Red Foods Cookout Cook-Off, a backyard-style competition inviting local chefs to create dishes rooted in the red foods tradition. It will begin on June 6, 1-3 PM at Emancipation Park. Carter won the inaugural title with June’s Jubilee: a champagne cake layered with raspberry coulis and a buttercream made with dehydrated strawberries, honoring both the celebration and the history she discovered in making it. John Nicklos, Chair of Juneteenth Houston (right) and winner of Juneteenth Houston’s Red Foods Cook off 2025, and Chef Krystal Carter (left), prepare for upcoming Juneteenth festivities. Credit: Jimmie Aggison/Defender Nicklos said the cook-off was designed to make history accessible. “The relationship between Black people on this soil and food on this soil is inextricable,” he said. “So much of it is rooted in the histories of Black people as we have cared for this land. Black culture is American culture. Please come sit at the table we built. And while you’re here, let me tell you a story.” Each contestant in the inaugural cook-off was required to do more than cook. They were required to submit, in writing, the inspiration behind their dish, what makes it uniquely Juneteenth, and how it connects to Black history. In that requirement, Nicklos said, is the whole point. “Being able to tell stories through food is quintessential to the Black experience,” he said. “So much of our storytelling includes food.” For event information, visit juneteenthhouston.org ____________________________________________________________________________ Traditional Red Foods and Drinks Red Drinks: The most iconic, often including hibiscus tea (historically called “bissap”), red fruit punch, strawberry soda, and Texas-made Big Red soda. Watermelon: A staple that is in peak season, representing both sustenance and the freedom formerly enslaved people achieved. Red Velvet Cake: A popular dessert served to honor the occasion. Barbecue and Meats: Smoked meats, such as brisket and pork ribs, covered in tomato-based red sauces, as well as red-dyed hot links. Other Fruits/Veg: Strawberries, red berries, and beets. Dishes using Red Palm Oil: West African dishes like jollof rice. The post Why are Red Foods Popular During Juneteenth Celebrations? appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
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Chef Krystal Carter has had a passion for culinary arts since the age of 4.

\n

She knew her way around a kitchen and the story behind Juneteenth. What she did not know was the historical context behind the celebration of red foods. And it wasn’t until she entered Juneteenth Houston’s first red food cook-off competition that she learned of this.

\n

“Before last year, I didn’t have a concept of the importance of red foods as it pertained to Juneteenth or to our people,” said Carter, a Houston home cook who competes under the name Chef Krissy D. “And then I went into research.”

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The hibiscus flower, which she had long used in floral arrangements, was brought to the Americas by enslaved Africans, valued for its medicinal properties and deep red hue. The drink in the pitcher at every cookout she had ever attended was a living artifact of a culture that crossed an ocean and refused to disappear.

\n

“I have a shirt that I wear that says, ‘ My freedom wasn’t free.’ And I think about the blood that was shared by our ancestors to get us to be able to dance in the streets,” Carter said. “To be able to have that cookout, to have that community, to be able to just celebrate where we have come in the amount of time that we’ve made it.”

\n

Carter is not alone in that discovery. Most people sitting at a Juneteenth table have never been told the full story of what they are eating, or why.

\n

A tradition rooted in West Africa

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Red Velvet cake is a signature dish eaten during Juneteenth celebrations. Credit: Juneteenth Houston
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According to culinary historian Michael Twitty, the red foods tradition at Juneteenth traces directly to the Yoruba and Kongo peoples of West Africa, brought to Texas during the final decades of the Atlantic slave trade. 

\n

Red represented spiritual power, sacrifice, and transformation. West African hosts welcomed guests with red-hued bissap, a drink made from hibiscus flowers. Those offerings crossed the Atlantic alongside enslaved people to nourish their bodies, and quietly became the centerpiece of the oldest Black holiday in America.

\n

Debra Blacklock-Sloan, a sixth-generation Texan with more than 30 years of experience as a genealogist and historical researcher, has spent her career documenting exactly this kind of unbroken line. She is also precise about the history surrounding June 19, 1865, the day Union Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation.

\n

“Texas was part of the Confederacy,” Blacklock-Sloan said. “When (Abraham) Lincoln issued the proclamation, it did not apply to Confederate states. Quit saying we got the news late. We have to tell people the truth about Juneteenth.”

\n
\n
\n

And I think about the blood that was shared by our ancestors to get us to be able to dance in the streets,” Carter said. “To be able to have that cookout, to have that community, to be able to just celebrate where we have come in the amount of time that we’ve made it.”

\n

Chef Krystal Carter, Culinary Arts Professional

\n
\n

That insistence on accuracy extends to the food. She grew up celebrating June 19 as her mother’s birthday, eating barbecue and drinking red soda water, with no understanding of what the color meant or where it came from.

\n

“We are eating this food, not knowing what the symbolism is,” she said. “We tell them with our friends, with our families, with our kids. Like the griots of West Africa, we have to keep passing it down.”

\n

Keeping tradition alive

\n

After emancipation, the Harris County Festival Association raised $800 to purchase 10 acres in the city’s Fourth Ward, land that became Emancipation Park, the first public park bought by formerly enslaved people specifically for Juneteenth celebrations. That history is part of why John Nicklos, Chair of Juneteenth Houston, believes the work being done here matters in a way it cannot be replicated elsewhere.

\n

This year, Juneteenth Houston will launch the second Red Foods Cookout Cook-Off, a backyard-style competition inviting local chefs to create dishes rooted in the red foods tradition. It will begin on June 6, 1-3 PM at Emancipation Park. 

\n

Carter won the inaugural title with June’s Jubilee: a champagne cake layered with raspberry coulis and a buttercream made with dehydrated strawberries, honoring both the celebration and the history she discovered in making it.

\n
\"\"
John Nicklos, Chair of Juneteenth Houston (right) and winner of Juneteenth Houston’s Red Foods Cook off 2025, and Chef Krystal Carter (left), prepare for upcoming Juneteenth festivities. Credit: Jimmie Aggison/Defender
\n

Nicklos said the cook-off was designed to make history accessible.

\n

“The relationship between Black people on this soil and food on this soil is inextricable,” he said. “So much of it is rooted in the histories of Black people as we have cared for this land. Black culture is American culture. Please come sit at the table we built. And while you’re here, let me tell you a story.”

\n

Each contestant in the inaugural cook-off was required to do more than cook. They were required to submit, in writing, the inspiration behind their dish, what makes it uniquely Juneteenth, and how it connects to Black history. In that requirement, Nicklos said, is the whole point.

\n

“Being able to tell stories through food is quintessential to the Black experience,” he said. “So much of our storytelling includes food.”

\n

For event information, visit juneteenthhouston.org

\n

____________________________________________________________________________

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Traditional Red Foods and Drinks

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The post Why are Red Foods Popular During Juneteenth Celebrations? appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/06/why-are-red-foods-popular-during-juneteenth-celebrations/","site":"Laura Onyeneho","originalAuthor":"Laura Onyeneho","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Culture","Uncategorized","culture"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-06-04T05:00:00.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ChatGPT-Image-May-15-2026-02_10_55-PM.png?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1","type":"image/png"},"createdAt":"2026-06-10T18:42:48.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ChatGPT-Image-May-15-2026-02_10_55-PM.png?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"nDmKrGYh959gQS1r","title":"Survey: One in Three Americans Trust AI as Much as a Pastor","description":"When Black Americans wrestle with hard questions or crises — grief, addiction, loneliness, illness, broken marriages, racial violence, or simple uncertainty about what comes next — they often look to a pastor for the answers. Now, research indicates a growing number of Americans are more willing to consult an AI chatbot instead. According to a new survey from Gloo, a faith-tech company, and the Barna Group, a Christian research firm, nearly one-third of American adults say spiritual advice from artificial intelligence is as trustworthy as guidance from a pastor. That figure rises to roughly 40% among Millennials and Gen Z adults, suggesting that younger Americans increasingly see AI as a source of spiritual counsel — not just a tool for writing emails and conducting research. Challenge for the Black Church Daniel Copeland, vice president of research at Barna Group, said the survey indicates a tension within the church as artificial intelligence sweeps into nearly every facet of daily life. Though most practicing Christians are wary of AI as a spiritual tool, “their views are shifting and remain largely uninformed by their pastor.” And, he says, there’s evidence that many pastors are struggling to keep pace. While four in 10 practicing Christians report using AI for prayer, Bible study, or spiritual growth, only a small share of pastors say they feel comfortable teaching about the technology, according to the study. That gap between congregational use and pastoral understanding may become one of the defining challenges of ministry in the next decade. God uses prayer and doctors’ hands to heal us. God uses journaling, therapists, and medications to heal us. So it follows that if humans use AI for good, it will deliver good.”Erricka Bridgeford, executive director, Baltimore Community Mediation Center Experts say the shift presents a unique challenge for Black Christians. Historically, the Black church has been more than a place of worship. It has served as a political headquarters, counseling center, social service agency, and foundation for civil rights organizing and community gathering. At the same time, Black churches have often been early adopters of digital ministry, from livestreamed worship services to online Bible studies and virtual prayer circles. Researchers studying Black churches say congregations have increasingly embraced technology to maintain community and spiritual connection, particularly since the pandemic. But unlike livestreaming or social media, artificial intelligence replicates parts of the ministry. That raises concerns for many Black Christians, whose faith traditions emphasize testimony, personal relationships, discernment, and community accountability. Deep Divisions Researchers have also found that AI systems often struggle with religion itself, frequently omitting faith perspectives in situations where believers expect them and exhibiting measurable bias when discussing religious traditions. Yet nearly half of practicing Christians say they would trust AI to help with spiritual growth, even as large majorities of the faithful also worry about AI misinterpreting scripture, replacing pastors, or even undermining faith itself. Put simply, Christians increasingly use the technology while simultaneously fearing its consequences. Earlier research from Gloo found church leaders remain deeply divided about AI’s role in ministry. More than half expressed serious ethical concerns about artificial intelligence, and nearly half said they were uncomfortable with its use in church settings. “The data reveals that church leaders are quite split in their opinions on the role of AI in the Church and how they are reading the terrain,” said Savannah Kimberlin, associate vice president at Barna Group. The debate became especially vivid in responses to a Facebook post about the research. Quick Answers, Complex Problems “I think it depends on what you are looking for,” said Rev. Ronald Covington, executive pastor of The Hill in Jessup, Maryland. “If you just want information, sometimes AI may be more informed than some pastors.” But Covington draws a clear line between information and wisdom. “If you are looking for personal guidance, nothing can take the place of a godly man or woman who hears from God and knows you as a person.” Minister-in-training Meisha Dawson sees something deeper at work. “We’re looking for quick answers to solve complex problems,” Dawson wrote. “AI is a great tool when used ethically, but you can never replace the value in human interaction, especially in regard to crucial advice.” ‘Use AI for Good’ For Dawson, the concern is theological as much as technological. “The Holy Spirit is supposed to guide us into all truth,” she wrote. “AI is still a machine that can be trained to give advice, but it’s not a vehicle used by the Holy Spirit.” Others see less contradiction between faith and technology. Erricka Bridgeford, executive director of the Baltimore Community Mediation Center, argues that God has long worked through human-created tools. “God uses prayer and doctors’ hands to heal us,” Bridgeford wrote. “God uses journaling, therapists, and medications to heal us. So it follows that if humans use AI for good, it will deliver good.” Still, Rev. Thomas Rich remains skeptical of AI as a substitute for spiritual counsel. “Words typed into a computer communicate what you want AI to spit out to you,” Rich said. Human pastors, he argues, listen for far more than words. They read body language, tone, emotion and silence. High Stakes Those concerns mirror what researchers increasingly find. While AI can generate impressive answers, studies suggest it often misses religious nuance and struggles to understand how faith communities approach moral questions, grief and spiritual formation. For Black Christians, the stakes may be especially high. The Black church has survived slavery, segregation, Jim Crow, and political backlash by creating relationships and a shared community. A chatbot may answer a question about scripture in seconds, but it can’t visit a hospital bedside, organize a voter-registration drive, comfort a grieving family or stand beside a congregant during life’s darkest moments. That reality may ultimately determine how far AI can go in the sanctuary. The post Survey: One in Three Americans Trust AI as Much as a Pastor appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"For
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When Black Americans wrestle with hard questions or crises — grief, addiction, loneliness, illness, broken marriages, racial violence, or simple uncertainty about what comes next — they often look to a pastor for the answers.

\n\n\n\n

Now, research indicates a growing number of Americans are more willing to consult an AI chatbot instead.

\n\n\n\n

According to a new survey from Gloo, a faith-tech company, and the Barna Group, a Christian research firm, nearly one-third of American adults say spiritual advice from artificial intelligence is as trustworthy as guidance from a pastor. That figure rises to roughly 40% among Millennials and Gen Z adults, suggesting that younger Americans increasingly see AI as a source of spiritual counsel — not just a tool for writing emails and conducting research.

\n\n\n\n

Challenge for the Black Church

\n\n\n\n

Daniel Copeland, vice president of research at Barna Group, said the survey indicates a tension within the church as artificial intelligence sweeps into nearly every facet of daily life. Though most practicing Christians are wary of AI as a spiritual tool, “their views are shifting and remain largely uninformed by their pastor.” And, he says, there’s evidence that many pastors are struggling to keep pace.

\n\n\n\n

While four in 10 practicing Christians report using AI for prayer, Bible study, or spiritual growth, only a small share of pastors say they feel comfortable teaching about the technology, according to the study. That gap between congregational use and pastoral understanding may become one of the defining challenges of ministry in the next decade.

\n\n\n\n

God uses prayer and doctors’ hands to heal us. God uses journaling, therapists, and medications to heal us. So it follows that if humans use AI for good, it will deliver good.”

Erricka Bridgeford, executive director, Baltimore Community Mediation Center
\n\n\n\n

Experts say the shift presents a unique challenge for Black Christians. 

\n\n\n\n

Historically, the Black church has been more than a place of worship. It has served as a political headquarters, counseling center, social service agency, and foundation for civil rights organizing and community gathering. At the same time, Black churches have often been early adopters of digital ministry, from livestreamed worship services to online Bible studies and virtual prayer circles. Researchers studying Black churches say congregations have increasingly embraced technology to maintain community and spiritual connection, particularly since the pandemic.

\n\n\n\n

But unlike livestreaming or social media, artificial intelligence replicates parts of the ministry. That raises concerns for many Black Christians, whose faith traditions emphasize testimony, personal relationships, discernment, and community accountability. 

\n\n\n\n

Deep Divisions

\n\n\n\n

Researchers have also found that AI systems often struggle with religion itself, frequently omitting faith perspectives in situations where believers expect them and exhibiting measurable bias when discussing religious traditions. Yet nearly half of practicing Christians say they would trust AI to help with spiritual growth, even as large majorities of the faithful also worry about AI misinterpreting scripture, replacing pastors, or even undermining faith itself. 

\n\n\n\n

Put simply, Christians increasingly use the technology while simultaneously fearing its consequences.

\n\n\n\n

Earlier research from Gloo found church leaders remain deeply divided about AI’s role in ministry. More than half expressed serious ethical concerns about artificial intelligence, and nearly half said they were uncomfortable with its use in church settings.

\n\n\n\n

“The data reveals that church leaders are quite split in their opinions on the role of AI in the Church and how they are reading the terrain,” said Savannah Kimberlin, associate vice president at Barna Group.

\n\n\n\n

The debate became especially vivid in responses to a Facebook post about the research.

\n\n\n\n

Quick Answers, Complex Problems

\n\n\n\n

“I think it depends on what you are looking for,” said Rev. Ronald Covington, executive pastor of The Hill in Jessup, Maryland. “If you just want information, sometimes AI may be more informed than some pastors.”

\n\n\n\n

But Covington draws a clear line between information and wisdom.

\n\n\n\n

“If you are looking for personal guidance, nothing can take the place of a godly man or woman who hears from God and knows you as a person.”

\n\n\n\n

Minister-in-training Meisha Dawson sees something deeper at work.

\n\n\n\n

“We’re looking for quick answers to solve complex problems,” Dawson wrote. “AI is a great tool when used ethically, but you can never replace the value in human interaction, especially in regard to crucial advice.”

\n\n\n\n

‘Use AI for Good’

\n\n\n\n

For Dawson, the concern is theological as much as technological.

\n\n\n\n

“The Holy Spirit is supposed to guide us into all truth,” she wrote. “AI is still a machine that can be trained to give advice, but it’s not a vehicle used by the Holy Spirit.”

\n\n\n\n

Others see less contradiction between faith and technology.

\n\n\n\n

Erricka Bridgeford, executive director of the Baltimore Community Mediation Center, argues that God has long worked through human-created tools.

\n\n\n\n

“God uses prayer and doctors’ hands to heal us,” Bridgeford wrote. “God uses journaling, therapists, and medications to heal us. So it follows that if humans use AI for good, it will deliver good.”

\n\n\n\n

Still, Rev. Thomas Rich remains skeptical of AI as a substitute for spiritual counsel.

\n\n\n\n

“Words typed into a computer communicate what you want AI to spit out to you,” Rich said. Human pastors, he argues, listen for far more than words. They read body language, tone, emotion and silence.

\n\n\n\n

High Stakes

\n\n\n\n

Those concerns mirror what researchers increasingly find. While AI can generate impressive answers, studies suggest it often misses religious nuance and struggles to understand how faith communities approach moral questions, grief and spiritual formation.

\n\n\n\n

For Black Christians, the stakes may be especially high.

\n\n\n\n

The Black church has survived slavery, segregation, Jim Crow, and political backlash by creating relationships and a shared community. A chatbot may answer a question about scripture in seconds, but it can’t visit a hospital bedside, organize a voter-registration drive, comfort a grieving family or stand beside a congregant during life’s darkest moments.

\n\n\n\n

That reality may ultimately determine how far AI can go in the sanctuary.

\n

The post Survey: One in Three Americans Trust AI as Much as a Pastor appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/06/survey-one-in-three-americans-trust-ai-as-much-as-a-pastor/","site":"Joseph Williams","originalAuthor":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Religion","religion"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-06-03T20:36:52.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GettyImages-2249242789.jpg?fit=836%2C418&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-06-03T20:41:22.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GettyImages-2249242789.jpg?fit=836%2C418&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"JHHankOrk5JCOy0i","title":"The Water’s Fine: Black Seniors Challenge Swimming Fears","description":"Raised by her grandparents from the time she was eight months old, Velmar Byrd grew up on a farm in North Carolina under the shadow of Jim Crow. She and her family grew their own vegetables, raised chickens and pigs, and lived largely off the land. It was a full life — but swimming wasn’t part of it. RELATED: Inez Augins-Watson proves there’s no age limit to staying active “Nobody in my family talked about swimming,” Byrd recalls, even though there were ponds, creeks, and beaches nearby. “I wasn’t going to jump into any of those creeks. No, no, no.” Inez Watson is a child of Jim Crow, too, and grew up in segregated Baltimore. But she began swimming as a youngster at Druid Hill Park, one of the few city pools open to Black people. She swam every day during the summertime and, as a teenager, took diving lessons and taught people to swim. Her community, however, wasn’t so interested. Persistent Problem “The fear may be instilled in young children,” Watson says. “People hear reports of a child drowning or an adult drowning, and then it becomes, ‘You’re not going near the water.’ And that fear gets passed down.” Now, Byrd and Watson, both senior citizens, are swimming ambassadors of a sort. They are not only swimming every day for their own health but also extolling the virtues of swimming to other Black people. They have spent their lives proving that fear doesn’t have to be inherited. Last month, two U.S. Soldiers who went missing during a training exercise conducted in Morocco were later found to have drowned. That both of the soldiers were Black—and one of them was known to be a non-swimmer—fits a painful but predictable pattern. Almost 40 million U.S. adults report being unable to swim. And roughly 1 in 3 Black adults say they can’t swim–compared to 15% of the overall adult population who are non-swimmers. Most Black adults have never taken a swimming lesson. The causes are layered: a legacy of segregated pools and beaches during the Jim Crow era, generational gaps in swimming culture, and a fear of water — a view that has been quietly handed down through families for decades. No Fear Here Both Watson and Byrd are living proof that fear can be conquered. Watson, 89, who calls her athleticism “a gift from God,” and she continues to spread the good news about remaining active. She regularly teaches fitness classes with her daughter and is engaged in her community – when she’s not enjoying the company of her four children, 13 grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. I had to unlearn some of those fears in order for me to move forward.velmar byrd Byrd swims and does water aerobics at least twice a week, and “I come out feeling good,” she says simply. But she had a more challenging journey to the water: she learned to swim at age 69 after moving to Connecticut as a young woman. When Byrd first moved from North Carolina to Connecticut as a young woman, a friend offered to teach her to swim at a nearby park pool. Byrd bought a bathing suit. She showed up. But her friend, it turned out, didn’t quite know how to teach swimming — she just loved the water. “I think at that age, we were just showing our bodies off,” Byrd says, laughing. “I wanted to learn.” Never Too Late Decades would pass, and she was approaching 70 years old before she took her first real lesson. Taking the plunge was about more than just fitness. Learning to swim was about overcoming a fear passed down through generations. “I had to unlearn some of those fears in order for me to move forward,” she says. After graduating from college, Byrd joined the Peace Corps and served two years in Ethiopia. Decades later, Byrd is now a semi-retired educator who spent 56 years teaching in public schools. After retiring a few years ago, she “re-fired”–her word for coming out of retirement – and returned to the classroom. She’s now a substitute teacher for a middle school and a high school. Later, around age 69, she signed up for a group swim class at a local YMCA. One of the group members was so terrified of the water that the group dynamic suffered. Byrd eventually learned about a special care hospital that offered swimming lessons. That’s where she met the instructor who would change everything. She started lessons at 70. Her instructor, she says, would not let her give up. ‘Fear is Blockage’ “Everything I’ve done has been about quality of life. I saw that it was fun and when I got older, I realized it [swimming] can save your life,” says Watson. That’s what she wants people to see. “Any kind of fear is a blockage,” Byrd says. “That comes with swimming, too.” LEARN MORE: As Drownings Rise, Groups Teach Black People to Swim, Not Sink She believes the most powerful intervention begins with parents — encouraging them to start their children in the water as infants, before fear has a chance to take root. Babies, she notes, are natural swimmers. She also thinks about language: how we talk about drowning, how we talk about water, which can build walls or open doors. The same fear that keeps children away from pools can be redirected. Her message to anyone on the fence is straightforward. “There are hundreds of thousands of swimmers. They’re still living. I can learn to swim and live.” The post The Water’s Fine: Black Seniors Challenge Swimming Fears appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"Raised
\n

Raised by her grandparents from the time she was eight months old, Velmar Byrd grew up on a farm in North Carolina under the shadow of Jim Crow. She and her family grew their own vegetables, raised chickens and pigs, and lived largely off the land. 

\n\n\n\n

It was a full life — but swimming wasn’t part of it.

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

“Nobody in my family talked about swimming,” Byrd recalls, even though there were ponds, creeks, and beaches nearby. “I wasn’t going to jump into any of those creeks. No, no, no.”

\n\n\n\n

Inez Watson is a child of Jim Crow, too, and grew up in segregated Baltimore. But she began swimming as a youngster at Druid Hill Park, one of the few city pools open to Black people. She swam every day during the summertime and, as a teenager, took diving lessons and taught people to swim. 

\n\n\n\n

Her community, however, wasn’t so interested. 

\n\n\n\n

Persistent Problem

\n\n\n\n

“The fear may be instilled in young children,” Watson says. “People hear reports of a child drowning or an adult drowning, and then it becomes, ‘You’re not going near the water.’ And that fear gets passed down.”

\n\n\n\n

Now, Byrd and Watson, both senior citizens, are swimming ambassadors of a sort. They are not only swimming every day for their own health but also extolling the virtues of swimming to other Black people. They have spent their lives proving that fear doesn’t have to be inherited.

\n\n\n\n

Last month, two U.S. Soldiers who went missing during a training exercise conducted in Morocco were later found to have drowned. That both of the soldiers were Black—and one of them was known to be a non-swimmer—fits a painful but predictable pattern. 

\n\n\n\n

Almost 40 million U.S. adults report being unable to swim. And roughly 1 in 3 Black adults say they can’t swim–compared to 15% of the overall adult population who are non-swimmers. Most Black adults have never taken a swimming lesson. 

\n\n\n\n

The causes are layered: a legacy of segregated pools and beaches during the Jim Crow era, generational gaps in swimming culture, and a fear of water — a view that has been quietly handed down through families for decades. 

\n\n\n\n

No Fear Here

\n\n\n\n

Both Watson and Byrd are living proof that fear can be conquered. 

\n\n\n\n

Watson, 89, who calls her athleticism “a gift from God,” and she continues to spread the good news about remaining active. She regularly teaches fitness classes with her daughter and is engaged in her community – when she’s not enjoying the company of her four children, 13 grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. 

\n\n\n\n

I had to unlearn some of those fears in order for me to move forward.

velmar byrd
\n\n\n\n

Byrd swims and does water aerobics at least twice a week, and “I come out feeling good,” she says simply. But she had a more challenging journey to the water: she learned to swim at age 69 after moving to Connecticut as a young woman.

\n\n\n\n

When Byrd first moved from North Carolina to Connecticut as a young woman, a friend offered to teach her to swim at a nearby park pool. Byrd bought a bathing suit. She showed up.

\n\n\n\n

But her friend, it turned out, didn’t quite know how to teach swimming — she just loved the water.

\n\n\n\n

“I think at that age, we were just showing our bodies off,” Byrd says, laughing. “I wanted to learn.”

\n\n\n\n

Never Too Late

\n\n\n\n

Decades would pass, and she was approaching 70 years old before she took her first real lesson. Taking the plunge was about more than just fitness. Learning to swim was about overcoming a fear passed down through generations.

\n\n\n\n

“I had to unlearn some of those fears in order for me to move forward,” she says.

\n\n\n\n

After graduating from college, Byrd joined the Peace Corps and served two years in Ethiopia. Decades later, Byrd is now a semi-retired educator who spent 56 years teaching in public schools. After retiring a few years ago, she “re-fired”–her word for coming out of retirement – and returned to the classroom. 

\n\n\n\n

She’s now a substitute teacher for a middle school and a high school. 

\n\n\n\n

Later, around age 69, she signed up for a group swim class at a local YMCA. One of the group members was so terrified of the water that the group dynamic suffered. Byrd eventually learned about a special care hospital that offered swimming lessons.

\n\n\n\n

That’s where she met the instructor who would change everything. She started lessons at 70. Her instructor, she says, would not let her give up.

\n\n\n\n

‘Fear is Blockage’

\n\n\n\n

“Everything I’ve done has been about quality of life. I saw that it was fun and when I got older, I realized it [swimming] can save your life,” says Watson. 

\n\n\n\n

That’s what she wants people to see.

\n\n\n\n

“Any kind of fear is a blockage,” Byrd says. “That comes with swimming, too.”

\n\n\n\n

LEARN MORE: As Drownings Rise, Groups Teach Black People to Swim, Not Sink

\n\n\n\n

She believes the most powerful intervention begins with parents — encouraging them to start their children in the water as infants, before fear has a chance to take root. Babies, she notes, are natural swimmers.

\n\n\n\n

She also thinks about language: how we talk about drowning, how we talk about water, which can build walls or open doors. The same fear that keeps children away from pools can be redirected. 

\n\n\n\n

Her message to anyone on the fence is straightforward.

\n\n\n\n

“There are hundreds of thousands of swimmers. They’re still living. I can learn to swim and live.”

\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

\n

The post The Water’s Fine: Black Seniors Challenge Swimming Fears appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/06/the-water-can-be-just-fine/","site":"Jennifer Porter Gore","originalAuthor":"Jennifer Porter Gore","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Health","health"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-06-03T20:24:44.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Watson-001.webp?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1","type":"image/webp"},"createdAt":"2026-06-03T20:26:12.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Watson-001.webp?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"bc5Y0BotWfN2VFqE","title":"Neonatal Testing: A Game-Changer for Black Moms and Babies","description":"For Black families, the dangers facing newborns often begin long before delivery. Black infants are still twice as likely as white infants to be born prematurely, and they face significantly higher risk of dying before their first birthday. Yet many Black parents decline prenatal tests that could help doctors identify serious health problems months before a baby is born. That reluctance is rooted in a complicated mix of medical mistrust, uneven access to care, and a widespread misconception about the reasons prenatal screening exists. Yet doctors say the tests can help families and hospitals prepare for high-risk births and for managing potentially life-threatening conditions. As racial disparities in maternal and infant health continue to widen, some physicians and researchers argue that newer forms of non-invasive prenatal testing could become another tool in the effort to improve outcomes for Black mothers and babies. Myths About Prenatal Testing Dr. Naima Bridges, an obstetrician-gynecologist in the Dallas area and a medical advisor for BillionToOne, says one of the biggest barriers is knowing the purpose behind the benefits of non-invasive prenatal tests, or NIPTs. “I think the most common misconception is that prenatal testing is used so that people can determine whether or not they want to continue with their current pregnancy,” Bridges says. “And so in cases where we offer prenatal testing at about nine to 12 weeks of gestation for pregnant patients, oftentimes we’ll get the response, ‘Nope, I don’t want to test. I don’t want to know what’s going on.’” But the flip side is that “there are so many things we can do in utero and to prepare for delivery if we were better prepared to know what kind of baby we’re delivering,” she says. Done between nine and twelve weeks of pregnancy, NIPTs can help determine whether a mother should deliver her baby at a hospital with specialists or whether certain treatments could begin even before birth. “I strongly believe prenatal testing should be for every pregnant patient, no matter what their belief system is regarding continuing with a pregnancy,” she said. “It is to help guide you in your pregnancy and guide you to the best experts.” The data is clear. As recently as 2019, a Black baby was more than twice as likely to die before reaching his or her first birthday. At the same time, preterm births among babies born to Black moms climbed to 14.7% in 2025 — almost 1.5 times higher than the rate for babies overall. Rates of prenatal care improved between 2016 and 2021 but then reversed course — and Black women experienced the steepest decline. By 2021, almost 80% of pregnant women in the general population were receiving prenatal care in the first trimester. But in 2024, the percentage dropped to around 75%, and for Black women, the rate fell from almost 7 in 10 to just over 65% over the same period. “While the exact reasons for the recent declines in early prenatal care use are not known, disparities in maternal and infant health reflect underlying inequities in insurance coverage, access to care, and social and economic factors,” analysis from KFF found. This means attempts to increase prenatal screening for sickle cell disease and other disorders remain low. It doesn’t help that non-invasive prenatal testing technology has been developed with predominantly white patients being involved in the research and clinical trials. And the disparities that begin before birth also persist into childhood. Black premature babies in the newborn intensive care unit face higher rates of serious problems. These include a dangerous gut illness called necrotizing enterocolitis, along with early infections, eye damage from prematurity, and bleeding in the brain. Streamlined Testing BillionToOne is a molecular diagnostics company based in California. The company’s Unity Complete product line features non-invasive prenatal tests that require just one blood draw from pregnant mothers and do not rely on genetic information from fathers. The company also produces non-invasive oncology blood tests. The UNITY carrier screening looks for inherited conditions such as sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis, and several others. Many people carry these traits without knowing it. A child can be affected only if both parents are carriers. In the past, if a mother tested positive for one of these diseases, doctors had to test the father as well. That was not always possible. What makes UNITY different, Bridges said, is that it can study fetal cells found in the mother’s blood, with no sample needed from the father. The test can then tell a family whether their baby is at high risk for conditions like cystic fibrosis, which can be treated in the womb. Bridges said the company reports a 99% positive predictive value for its screening for chromosomal conditions, and above 95% for conditions carried genetically, though she encouraged families to check the company’s published fact sheets. Reaching more families The test is also showing up in places where care is hardest to find. In January 2025, the magazine Femtech Insider reported on UNITY’s Fetal Antigen test being used in rural “maternity deserts,” calling it a health equity story for mothers far from specialists. Last month, Contemporary OB/GYN reported on the launch of an expanded 14-gene fetal risk panel, describing it as a “category-defining test.” NIPTs from other companies have studied larger patient populations and have stronger track records for detecting chromosomal problems like Down syndrome, which may give some doctors more confidence in those results. Unity also has a narrower scope when it comes to twin pregnancies, while rivals offer broader screening options for prenatal testing of twins. But it’s likely that for a family whose biggest concern is chromosomal conditions like Down syndrome, they may want to use tests that have been researched most often. But if sickle cell disease, thalassemia or other inherited blood disorders are a concern, Unity may be the best option. While NIPT won’t erase the disparities Black families face, Bridges argues that having more information gives mothers more awareness, more tools to ask questions, and more power over their own care. “The more we can empower them with data that can help them through their pregnancy, the better their outcomes will be,” she said. RELATED: Mississippi’s Infant Mortality Crisis Raises Alarms The post Neonatal Testing: A Game-Changer for Black Moms and Babies appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"Baby
\n

For Black families, the dangers facing newborns often begin long before delivery.

\n\n\n\n

Black infants are still twice as likely as white infants to be born prematurely, and they face significantly higher risk of dying before their first birthday. Yet many Black parents decline prenatal tests that could help doctors identify serious health problems months before a baby is born.

\n\n\n\n

That reluctance is rooted in a complicated mix of medical mistrust, uneven access to care, and a widespread misconception about the reasons prenatal screening exists. 

\n\n\n\n

Yet doctors say the tests can help families and hospitals prepare for high-risk births and for managing potentially life-threatening conditions.

\n\n\n\n

As racial disparities in maternal and infant health continue to widen, some physicians and researchers argue that newer forms of non-invasive prenatal testing could become another tool in the effort to improve outcomes for Black mothers and babies.

\n\n\n\n

Myths About Prenatal Testing

\n\n\n\n

Dr. Naima Bridges, an obstetrician-gynecologist in the Dallas area and a medical advisor for BillionToOne, says one of the biggest barriers is knowing the purpose behind the benefits of non-invasive prenatal tests, or NIPTs. 

\n\n\n\n

“I think the most common misconception is that prenatal testing is used so that people can determine whether or not they want to continue with their current pregnancy,” Bridges says. “And so in cases where we offer prenatal testing at about nine to 12 weeks of gestation for pregnant patients, oftentimes we’ll get the response, ‘Nope, I don’t want to test. I don’t want to know what’s going on.’”

\n\n\n\n

 But the flip side is that “there are so many things we can do in utero and to prepare for delivery if we were better prepared to know what kind of baby we’re delivering,” she says.

\n\n\n\n

Done between nine and twelve weeks of pregnancy, NIPTs can help determine whether a mother should deliver her baby at a hospital with specialists or whether certain treatments could begin even before birth.

\n\n\n\n

“I strongly believe prenatal testing should be for every pregnant patient, no matter what their belief system is regarding continuing with a pregnancy,” she said. “It is to help guide you in your pregnancy and guide you to the best experts.”

\n\n\n\n

The data is clear. As recently as 2019, a Black baby was more than twice as likely to die before reaching his or her first birthday. At the same time, preterm births among babies born to Black moms climbed to 14.7% in 2025 — almost 1.5 times higher than the rate for babies overall. 

\n\n\n\n

Rates of prenatal care improved between 2016 and 2021 but then reversed course — and Black women experienced the steepest decline. 

\n\n\n\n

By 2021, almost 80% of pregnant women in the general population were receiving prenatal care in the first trimester. But in 2024, the percentage dropped to around 75%, and for Black women, the rate fell from almost 7 in 10 to just over 65% over the same period.

\n\n\n\n

“While the exact reasons for the recent declines in early prenatal care use are not known, disparities in maternal and infant health reflect underlying inequities in insurance coverage, access to care, and social and economic factors,” analysis from KFF found. 

\n\n\n\n

This means attempts to increase prenatal screening for sickle cell disease and other disorders remain low. It doesn’t help that non-invasive prenatal testing technology has been developed with predominantly white patients being involved in the research and clinical trials. 

\n\n\n\n

And the disparities that begin before birth also persist into childhood. Black premature babies in the newborn intensive care unit face higher rates of serious problems. These include a dangerous gut illness called necrotizing enterocolitis, along with early infections, eye damage from prematurity, and bleeding in the brain.

\n\n\n\n

Streamlined Testing

\n\n\n\n

BillionToOne is a molecular diagnostics company based in California. The company’s Unity Complete product line features non-invasive prenatal tests that require just one blood draw from pregnant mothers and do not rely on genetic information from fathers. The company also produces non-invasive oncology blood tests. 

\n\n\n\n

The UNITY carrier screening looks for inherited conditions such as sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis, and several others. Many people carry these traits without knowing it. A child can be affected only if both parents are carriers.

\n\n\n\n

In the past, if a mother tested positive for one of these diseases, doctors had to test the father as well. That was not always possible. 

\n\n\n\n

What makes UNITY different, Bridges said, is that it can study fetal cells found in the mother’s blood, with no sample needed from the father. The test can then tell a family whether their baby is at high risk for conditions like cystic fibrosis, which can be treated in the womb. 

\n\n\n\n

Bridges said the company reports a 99% positive predictive value for its screening for chromosomal conditions, and above 95% for conditions carried genetically, though she encouraged families to check the company’s published fact sheets.

\n\n\n\n

Reaching more families

\n\n\n\n

The test is also showing up in places where care is hardest to find. 

\n\n\n\n

In January 2025, the magazine Femtech Insider reported on UNITY’s Fetal Antigen test being used in rural “maternity deserts,” calling it a health equity story for mothers far from specialists. Last month, Contemporary OB/GYN reported on the launch of an expanded 14-gene fetal risk panel, describing it as a “category-defining test.”

\n\n\n\n

NIPTs from other companies have studied larger patient populations and have stronger track records for detecting chromosomal problems like Down syndrome, which may give some doctors more confidence in those results. 

\n\n\n\n

Unity also has a narrower scope when it comes to twin pregnancies, while rivals offer broader screening options for prenatal testing of twins. But it’s likely that for a family whose biggest concern is chromosomal conditions like Down syndrome, they may want to use tests that have been researched most often.

\n\n\n\n

But if sickle cell disease, thalassemia or other inherited blood disorders are a concern, Unity may be the best option.

\n\n\n\n

While NIPT won’t erase the disparities Black families face, Bridges argues that having more information gives mothers more awareness, more tools to ask questions, and more power over their own care.

\n\n\n\n

“The more we can empower them with data that can help them through their pregnancy, the better their outcomes will be,” she said.

\n\n\n\n

RELATED: Mississippi’s Infant Mortality Crisis Raises Alarms

\n\n\n\n

\n

The post Neonatal Testing: A Game-Changer for Black Moms and Babies appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/06/neonatal-testing-a-game-changer-for-black-moms-and-babies/","site":"Jennifer Porter Gore","originalAuthor":"Jennifer Porter Gore","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Health","health"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-06-02T19:46:49.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GettyImagesNICU.jpg?fit=724%2C483&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-06-02T19:51:34.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GettyImagesNICU.jpg?fit=724%2C483&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"JlBO7MFCGrrslrZN","title":"Turning Grief and Self-Doubt Into Empowerment for Black Women","description":"Raised on ghost stories, grief and the unspoken rules about silence Black girls like her learned early in life, author Leslie Lee Sanders says she spent much of her life trying not to take up too much space. “Sit down, be quiet, raise your hand before you speak,” Sanders recalls being told during her childhood. “It kind of put in me that I’m supposed to stay silent.” RELATED: Her Calling: Healing Through Music and Medicine That silence — shaped by family expectations, publishing industry pressures, grief and the political realities facing Black women — ultimately led Sanders to write, “Ready to Listen?” It’s a spiritual self-help memoir that urges women to speak up, speak out and trust their intuition. Cautionary Tales The independently published memoir traces Sanders’ evolution from a child who expressed herself through writing stories to a woman determined to speak honestly about identity, spirituality and self-worth. For Sanders, who lives and works in Arizona, storytelling started at home. This is the time where a lot of people need to be reminded that they have whatever they need inside of them. They just have to be ready. Leslie lee sanders, author She remembers her mother telling vivid cautionary tales that blurred the line between folklore and spiritual warning. One story about the devil so frightened young Leslie that she stayed engaged until the very end. “She would always end it with, ‘That’s why we didn’t belong there. We shouldn’t have been there,’” Sanders said. “As I look back on stories like that, I realize the message behind it. She was simply saying, ‘Don’t be in a place where you don’t belong.’” Expressing Herself Learning to see storytelling as both entertainment and instruction became foundational to Sanders’ writing life as a youngster. Discovering “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark,” writer Alvin Schwartz’s popular series of children’s horror short story collections, triggered something in Saunders’ imagination. “I didn’t realize my mom’s stories were in this book — not literally, but the feeling of them,” she said. “That’s when I started really wanting to see my name on a book cover.” Writing eventually became more than Saunders’ creative expression throughout her life. After the deaths of both her sister and brother within a three-year period, storytelling helped Sanders process overwhelming grief. “I just wanted to express,” she said. “At the time, I couldn’t express verbally.” That emotional journey inspired her novel “Tattered Page,” a thriller centered on a woman who realizes she is living in a spine-tingling story her late brother had written. Fighting Compromise Writing it “was cathartic,” Sanders said. “Getting it off my heart. Even though I’m still going through the grief that doesn’t end. It just transforms.” Although fiction gave Sanders an outlet, her experience with mainstream publishers was a disappointment. Even though she has written across multiple genres, from romance to dystopia, editors and agents in the predominantly white, insular book world wanted conformity. “‘I need you to write this way, this fast, make sure it says this, make sure it ends this way,’” Sanders recalls, describing her experience with publishing gatekeepers. The industry wanted white-centered narratives — “whitewashing your covers and your characters,” she says — and marketable Black stereotypes. Those experiences mirror the broader treatment of Black women, Sanders says, “keeping us silenced in a box, keeping us down, keeping us from our full potential.” That realization led her toward self-publishing and nonfiction. “I had to learn the hard way to just be independent and do my own thing,” she says. Conquering Fear Sanders says she wrote “Ready to Listen?” without compromise, hoping it inspires other marginalized women to live their lives the same way. Much of the memoir centers on self-reflection, with the author stripping away “all these masks that society told us to put on,” Sanders says. “Let’s strip them all away and figure out who we are. I wanted to help other women — marginalized women, Black women — find that they have a voice. That they have presence, they have worth.” Finding that voice for herself, Sanders says, required solitude, therapy, self-reflection, and ultimately honesty. RELATED: She Didn’t Want the Pulpit. Instead, She Built a Stage “I was always scared,” she says. “Scared to show my face, scared to raise my voice.” Ideally, Sanders believes “Ready to Listen?” can help readers move beyond fear and self-silencing to “feel inspired, empowered, and ready to take on your life the way you want to.” Arriving during the Trump era, Sanders also feels the memoir arrives at a moment when many marginalized communities feel increasingly unheard. “This is the time where a lot of people need to be reminded that they have whatever they need inside of them,” Sanders said. “They just have to be ready.” The post Turning Grief and Self-Doubt Into Empowerment for Black Women appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"Author
\n

Raised on ghost stories, grief and the unspoken rules about silence Black girls like her learned early in life, author Leslie Lee Sanders says she spent much of her life trying not to take up too much space.

\n\n\n\n

“Sit down, be quiet, raise your hand before you speak,” Sanders recalls being told during her childhood. “It kind of put in me that I’m supposed to stay silent.”

\n\n\n\n

RELATED: Her Calling: Healing Through Music and Medicine

\n\n\n\n

That silence — shaped by family expectations, publishing industry pressures, grief and the political realities facing Black women — ultimately led Sanders to write, “Ready to Listen?” It’s a spiritual self-help memoir that urges women to speak up, speak out and trust their intuition.

\n\n\n\n

Cautionary Tales

\n\n\n\n

The independently published memoir traces Sanders’ evolution from a child who expressed herself through writing stories to a woman determined to speak honestly about identity, spirituality and self-worth.

\n\n\n\n

For Sanders, who lives and works in Arizona, storytelling started at home.

\n\n\n\n

This is the time where a lot of people need to be reminded that they have whatever they need inside of them. They just have to be ready. 

Leslie lee sanders, author
\n\n\n\n

She remembers her mother telling vivid cautionary tales that blurred the line between folklore and spiritual warning. One story about the devil so frightened young Leslie that she stayed engaged until the very end.

\n\n\n\n

“She would always end it with, ‘That’s why we didn’t belong there. We shouldn’t have been there,’” Sanders said. “As I look back on stories like that, I realize the message behind it. She was simply saying, ‘Don’t be in a place where you don’t belong.’”

\n\n\n\n

Expressing Herself

\n\n\n\n

Learning to see storytelling as both entertainment and instruction became foundational to Sanders’ writing life as a youngster. Discovering “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark,” writer Alvin Schwartz’s popular series of children’s horror short story collections, triggered something in Saunders’ imagination.

\n\n\n\n

“I didn’t realize my mom’s stories were in this book — not literally, but the feeling of them,” she said. “That’s when I started really wanting to see my name on a book cover.”

\n\n\n\n

Writing eventually became more than Saunders’ creative expression throughout her life. After the deaths of both her sister and brother within a three-year period, storytelling helped Sanders process overwhelming grief.

\n\n\n\n

“I just wanted to express,” she said. “At the time, I couldn’t express verbally.”

\n\n\n\n

That emotional journey inspired her novel “Tattered Page,” a thriller centered on a woman who realizes she is living in a spine-tingling story her late brother had written.

\n\n\n\n

Fighting Compromise

\n\n\n\n

Writing it “was cathartic,” Sanders said. “Getting it off my heart. Even though I’m still going through the grief that doesn’t end. It just transforms.”

\n\n\n\n

Although fiction gave Sanders an outlet, her experience with mainstream publishers was a disappointment. Even though she has written across multiple genres, from romance to dystopia, editors and agents in the predominantly white, insular book world wanted conformity. 

\n\n\n\n

“‘I need you to write this way, this fast, make sure it says this, make sure it ends this way,’” Sanders recalls, describing her experience with publishing gatekeepers. The industry wanted white-centered narratives — “whitewashing your covers and your characters,” she says — and marketable Black stereotypes.

\n\n\n\n

Those experiences mirror the broader treatment of Black women, Sanders says, “keeping us silenced in a box, keeping us down, keeping us from our full potential.” That realization led her toward self-publishing and nonfiction.

\n\n\n\n

“I had to learn the hard way to just be independent and do my own thing,” she says. 

\n\n\n\n

Conquering Fear

\n\n\n\n

Sanders says she wrote “Ready to Listen?” without compromise, hoping it inspires other marginalized women to live their lives the same way.

\n\n\n\n

Much of the memoir centers on self-reflection, with the author stripping away “all these masks that society told us to put on,” Sanders says. “Let’s strip them all away and figure out who we are. I wanted to help other women — marginalized women, Black women — find that they have a voice. That they have presence, they have worth.”

\n\n\n\n

Finding that voice for herself, Sanders says, required solitude, therapy, self-reflection, and ultimately honesty.

\n\n\n\n

RELATED: She Didn’t Want the Pulpit. Instead, She Built a Stage

\n\n\n\n

“I was always scared,” she says. “Scared to show my face, scared to raise my voice.”

\n\n\n\n

Ideally, Sanders believes “Ready to Listen?” can help readers move beyond fear and self-silencing to “feel inspired, empowered, and ready to take on your life the way you want to.” Arriving during the Trump era, Sanders also feels the memoir arrives at a moment when many marginalized communities feel increasingly unheard.

\n\n\n\n

“This is the time where a lot of people need to be reminded that they have whatever they need inside of them,” Sanders said. “They just have to be ready.” 

\n

The post Turning Grief and Self-Doubt Into Empowerment for Black Women appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/06/turning-grief-and-self-doubt-into-empowerment-for-black-women/","site":"Joseph Williams","originalAuthor":"Joseph Williams","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Religion","religion"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-06-02T14:33:54.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ChatGPT-Image-Jun-2-2026-09_20_29-AM.png?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1","type":"image/png"},"createdAt":"2026-06-02T14:46:07.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ChatGPT-Image-Jun-2-2026-09_20_29-AM.png?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"1ZmJ90BXOrcxYjfW","title":"Another Mysterious Death Strikes a Nerve","description":"Once again, a Black young person has been found hanged to death in a public space in the Deep South, the second time in less than a year. Once again, local authorities say it was suicide and warrants no further investigation. And, once again, some Black Americans aren’t buying it. Judging by reactions on social media, the death of 16-year-old Juliana Nzita — found hanging from a tree on the grounds of a church near Charlotte, North Carolina — shouldn’t be a closed case. Indeed, Nzita’s death has ignited anger, spurred suspicion and triggered painful historical memories across social media and inside several Black communities. Echoes of Painful History Like the case of a 21-year-old college student whose body was discovered last September under similar circumstances in Mississippi, Nzita’s death raises the specter of an old and deeply American pattern. It echoes the terror lynchings of the Jim Crow South, an era in which Black families and civil rights advocates questioned official explanations surrounding mysterious hangings. While police classified her death as a suicide, critics point to unanswered questions, limited public information, and echoes of crimes that have never gotten justice. The teenager had been reported missing on April 28; a community member named Kenneth Tolbert made the discovery, told church officials, then dialed 911. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officers then found Nzita’s body on May 8, 2026, on property belonging to The United House of Prayer for All People. Lingering Questions Police classified the death as a suicide, and investigators also said Nzita’s family didn’t respond when initially contacted. But no formal statement about the case appears on the department’s website, and there’s no indication that police have reopened the investigation into Nzita’s initial disappearance or launched a homicide inquiry into her death. Neither the United House of Prayer for All People nor any of its leadership has issued any public statement about Nzita’s death. The lack of information, as well as the police department’s conclusion that no foul play was involved, has provoked widespread suspicion about the case. Videos expressing concern, distrust, and outrage have appeared on all social media platforms. And some of the social media posts show community members calling out church leaders by name for failing to comment. Troubling Pattern Commenters on local news websites have questioned the physical circumstances of the discovery. Some want to know why there’s no closed-circuit or security-camera footage of Nzita; others have questioned the evidence found at the scene, including whether Nzita could have used the blue chair seen in the footage to commit suicide. A report the civil rights organization JULIAN, which publishes the Crimson Record, issued this year identified over 70 deaths classified as suicides despite questionable circumstances over the last 25 years. They have stretched across seven Deep South states, with Mississippi reporting 20 — the highest total. A review of known cases of Black Americans found dead by hanging between 2024 and 2026 shows that approximately 10 of them gained significant attention from civil rights advocates, family members, and legal experts. Many have raised serious questions about inadequate or hasty investigations and official rulings of suicide despite families and advocates disputing those conclusions. RELATED: Why Trey Reed’s Death Sparks Suspicions and Calls for Transparency These cases include Demartravion “Trey” Reed whose body was found last September hanging from a tree near the pickleball courts on the Delta State University campus. He was pronounced dead at the scene and an autopsy by the Mississippi State Medical Examiner determined the death was a suicide. Reed’s family vehemently disputed the ruling, insisting he had no history of depression, was excited about attending Delta State, and had shown no signs of suicidal ideation. The family sought an independent autopsy after receiving conflicting accounts and incomplete information about the circumstances of his death. The post Another Mysterious Death Strikes a Nerve appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"\"
\n

Once again, a Black young person has been found hanged to death in a public space in the Deep South, the second time in less than a year. Once again, local authorities say it was suicide and warrants no further investigation.

\n\n\n\n

And, once again, some Black Americans aren’t buying it. 

\n\n\n\n

Judging by reactions on social media, the death of 16-year-old Juliana Nzita — found hanging from a tree on the grounds of a church near Charlotte, North Carolina — shouldn’t be a closed case. Indeed, Nzita’s death has ignited anger, spurred suspicion and triggered painful historical memories across social media and inside several Black communities.

\n\n\n\n

Echoes of Painful History

\n\n\n\n

Like the case of a 21-year-old college student whose body was discovered last September under similar circumstances in Mississippi, Nzita’s death raises the specter of an old and deeply American pattern. It echoes the terror lynchings of the Jim Crow South, an era in which Black families and civil rights advocates questioned official explanations surrounding mysterious hangings.

\n\n\n\n

While police classified her death as a suicide, critics point to unanswered questions, limited public information, and echoes of crimes that have never gotten justice.

\n\n\n\n

The teenager had been reported missing on April 28; a community member named Kenneth Tolbert made the discovery, told church officials, then dialed 911. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officers then found Nzita’s body on May 8, 2026, on property belonging to The United House of Prayer for All People. 

\n\n\n\n

Lingering Questions

\n\n\n\n

Police classified the death as a suicide, and investigators also said Nzita’s family didn’t respond when initially contacted. But no formal statement about the case appears on the department’s website, and there’s no indication that police have reopened the investigation into Nzita’s initial disappearance or launched a homicide inquiry into her death. 

\n\n\n\n

Neither the United House of Prayer for All People nor any of its leadership has issued any public statement about Nzita’s death. The lack of information, as well as the police department’s conclusion that no foul play was involved, has provoked widespread suspicion about the case.  

\n\n\n\n

Videos expressing concern, distrust, and outrage have appeared on all social media platforms. And some of the social media posts show community members calling out church leaders by name for failing to comment. 

\n\n\n\n

Troubling Pattern

\n\n\n\n

Commenters on local news websites have questioned the physical circumstances of the discovery. Some want to know why there’s no closed-circuit or security-camera footage of Nzita; others have questioned the evidence found at the scene, including whether Nzita could have used the blue chair seen in the footage to commit suicide.

\n\n\n\n

A report the civil rights organization JULIAN, which publishes the Crimson Record, issued this year identified over 70 deaths classified as suicides despite questionable circumstances over the last 25 years. They have stretched across seven Deep South states, with Mississippi reporting 20 — the highest total. 

\n\n\n\n

A review of known cases of Black Americans found dead by hanging between 2024 and 2026 shows that approximately 10 of them gained significant attention from civil rights advocates, family members, and legal experts. Many have raised serious questions about inadequate or hasty investigations and official rulings of suicide despite families and advocates disputing those conclusions. 

\n\n\n\n

RELATED: Why Trey Reed’s Death Sparks Suspicions and Calls for Transparency

\n\n\n\n

These cases include Demartravion “Trey” Reed whose body was found last September hanging from a tree near the pickleball courts on the Delta State University campus. He was pronounced dead at the scene and an autopsy by the Mississippi State Medical Examiner determined the death was a suicide. 

\n\n\n\n

Reed’s family vehemently disputed the ruling, insisting he had no history of depression, was excited about attending Delta State, and had shown no signs of suicidal ideation. The family sought an independent autopsy after receiving conflicting accounts and incomplete information about the circumstances of his death. 

\n

The post Another Mysterious Death Strikes a Nerve appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/another-mysterious-death-strikes-a-nerve/","site":"Jennifer Porter Gore","originalAuthor":"Jennifer Porter Gore","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Health","health","mental health"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-29T13:56:14.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/juliana_nzita_500x263.jpeg?fit=500%2C263&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-05-29T14:02:10.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/juliana_nzita_500x263.jpeg?fit=500%2C263&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"aEyhhUyf5NVopUwT","title":"Voices of Truth Uses Gospel Music to Build Community and Faith","description":"What began as a student-led extension of a university gospel choir has become a traveling ministry of music, blending opera-trained voices, Black sacred tradition and grassroots community outreach under the name Voices of Truth. Formed at Florida State University in Tallahassee, the ensemble grew from a desire to take gospel music off campus and into churches, care facilities and communities outside of Florida. For its members — many of whom are not music majors and some of whom are new to Black church traditions — the experience has become both performance and formation. “We decided to form a new ensemble… a community-centered ensemble,” said DaSean Stokes, a second-year doctoral student in classical voice at Florida State. “It really came out of a vision for students traveling, finding different communities, experiencing different worship, meeting new people, going new places.” Originally from Missouri, Stokes describes himself as an opera tenor with deep ties to church music. His academic path has taken him from Central Methodist University to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and now to Florida State, where he also works in arts administration while pursuing his doctoral degree. Voices of Truth, he said, is not simply an extension of his academic training; it is a spiritual and cultural practice. “We’re trying to instill integrity and responsibility,” Stokes said. “We’re using music as a tool… especially gospel music.” The ensemble has performed in churches, including Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, Mother Bethel AME Church in Philadelphia and Mount Olive in Virginia, as well as at a veterans care facility. Their repertoire spans traditional gospel, spirituals and Black sacred compositions. Dr. Jeremy Moore, the ensemble’s director, said the group’s purpose is as much narrative as it is musical. As for the actual tour, he says, the idea came from the students. “In 2024, we were invited to be the symphony chorus for the Rogue Valley Symphony in Medford, Oregon,” says Moore, who holds an advanced degree in choral conducting from FSU. “And it was a really seminal moment for us. The gospel choir, I don’t think, had toured ever before at Florida State University. And so it was really kind of encouraging for us to be able to travel and be ambassadors for the university.” Once the students had the experience, they made it clear they wanted a repeat opportunity. “I like music that is able to not only be good, but to have meaning and to have a message,” Moore said. For their spring concert, themed “Rain,” Moore created a spiritual arc, acknowledging struggle, endurance and praise. Selections included gospel staples such as “The Storm Is Passing Over” and “I’ll Take Jesus,” along with contemporary works that reflect Black musical expression across generations. “The story for this tour was one of encouragement,” Moore said. “We’ve been here and we’ve been fighting, but God has got us.” The ensemble’s approach reflects a broader tradition in Black sacred music, linking spirituals, gospel, jazz and classical influences into a continuous cultural line. Moore said that continuity is intentional. “We want to spread really good gospel music around the country,” he said. Beyond repertoire, Voices of Truth is also navigating questions of access and cultural familiarity. Many of the students, Moore noted, are learning the rhythmic and expressive traditions that shape gospel performance. “Some students read music, some students don’t,” Moore said. “Some come from a gospel background, some don’t.” That difference becomes especially visible in movement and rhythm — elements often assumed rather than taught in Black church spaces. “It’s polyrhythms, it’s syncopation,” Stokes said. “If you don’t have that exposure, it’s a lot to put together.” Still, both leaders emphasize inclusion. At Alfred Street Baptist Church, Moore recalled a congregant saying she was “not expecting this,” referring to the racially mixed ensemble. For him, that moment reflected gospel music’s broader theological claim. “At the end of the day, we have to realize that God is God of all,” he said. “That’s what heaven is going to look like.” The ensemble’s mission also extends beyond performance into education and outreach. Stokes said future plans include expanding into high schools and community programs. “That’s something we’re trying to work on this year,” he said. Funding for the group is largely grassroots. The ensemble received partial support from Florida State’s Congress of Graduate Students but relied heavily on donations from churches, family members, friends and small-dollar community contributions. “We started with $251.50,” Stokes said. “But it was more than zero.” He described a patchwork of financial support that included $5 and $20 gifts, snack sales, and anonymous donations, all helping cover travel costs such as fuel for long-distance touring. “One dollar adds up just as much,” he said. “It’s the power of community.” Moore said that the model of support reflects the same values embedded in the music itself. “People want to help each other,” he said. “Sometimes that gets lost, but we saw it on this tour.” The post Voices of Truth Uses Gospel Music to Build Community and Faith appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"A
\n

What began as a student-led extension of a university gospel choir has become a traveling ministry of music, blending opera-trained voices, Black sacred tradition and grassroots community outreach under the name Voices of Truth.

\n\n\n\n

Formed at Florida State University in Tallahassee, the ensemble grew from a desire to take gospel music off campus and into churches, care facilities and communities outside of Florida. For its members — many of whom are not music majors and some of whom are new to Black church traditions — the experience has become both performance and formation.

\n\n\n\n

“We decided to form a new ensemble… a community-centered ensemble,” said DaSean Stokes, a second-year doctoral student in classical voice at Florida State. “It really came out of a vision for students traveling, finding different communities, experiencing different worship, meeting new people, going new places.”

\n\n\n\n

Originally from Missouri, Stokes describes himself as an opera tenor with deep ties to church music. His academic path has taken him from Central Methodist University to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and now to Florida State, where he also works in arts administration while pursuing his doctoral degree.

\n\n\n\n

Voices of Truth, he said, is not simply an extension of his academic training; it is a spiritual and cultural practice.

\n\n\n\n

“We’re trying to instill integrity and responsibility,” Stokes said. “We’re using music as a tool… especially gospel music.”

\n\n\n\n

The ensemble has performed in churches, including Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, Mother Bethel AME Church in Philadelphia and Mount Olive in Virginia, as well as at a veterans care facility. Their repertoire spans traditional gospel, spirituals and Black sacred compositions.

\n\n\n\n

Dr. Jeremy Moore,  the ensemble’s director, said the group’s purpose is as much narrative as it is musical. As for the actual tour, he says, the idea came from the students.

\n\n\n\n

 “In 2024, we were invited to be the symphony chorus for the Rogue Valley Symphony in Medford, Oregon,” says Moore, who holds an advanced degree in choral conducting from FSU. “And it was a really seminal moment for us. The gospel choir, I don’t think, had toured ever before at Florida State University. And so it was really kind of encouraging for us to be able to travel and be ambassadors for the university.” 

\n\n\n\n

Once the students had the experience, they made it clear they wanted a repeat opportunity. 

\n\n\n\n

“I like music that is able to not only be good, but to have meaning and to have a message,” Moore said.

\n\n\n\n

For their spring concert, themed “Rain,” Moore created a spiritual arc, acknowledging struggle, endurance and praise. Selections included gospel staples such as “The Storm Is Passing Over” and “I’ll Take Jesus,” along with contemporary works that reflect Black musical expression across generations.

\n\n\n\n

“The story for this tour was one of encouragement,” Moore said. “We’ve been here and we’ve been fighting, but God has got us.”

\n\n\n\n

The ensemble’s approach reflects a broader tradition in Black sacred music, linking spirituals, gospel, jazz and classical influences into a continuous cultural line. Moore said that continuity is intentional.

\n\n\n\n

“We want to spread really good gospel music around the country,” he said.

\n\n\n\n

Beyond repertoire, Voices of Truth is also navigating questions of access and cultural familiarity. Many of the students, Moore noted, are learning the rhythmic and expressive traditions that shape gospel performance.

\n\n\n\n

“Some students read music, some students don’t,” Moore said. “Some come from a gospel background, some don’t.”

\n\n\n\n

That difference becomes especially visible in movement and rhythm — elements often assumed rather than taught in Black church spaces.

\n\n\n\n

“It’s polyrhythms, it’s syncopation,” Stokes said. “If you don’t have that exposure, it’s a lot to put together.”

\n\n\n\n

Still, both leaders emphasize inclusion. 

\n\n\n\n

At Alfred Street Baptist Church, Moore recalled a congregant saying she was “not expecting this,” referring to the racially mixed ensemble. For him, that moment reflected gospel music’s broader theological claim.

\n\n\n\n

“At the end of the day, we have to realize that God is God of all,” he said. “That’s what heaven is going to look like.”

\n\n\n\n

The ensemble’s mission also extends beyond performance into education and outreach. Stokes said future plans include expanding into high schools and community programs.

\n\n\n\n

“That’s something we’re trying to work on this year,” he said.

\n\n\n\n

Funding for the group is largely grassroots. The ensemble received partial support from Florida State’s Congress of Graduate Students but relied heavily on donations from churches, family members, friends and small-dollar community contributions.

\n\n\n\n

“We started with $251.50,” Stokes said. “But it was more than zero.”

\n\n\n\n

He described a patchwork of financial support that included $5 and $20 gifts, snack sales, and anonymous donations, all helping cover travel costs such as fuel for long-distance touring.

\n\n\n\n

“One dollar adds up just as much,” he said. “It’s the power of community.”

\n\n\n\n

Moore said that the model of support reflects the same values embedded in the music itself.

\n\n\n\n

“People want to help each other,” he said. “Sometimes that gets lost, but we saw it on this tour.”

\n

The post Voices of Truth Uses Gospel Music to Build Community and Faith appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/voices-of-truth-uses-gospel-music-to-build-community-and-faith/","site":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","originalAuthor":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Religion","religion"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-28T09:30:00.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/1000050610.jpg?fit=1024%2C684&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-05-28T09:33:19.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/1000050610.jpg?fit=1024%2C684&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"Dp1ro6S2dkSPqvNX","title":"Black Athletes Should Pass on the South ","description":"America — particularly Black America — is at a difficult crossroads that literally threatens the complexion of our nation. Last month’s Supreme Court ruling that blew up Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, allowing states to redistrict and gerrymander to dilute the vote of Black Americans, threatens to set our voting rights back significantly, especially in the South, if we don’t do something. Sure, we protest, we can scream, and just be pissed off. But our real fighting power is in showing up at the voting polls like never before and withholding our buying power where our vote isn’t respected. We also have another power that is sure to get the attention of white folks who don’t think we should have a say in this country’s political landscape. It’s through our gifted young Black athletes, whom they love to cheer for in the uniforms of their favorite college athletic teams. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling in the Louisiana vs Callais case, Black people are calling for the top Black athletes to avoid playing for any primarily white college or university in the South. The calls have come from athletes, journalists, and even celebrities like actor and New Orleans native Wendell Pierce to boycott the Southeastern Conference in particular. We’re talking kids boycotting programs in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky — places where the Black vote is being diluted. And yes, that includes Texas, where your beloved University of Texas and Texas A&M will be affected. We Black Texans have had a front-row seat to how gerrymandering can cripple the Black vote, and specifically in Houston, where Donald Trump commanded Gov. Greg Abbott, his good soldier, to find him five congressional seats ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. And right now, we have lost a Black seat in Houston and forced two candidates – Christian Menefee and Al Green – with similar liberal leanings into a fierce, nasty battle that will weaken Black political influence in this state and the country. I say, go for it and make these offending states suffer where it hurts. But don’t stop at the SEC. Extend it to schools in the Big 12 and ACC conferences, in states where people want to cheer for Black athletes on the football field but don’t want them to have true representation in Congress, the Senate, or even their more influential local elections. Let’s not pretend this isn’t an enormous ask, especially in today’s major college landscape, where football and basketball athletes are able to legally make life-changing sums of money through name, image and likeness deals. But know that similar NIL and revenue-sharing riches will be awaiting you in states where your vote still matters and carries real weight. It’s time Black athletes understand their influence and power. It’s time they free themselves from being viewed as glorified gladiators who perform for people who don’t respect them as equals or as real human beings, for that matter. As one of the last football conferences to integrate, the SEC messed around and found out back in the 1960s that it couldn’t stay relevant without Black athletes, so the good ole boys had to start accepting Black athletes. If the SEC felt the pressure then, imagine what it would feel today if the best Black athletes in the South suddenly started heading North or going out West. Saturday afternoons just wouldn’t feel the same, and the SEC’s TV partners wouldn’t feel the same, either. It was funny to hear recently hired Lane Kiffin throwing a barb at his former employer, Ole Miss, saying that it was hard to get Black athletes to want to come there because of the lack of diversity. We used to have a saying where I’m from up North: If that ain’t the pot calling the kettle black. Somebody tell Kiffin it ain’t any different for Black people in Louisiana. Imagine if young Black student-athletes and their families did start to align their recruitment with the consciousness of what kind of power play that would be. The natural destinations would be in the North and West, but what about HBCUs? Back in the day, schools like Grambling State and Florida A&M boasted powerhouse football programs because the all-white SEC wasn’t an option for the best Black student-athletes. Imagine what Prairie View head football coach Tremaine Jackson or Texas Southern coach Cris Dishman could do if the recruits who would have ordinarily gone to UT or Texas A&M suddenly landed in their laps. No, the amount of money they could make at the bigger schools might not be there, but the NIL and revenue-sharing pots would be significantly larger than they are today. It’s time that Black athletes and their families understand their power and influence and then use it. The post Black Athletes Should Pass on the South — and the S.E.C. appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"In
\n

America — particularly Black America — is at a difficult crossroads that literally threatens the complexion of our nation.

\n\n\n\n

Last month’s Supreme Court ruling that blew up Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, allowing states to redistrict and gerrymander to dilute the vote of Black Americans, threatens to set our voting rights back significantly, especially in the South, if we don’t do something.

\n\n\n\n

Sure, we protest, we can scream, and just be pissed off.

\n\n\n\n

But our real fighting power is in showing up at the voting polls like never before and withholding our buying power where our vote isn’t respected.

\n\n\n\n

We also have another power that is sure to get the attention of white folks who don’t think we should have a say in this country’s political landscape. It’s through our gifted young Black athletes, whom they love to cheer for in the uniforms of their favorite college athletic teams.

\n\n\n\n

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling in the Louisiana vs Callais case, Black people are calling for the top Black athletes to avoid playing for any primarily white college or university in the South. The calls have come from athletes, journalists, and even celebrities like actor and New Orleans native Wendell Pierce to boycott the Southeastern Conference in particular.

\n\n\n\n

We’re talking kids boycotting programs in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky — places where the Black vote is being diluted. And yes, that includes Texas, where your beloved University of Texas and Texas A&M will be affected.

\n\n\n\n

We Black Texans have had a front-row seat to how gerrymandering can cripple the Black vote, and specifically in Houston, where Donald Trump commanded Gov. Greg Abbott, his good soldier, to find him five congressional seats ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. And right now, we have lost a Black seat in Houston and forced two candidates – Christian Menefee and Al Green – with similar liberal leanings into a fierce, nasty battle that will weaken Black political influence in this state and the country.

\n\n\n\n

I say, go for it and make these offending states suffer where it hurts. But don’t stop at the SEC. Extend it to schools in the Big 12 and ACC conferences, in states where people want to cheer for Black athletes on the football field but don’t want them to have true representation in Congress, the Senate, or even their more influential local elections.

\n\n\n\n

Let’s not pretend this isn’t an enormous ask, especially in today’s major college landscape, where football and basketball athletes are able to legally make life-changing sums of money through name, image and likeness deals. But know that similar NIL and revenue-sharing riches will be awaiting you in states where your vote still matters and carries real weight.

\n\n\n\n

It’s time Black athletes understand their influence and power. It’s time they free themselves from being viewed as glorified gladiators who perform for people who don’t respect them as equals or as real human beings, for that matter.

\n\n\n\n

As one of the last football conferences to integrate, the SEC messed around and found out back in the 1960s that it couldn’t stay relevant without Black athletes, so the good ole boys had to start accepting Black athletes. If the SEC felt the pressure then, imagine what it would feel today if the best Black athletes in the South suddenly started heading North or going out West.

\n\n\n\n

Saturday afternoons just wouldn’t feel the same, and the SEC’s TV partners wouldn’t feel the same, either.

\n\n\n\n

It was funny to hear recently hired Lane Kiffin throwing a barb at his former employer, Ole Miss, saying that it was hard to get Black athletes to want to come there because of the lack of diversity.

\n\n\n\n

We used to have a saying where I’m from up North: If that ain’t the pot calling the kettle black. Somebody tell Kiffin it ain’t any different for Black people in Louisiana.

\n\n\n\n

Imagine if young Black student-athletes and their families did start to align their recruitment with the consciousness of what kind of power play that would be. The natural destinations would be in the North and West, but what about HBCUs?

\n\n\n\n

Back in the day, schools like Grambling State and Florida A&M boasted powerhouse football programs because the all-white SEC wasn’t an option for the best Black student-athletes.

\n\n\n\n

Imagine what Prairie View head football coach Tremaine Jackson or Texas Southern coach Cris Dishman could do if the recruits who would have ordinarily gone to UT or Texas A&M suddenly landed in their laps. No, the amount of money they could make at the bigger schools might not be there, but the NIL and revenue-sharing pots would be significantly larger than they are today.

\n\n\n\n

It’s time that Black athletes and their families understand their power and influence and then use it.

\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

\n

The post Black Athletes Should Pass on the South — and the S.E.C. appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/black-athletes-should-pass-on-the-south-and-the-s-e-c/","site":"Terrance Harris","originalAuthor":"Terrance Harris","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Uncategorized"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-27T17:52:50.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-98904906.jpg?fit=683%2C512&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-05-27T18:03:42.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-98904906.jpg?fit=683%2C512&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"fCRSQo3YcwqJhMpR","title":"EVENT: Safe Space: How to Support Black Men’s Mental Health, 6/3","description":"How can we break stigmas and cost barriers to better support Black men’s mental health? In honor of Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, join Word In Black for a conversation with community leaders and support practitioners. They will share experiences, resources, and lead participants in a guided meditation. Register to watch it live. Moderator: Joseph Williams, Word In Black Head of Content Confirmed speakers: Dr. Jason Phillips, licensed therapist, life coach, and creator of the documentary, “Man Enough to Heal: Black Men and Therapy.” Brian Sims, a healthcare entrepreneur, curates Baltimore-based mental wellness events for Black men Senbi Akau Spruill, meditation leader, rites-of-passage facilitator, and author of “Superhero Syndrome: The Perfect Pressure” REGISTER HERE Register for other upcoming Word In Black’s Summer 2026 events. Rewatch Word In Black’s previous events Word In Black’s Religion Hot Topics 5/21/26: Event Replay What’s on Your Plate? Food Access in Black America 5/13/26: Event Recap The Action Plan to Get Black Women Back to Work 4/29/26 Event Recap ‘Breaking the Silence’: How Black Women Can Fight Breast Cancer 4/9/26 Event Recap The post EVENT: Safe Space: How to Support Black Men’s Mental Health, 6/3 appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"\"
\n
\"\"
\n\n\n\n

How can we break stigmas and cost barriers to better support Black men’s mental health? 

\n\n\n\n

In honor of Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, join Word In Black for a conversation with community leaders and support practitioners. They will share experiences, resources, and lead participants in a guided meditation.

\n\n\n\n

Register to watch it live.

\n\n\n\n

Moderator:

\n\n\n\n

Joseph Williams, Word In Black Head of Content

\n\n\n\n

Confirmed speakers:

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Register for other upcoming Word In Black’s Summer 2026 events.

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Rewatch Word In Black’s previous events

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Word In Black’s Religion Hot Topics 5/21/26: Event Replay

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What’s on Your Plate? Food Access in Black America 5/13/26: Event Recap

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The Action Plan to Get Black Women Back to Work 4/29/26 Event Recap

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‘Breaking the Silence’: How Black Women Can Fight Breast Cancer 4/9/26 Event Recap

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The post EVENT: Safe Space: How to Support Black Men’s Mental Health, 6/3 appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/black-men-mental-health-event/","site":"Shernay Williams","originalAuthor":"Shernay Williams","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Events","Health","black men","mental health"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-27T16:20:25.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Instagram-Black-Men-Mental-Health-5_26_26-1.png?fit=819%2C1024&ssl=1","type":"image/png"},"createdAt":"2026-05-27T16:33:03.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Instagram-Black-Men-Mental-Health-5_26_26-1.png?fit=819%2C1024&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"LjCmoTyumTPEuMhr","title":"When the Missing Stay Missing: The Crisis of Disappearing Black Americans","description":"In January 1973, a 27-year-old Black woman named Cheryl Lanier vanished from San Francisco. No one filed a missing persons report for 37 years. When her case was finally logged in 2010 and the city police department’s Missing Persons Unit investigated, but the case languished, unsolved for decades. This month, DNA analysis confirmed Lanier had died in Houston, Texas, in September 1976 — three years after she disappeared — after jumping from a moving tractor-trailer. She had spent half a century as a Jane Doe. Lanier’s tragic story, however, isn’t rare. In fact, it fits a disturbing pattern of what happens when Black Americans go missing. Harmful Stereotypes In 2023, more than half a million people were reported missing in the United States. According to 2023 data from the National Crime Information Center, 40% of missing persons are people of color, although Black Americans make up just 13% of the population. The disappearances are made worse by what doesn’t happen: urgent searches and media attention. Black and Missing Foundation co-founders Derrica and Natalie Wilson have described being “shunned” by the media, met with silence when seeking coverage for missing Black victims. The dynamic is rooted in stereotypes associating Black communities with criminality. For instance, many missing Black children are first classified as runaways, so their disappearance isn’t circulated through an Amber Alert. Waiting to be Seen For Black families, the pain of loss is compounded by the invisibility. It took 53 years for Cheryl Lanier to be identified. Thousands of other Black people who have vanished are still waiting to be seen. Word In Black spoke with Natalie Wilson about the Black and Missing Foundation’s 18-year fight to find America’s forgotten missing. The co-founders started the organization after watching a grieving family get ignored by the same media that made the disappearance of Natalee Holloway an international story. The following has been edited for clarity and length. Word In Black: Your organization has been around for nearly two decades. What prompted you to start it, and what is the Black and Missing Foundation’s core mission? Natalie Wilson: We have been sounding the alarm since May of 2008 that people of color are disappearing at an alarming rate from around the country. Our mission is to bring awareness to missing men, women, and children from around the country, to educate our community on personal safety, and to search for those who are missing. The inspiration behind the foundation is a young lady by the name of Tamika Houston, who went missing from Spartanburg, South Carolina — my sister-in-law’s hometown. We read about how her family, particularly her aunt Rebecca, who works in public relations, could not get media coverage for her missing niece. All it takes is one piece of information, one person who comes forward with a tip, to bring someone home. And if they’re no longer alive, at least the family has answers and can move forward.Natalie Wilson, the Black and Missing Foundation A year after Tamika disappeared, Natalee Holloway vanished — and just saying her name alone, everyone knew her story. Rebecca had reached out to the same reporters, the same networks, the same programs that covered Natalee Holloway, and she was met with silence. My co-founder Derrica and I decided to do some research to see if there were systemic issues around missing people of color, because we simply were not seeing their stories in the media. At the time, we found that 30% of all missing persons were people of color. My background is media relations and public relations; awareness is key in trying to find the missing. Derrica’s background is in law enforcement. Those are the two critical professions needed to bring our missing home. WIB: What keeps you going after 18 years? Wilson: The families. They are desperately searching for their missing loved ones, and many times they tell us we are their last resort. Law enforcement isn’t taking the police report — they’re turning families away. The media isn’t covering the stories. And the community isn’t involved, because either they don’t know someone is missing, or they’re turning a blind eye because they aren’t personally affected. WIB: You mentioned law enforcement turning families away. Can you give a specific example? Wilson: There was a young girl by the name of Kennedy who went missing from Baltimore. When her mother reported her missing, law enforcement told her Kennedy had run away. That is what we see repeatedly — law enforcement classifying [Black] young girls as runaways. The moment that happens, they receive no Amber Alert and no media coverage whatsoever, because the assumption is the child left home willingly. But even if a child leaves home voluntarily, you have to ask: what are they leaving from, and what are they leaving into? We know that girls and boys are being sex trafficked at an alarming rate. In Kennedy’s case, we were able to pressure law enforcement into taking a proper missing person’s report. We amplified her case. She had been trafficked and was being moved from Baltimore to another part of Prince George’s County by her traffickers. An Uber driver recognized her from a flyer on our website, contacted us, and we were able to reach our resources at the FBI. They rescued her. Kennedy was 14 or 16 years old — young — and she was a functioning autistic child. That case illustrates exactly why we require a police missing person’s report to be on file before we can assist a family. If law enforcement refuses to take the report, we work with the family to get it done. WIB: You mentioned the numbers have changed since you started the foundation. What do the statistics look like now? Wilson: When we first started in 2008, based on FBI statistics, 30% of all missing persons were people of color. Today that number has increased to 40%. But we believe the real number is much higher. The Hispanic community is underreporting for various reasons, and the FBI is categorizing Hispanic individuals as white in their data — which we find troubling. Research shows that 24% of Latinos and Latinas identify as Afro Latino. So, when you’re miscategorizing Hispanic missing persons as white and not accounting for Afro Latinos at all, the true scale of the crisis is being obscured. WIB: What does your media strategy look like, and why does media coverage matter so much to these cases? Wilson: Media coverage is important for two reasons. First, it alerts the community that someone is missing. Second, it puts pressure on law enforcement to dedicate resources to the case. No department wants to be embarrassed. When we work with media partners and a reporter calls a precinct asking for a case update, we see law enforcement spring into action. Because we can’t wait for the traditional news cycle, we’ve also built our own platforms — including a podcast — so families can tell their stories directly. All it takes is one piece of information, one person who comes forward with a tip, to bring someone home. And if they’re no longer alive, at least the family has answers and can move forward. WIB: Where does the foundation operate, and who are your partners? Wilson: We’re headquartered in Hyattsville, Maryland, but we are a national organization. Over nearly 18 years, we’ve built partnerships with law enforcement agencies around the country — departments in Washington, D.C., Oakland, and elsewhere actively use our missing persons database. We also have partnerships with local and national media, including programs like Dateline, and we could not do this work without the Black press, which has consistently created space for us to tell these stories. In June, we’re launching our very first street team in Atlanta — boots on the ground in one of the country’s hot spots, ready to mobilize immediately when someone goes missing. Other high-need cities we focus on include Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, and Miami. WIB: What do you want parents to know about how children are being targeted? Wilson: We ask families: how can someone get into your home without coming through the front door or a window? The answer is through apps and technology. Any device with a chat feature is a potential point of contact for predators. We had a case out of Georgia where a pedophile groomed a young girl, who was a gamer, over the course of two years. People assume this happens fast. It does not. These individuals are patient, and they know how to identify vulnerability. They know that children who lack food, housing, or basic stability are more susceptible. They know what to say. They earn trust slowly, and eventually they get children to share where they go to school, where they worship — details that put them in danger. We also urge young adults: stop posting [on social media] your location in real time. Post when you get home. You never know who is watching. WIB: What should someone do if they know something about a missing person but are afraid to come forward? Wilson: We have an anonymous tip line. We know there is a deep and historically earned distrust between law enforcement and our community. If you are not comfortable going directly to police, please reach out to us. We will not compromise your identity. We understand the sensitivity. And if you have a missing loved one and do not know what to do, please reach out to us so we can provide the support you need. WIB: What’s on the horizon for The Black and Missing Foundation? Wilson: On May 30th, we are hosting our 10th Anniversary 5K at the harbor in Fort Washington, Maryland. It is a family event — a day for the community to rally around families who have missing loved ones. Along the route, you will see mile markers featuring the images and information of missing persons. We hope the community will come out, walk with us, and help us keep these faces visible. Interested persons can register or support the Black and Missing Foundation’s Hope Without Boundaries 5k Walk/Run. The event will be held rain or shine. The post When the Missing Stay Missing: The Crisis of Disappearing Black Americans appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"Passport
\n

In January 1973, a 27-year-old Black woman named Cheryl Lanier vanished from San Francisco. No one filed a missing persons report for 37 years. 

\n\n\n\n

When her case was finally logged in 2010 and the city police department’s Missing Persons Unit investigated, but the case languished, unsolved for decades. This month, DNA analysis confirmed Lanier had died in Houston, Texas, in September 1976 — three years after she disappeared — after jumping from a moving tractor-trailer. She had spent half a century as a Jane Doe.

\n\n\n\n

Lanier’s tragic story, however, isn’t rare. In fact, it fits a disturbing pattern of what happens when Black Americans go missing.

\n\n\n\n

Harmful Stereotypes

\n\n\n\n

In 2023, more than half a million people were reported missing in the United States. According to 2023 data from the National Crime Information Center, 40% of missing persons are people of color, although Black Americans make up just 13% of the population.  

\n\n\n\n

The disappearances are made worse by what doesn’t happen: urgent searches and media attention. 

\n\n\n\n

Black and Missing Foundation co-founders Derrica and Natalie Wilson have described being “shunned” by the media, met with silence when seeking coverage for missing Black victims. The dynamic is rooted in stereotypes associating Black communities with criminality. For instance, many missing Black children are first classified as runaways, so their disappearance isn’t circulated through an Amber Alert.

\n\n\n\n

Waiting to be Seen

\n\n\n\n

For Black families, the pain of loss is compounded by the invisibility. It took 53 years for Cheryl Lanier to be identified. Thousands of other Black people who have vanished are still waiting to be seen.

\n\n\n\n

Word In Black spoke with Natalie Wilson about the Black and Missing Foundation’s 18-year fight to find America’s forgotten missing. The co-founders started the organization after watching a grieving family get ignored by the same media that made the disappearance of Natalee Holloway an international story. 

\n\n\n\n

The following has been edited for clarity and length. 

\n\n\n\n

Word In Black: Your organization has been around for nearly two decades. What prompted you to start it, and what is the Black and Missing Foundation’s core mission?

\n\n\n\n

Natalie Wilson: We have been sounding the alarm since May of 2008 that people of color are disappearing at an alarming rate from around the country. Our mission is to bring awareness to missing men, women, and children from around the country, to educate our community on personal safety, and to search for those who are missing.

\n\n\n\n

The inspiration behind the foundation is a young lady by the name of Tamika Houston, who went missing from Spartanburg, South Carolina — my sister-in-law’s hometown. We read about how her family, particularly her aunt Rebecca, who works in public relations, could not get media coverage for her missing niece. 

\n\n\n\n

All it takes is one piece of information, one person who comes forward with a tip, to bring someone home. And if they’re no longer alive, at least the family has answers and can move forward.

Natalie Wilson, the Black and Missing Foundation
\n\n\n\n

A year after Tamika disappeared, Natalee Holloway vanished — and just saying her name alone, everyone knew her story. Rebecca had reached out to the same reporters, the same networks, the same programs that covered Natalee Holloway, and she was met with silence.

\n\n\n\n

My co-founder Derrica and I decided to do some research to see if there were systemic issues around missing people of color, because we simply were not seeing their stories in the media. At the time, we found that 30% of all missing persons were people of color. My background is media relations and public relations; awareness is key in trying to find the missing. Derrica’s background is in law enforcement. Those are the two critical professions needed to bring our missing home.

\n\n\n\n

WIB: What keeps you going after 18 years?

\n\n\n\n

Wilson: The families. They are desperately searching for their missing loved ones, and many times they tell us we are their last resort. 

\n\n\n\n

Law enforcement isn’t taking the police report — they’re turning families away. The media isn’t covering the stories. And the community isn’t involved, because either they don’t know someone is missing, or they’re turning a blind eye because they aren’t personally affected.

\n\n\n\n

WIB: You mentioned law enforcement turning families away. Can you give a specific example?

\n\n\n\n

Wilson: There was a young girl by the name of Kennedy who went missing from Baltimore. When her mother reported her missing, law enforcement told her Kennedy had run away. That is what we see repeatedly — law enforcement classifying [Black] young girls as runaways. The moment that happens, they receive no Amber Alert and no media coverage whatsoever, because the assumption is the child left home willingly.

\n\n\n\n

But even if a child leaves home voluntarily, you have to ask: what are they leaving from, and what are they leaving into? We know that girls and boys are being sex trafficked at an alarming rate.

\n\n\n\n

In Kennedy’s case, we were able to pressure law enforcement into taking a proper missing person’s report. We amplified her case. She had been trafficked and was being moved from Baltimore to another part of Prince George’s County by her traffickers. An Uber driver recognized her from a flyer on our website, contacted us, and we were able to reach our resources at the FBI. They rescued her. Kennedy was 14 or 16 years old — young — and she was a functioning autistic child.

\n\n\n\n

That case illustrates exactly why we require a police missing person’s report to be on file before we can assist a family. If law enforcement refuses to take the report, we work with the family to get it done.

\n\n\n\n

WIB: You mentioned the numbers have changed since you started the foundation. What do the statistics look like now?

\n\n\n\n

Wilson: When we first started in 2008, based on FBI statistics, 30% of all missing persons were people of color. Today that number has increased to 40%. But we believe the real number is much higher. 

\n\n\n\n

The Hispanic community is underreporting for various reasons, and the FBI is categorizing Hispanic individuals as white in their data — which we find troubling. Research shows that 24% of Latinos and Latinas identify as Afro Latino. So, when you’re miscategorizing Hispanic missing persons as white and not accounting for Afro Latinos at all, the true scale of the crisis is being obscured.

\n\n\n\n

WIB: What does your media strategy look like, and why does media coverage matter so much to these cases?

\n\n\n\n

Wilson: Media coverage is important for two reasons. First, it alerts the community that someone is missing. Second, it puts pressure on law enforcement to dedicate resources to the case. No department wants to be embarrassed. When we work with media partners and a reporter calls a precinct asking for a case update, we see law enforcement spring into action.

\n\n\n\n

Because we can’t wait for the traditional news cycle, we’ve also built our own platforms — including a podcast — so families can tell their stories directly. All it takes is one piece of information, one person who comes forward with a tip, to bring someone home. And if they’re no longer alive, at least the family has answers and can move forward.

\n\n\n\n

WIB: Where does the foundation operate, and who are your partners?

\n\n\n\n

Wilson: We’re headquartered in Hyattsville, Maryland, but we are a national organization. Over nearly 18 years, we’ve built partnerships with law enforcement agencies around the country — departments in Washington, D.C., Oakland, and elsewhere actively use our missing persons database. 

\n\n\n\n

We also have partnerships with local and national media, including programs like Dateline, and we could not do this work without the Black press, which has consistently created space for us to tell these stories.

\n\n\n\n

In June, we’re launching our very first street team in Atlanta — boots on the ground in one of the country’s hot spots, ready to mobilize immediately when someone goes missing. Other high-need cities we focus on include Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, and Miami.

\n\n\n\n

WIB: What do you want parents to know about how children are being targeted?

\n\n\n\n

Wilson: We ask families: how can someone get into your home without coming through the front door or a window? The answer is through apps and technology. Any device with a chat feature is a potential point of contact for predators.

\n\n\n\n

We had a case out of Georgia where a pedophile groomed a young girl, who was a gamer, over the course of two years. People assume this happens fast. It does not. These individuals are patient, and they know how to identify vulnerability. They know that children who lack food, housing, or basic stability are more susceptible. They know what to say. They earn trust slowly, and eventually they get children to share where they go to school, where they worship — details that put them in danger.

\n\n\n\n

We also urge young adults: stop posting [on social media] your location in real time. Post when you get home. You never know who is watching.

\n\n\n\n

WIB: What should someone do if they know something about a missing person but are afraid to come forward?

\n\n\n\n

Wilson: We have an anonymous tip line. We know there is a deep and historically earned distrust between law enforcement and our community. If you are not comfortable going directly to police, please reach out to us. We will not compromise your identity. We understand the sensitivity. And if you have a missing loved one and do not know what to do, please reach out to us so we can provide the support you need.

\n\n\n\n

WIB: What’s on the horizon for The Black and Missing Foundation?

\n\n\n\n

Wilson: On May 30th, we are hosting our 10th Anniversary 5K at the harbor in Fort Washington, Maryland. It is a family event — a day for the community to rally around families who have missing loved ones. Along the route, you will see mile markers featuring the images and information of missing persons. We hope the community will come out, walk with us, and help us keep these faces visible.

\n\n\n\n

Interested persons can register or support the Black and Missing Foundation’s Hope Without Boundaries 5k Walk/Run. The event will be held rain or shine.

\n

The post When the Missing Stay Missing: The Crisis of Disappearing Black Americans appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/when-the-missing-stay-missing-the-crisis-of-disappearing-black-americans/","site":"Jennifer Porter Gore","originalAuthor":"Jennifer Porter Gore","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Health","Black women","health"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-26T18:39:11.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-missing.jpg?fit=679%2C514&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-05-26T18:52:40.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-missing.jpg?fit=679%2C514&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"A1RIayar1E5kU9rJ","title":"Arrival of Summer Brings Attention to Drowning Prevention","description":"For most of the U.S., the Memorial Day holiday signals the opening of the swimming season. Oceanside beaches, lakes, rivers, and swimming pools are usually teeming with water enthusiasts of all ages and abilities. Yet as millions of Americans plan to head to pools and beaches during the summer, public health experts warn that Black children remain far more likely to drown than white kids. And the Trump administration has targeted federal programs designed to track and prevent those deaths for major budget cuts. The combination of funding cuts for water safety and the unofficial start of summer means increased risk for Black Americans. Drowning is the single leading overall cause of death for children ages one to four in the U.S. — ahead of car crashes and cancer. And young Black people are at particular risk: those under age 30 are 1.5 times more likely than whites to drown. Cuts to Prevention That data point became tragically visible last month in the ocean off the coast of Morocco. Two Black U.S. service members, ages 19 and 27, drowned when, on a recreational hike with others, one person — unable to swim — fell into the water, prompting the other to jump in to try and rescue her. Sharon Gilmartin, executive director of Safe States Alliance, a nonprofit injury prevention organization, said the budget cuts have eliminated a key source of information that could help keep people safe. “When you cut the federal investments into drowning prevention at the CDC Injury Center, you don’t just lose programs,” she says. “You lose the ability to know what’s working, where the problem is getting worse and which communities need help most.” Private funders “can [offer] piecemeal solutions, whether that’s for swim lessons or for specific communities,” she says. “But they can’t replicate a national surveillance system. They can’t replicate national expertise.” Black Youth At Risk Drowning disparities are highest among Black children, with those aged 5 to 9 drowning at rates 2.6 times higher than their white peers. The data are even worse for those aged 10 to 14, who are more than three times as likely to drown than white children. While swimming pools don’t have the undertow of ocean water or the bitter cold of lakes, Black children ages 10 to 14 swimming in a pool still drown at rates that are 7.6 times higher than white children. When you cut the federal investments into drowning prevention … you don’t just lose programs. You lose the ability to know what’s working, where the problem is getting worse and which communities need help most.”Sharon Gilmartin, executive director, Safe States Alliance Even more alarming: data shows that after years of decline, drowning deaths rose in this age group by 28% between 2019 and 2022—during the COVID-19 pandemic. Black people were overrepresented in that trend, as, compared to 2019, drowning rates increased by 22.2% in 2020 and 28.3% in 2021. A Problem Rooted in the Past The disparities did not emerge by accident. For generations, Black Americans were locked out of public pools and beaches by segregation, violence and discriminatory policies. That included lack of access to swim education, lifeguard programs and safe recreational spaces. The issue was compounded by the closure of pools in Black neighborhoods and private lessons that many working-class families can’t afford. Federal agencies, state governments, and nonprofits are increasingly moving toward free swim education access, community-level action plans, and equity-centered frameworks, focused on Black American communities. But the government recently cut more than 200 positions from the CDC Injury Center — the leading agency working to prevent overdose, suicide, and other injuries nationwide. i And Trump’s budget proposal for next year eliminates the program entirely as well as ending the annual drowning report, a valuable resource for prevention. But more than 50 national organizations, including philanthropies, universities, and health agencies, formed the Keep America Safe Coalition and managed to keep the center funded at the previous level. ‘Deadliest Year’ for Child Drowning On a press call about water safety last week, Rep Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, a Florida Democrat, said the need for swimming safety is urgent: “We just had the deadliest year on record for child drownings.” The increase “is the first time that we’ve had a reversal” in drowning deaths, Wasserman-Shultz says. “One hundred nineteen children tragically lost their lives in 2025 and it’s an excruciating loss to think about. Every single person we lose to drowning is one too many.” Tony Gomez, a public health and injury prevention official for Seattle and King County, Washington, who also was on the call, says on-the-ground coordination is important. “At the local level, the importance of having a federal to state to local, with research entities and nonprofits all working together — like so many public health and public safety conditions — cannot be emphasized enough.” National Issue, Local Solutions Other call participants pointed to solutions at the local level. In Atlanta, for example, the city decided to allow city residents to enter all of its swimming pools for free, said Ryan Greenstein director of advocacy and public policy for YMCA of Metro Atlanta. RELATED: Shrinking Lifesaver: CDC Cuts Team Helping End Black Drownings As the federal government pulls back on drowning prevention, “there are other levels of government trying to do their part to either do swim scholarships, [offer] swim lessons,make pools more accessible and also create employment opportunities — lifeguards, aquatics directors and others at the local level.” The post Arrival of Summer Brings Attention to Drowning Prevention appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"Wide
\n

For most of the U.S., the Memorial Day holiday signals the opening of the swimming season. Oceanside beaches, lakes, rivers, and swimming pools are usually teeming with water enthusiasts of all ages and abilities.  

\n\n\n\n

Yet as millions of Americans plan to head to pools and beaches during the summer, public health experts warn that Black children remain far more likely to drown than white kids. And the Trump administration has targeted federal programs designed to track and prevent those deaths for major budget cuts.

\n\n\n\n

The combination of funding cuts for water safety and the unofficial start of summer means increased risk for Black Americans. Drowning is the single leading overall cause of death for children ages one to four in the U.S. — ahead of car crashes and cancer. 

\n\n\n\n

And young Black people are at particular risk: those under age 30 are 1.5 times more likely than whites to drown. 

\n\n\n\n

Cuts to Prevention

\n\n\n\n

That data point became tragically visible last month in the ocean off the coast of Morocco. Two Black U.S. service members, ages 19 and 27, drowned when, on a recreational hike with others, one person — unable to swim — fell into the water, prompting the other to jump in to try and rescue her. 

\n\n\n\n

Sharon Gilmartin, executive director of Safe States Alliance, a nonprofit injury prevention organization, said the budget cuts have eliminated a key source of information that could help keep people safe. 

\n\n\n\n

“When you cut the federal investments into drowning prevention at the CDC Injury Center, you don’t just lose programs,” she says. “You lose the ability to know what’s working, where the problem is getting worse and which communities need help most.”

\n\n\n\n

Private funders “can [offer] piecemeal solutions, whether that’s for swim lessons or for specific communities,” she says. “But they can’t replicate a national surveillance system. They can’t replicate national expertise.”

\n\n\n\n

Black Youth At Risk

\n\n\n\n

Drowning disparities are highest among Black children, with those aged 5 to 9 drowning at rates 2.6 times higher than their white peers. The data are even worse for those aged 10 to 14, who are more than three times as likely to drown than white children. 

\n\n\n\n

While swimming pools don’t have the undertow of ocean water or the bitter cold of lakes, Black children ages 10 to 14 swimming in a pool still drown at rates that are 7.6 times higher than white children.

\n\n\n\n

When you cut the federal investments into drowning prevention … you don’t just lose programs. You lose the ability to know what’s working, where the problem is getting worse and which communities need help most.”

Sharon Gilmartin, executive director, Safe States Alliance
\n\n\n\n

Even more alarming: data shows that after years of decline, drowning deaths rose in this age group by 28% between 2019 and 2022—during the COVID-19 pandemic. Black people were overrepresented in that trend, as, compared to 2019, drowning rates increased by 22.2% in 2020 and 28.3% in 2021. 

\n\n\n\n

A Problem Rooted in the Past

\n\n\n\n

The disparities did not emerge by accident.

\n\n\n\n

For generations, Black Americans were locked out of public pools and beaches by segregation, violence and discriminatory policies. That included lack of access to swim education, lifeguard programs and safe recreational spaces. The issue was compounded by the closure of pools in Black neighborhoods and private lessons that many working-class families can’t afford.

\n\n\n\n

Federal agencies, state governments, and nonprofits are increasingly moving toward free swim education access, community-level action plans, and equity-centered frameworks, focused on Black American communities.

\n\n\n\n

But the government recently cut more than 200 positions from the CDC Injury Center — the leading agency working to prevent overdose, suicide, and other injuries nationwide. i And Trump’s budget proposal for next year eliminates the program entirely as well as ending the annual drowning report, a valuable resource for prevention.

\n\n\n\n

But more than 50 national organizations, including philanthropies, universities, and health agencies, formed the Keep America Safe Coalition and managed to keep the center funded at the previous level. 

\n\n\n\n

‘Deadliest Year’ for Child Drowning

\n\n\n\n

On a press call about water safety last week, Rep Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, a Florida Democrat, said the need for swimming safety is urgent: “We just had the deadliest year on record for child drownings.”

\n\n\n\n

The increase “is the first time that we’ve had a reversal” in drowning deaths, Wasserman-Shultz says. “One hundred nineteen children tragically lost their lives in 2025 and it’s an excruciating loss to think about. Every single person we lose to drowning is one too many.” 

\n\n\n\n

Tony Gomez, a public health and injury prevention official for Seattle and King County, Washington, who also was on the call, says on-the-ground coordination is important. 

\n\n\n\n

“At the local level, the importance of having a federal to state to local, with research entities and nonprofits all working together — like so many public health and public safety conditions — cannot be emphasized enough.” 

\n\n\n\n

National Issue, Local Solutions

\n\n\n\n

Other call participants pointed to solutions at the local level. 

\n\n\n\n

In Atlanta, for example, the city decided to allow city residents to enter all of its swimming pools for free, said Ryan Greenstein director of advocacy and public policy for YMCA of Metro Atlanta.

\n\n\n\n

RELATED: Shrinking Lifesaver: CDC Cuts Team Helping End Black Drownings

\n\n\n\n

As the federal government pulls back on drowning prevention, “there are other levels of government trying to do their part to either do swim scholarships, [offer] swim lessons,make pools more accessible and also create employment opportunities — lifeguards, aquatics directors and others at the local level.”

\n\n\n\n

\n

The post Arrival of Summer Brings Attention to Drowning Prevention appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/arrival-of-summer-brings-attention-to-drowning-prevention/","site":"Jennifer Porter Gore","originalAuthor":"Jennifer Porter Gore","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Health","finance","health"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-26T15:01:00.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImagesSWIM052226.jpg?fit=728%2C480&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-05-26T15:05:07.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImagesSWIM052226.jpg?fit=728%2C480&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"3FpdiPR35ppNmnpq","title":"Six Years Later, Black Churches Refuse to Forget Floyd","description":"As Black churches across the country gather this weekend for prayer vigils, memorial sermons and racial justice commemorations marking six years since George Floyd’s murder, many clergy say the observances are rooted in a simple warning from Leslie Redmond, former Minneapolis NAACP president: What we don’t remember, we repeat. Yet it comes at a perilous moment. During the era of President Donald Trump — when civil rights laws are being dismantled, white grievances are given priority and Black history is under attack — pastors and activists see growing political pressure to soften, rewrite or move past the racial reckoning of 2020. LEARN MORE: George Floyd Square Remains a Sacred Site for Healing, Justice, and Joy But faith leaders say the racial reckoning that began May 25, 2020, when Floyd died beneath the knee of a white Minneapolis police officer, isn’t over. They believe the church has become one of the nation’s last institutions guarding Floyd’s legacy, keeping alive the spiritual, political, and moral questions raised by his death. Mourning and Activism Leading up to the anniversary of Floyd’s death, churches and faith communities nationwide are marking the date with worship services, prayer vigils, gospel concerts and racial justice gatherings that blend mourning with renewed activism. In Minneapolis, events centered around George Floyd Square include a Sunday worship service, gospel performances, a candlelight vigil and the Rise and Remember Festival. Organizers of the event say the focus this year is healing, community joy and resisting what activists describe as a national backlash against racial justice efforts. What we don’t remember, we repeat. eslie Redmond, former Minneapolis NAACP president In Houston — Floyd’s hometown — the Rev. Al Sharpton is expected to lead memorial observances at Floyd’s gravesite while also appearing at services at The Church Without Walls. Faith-based observances are also unfolding through denominational networks. Leaders connected to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America have circulated anniversary messages framing Floyd’s death as both a spiritual and moral reckoning for the church, Meanwhile, clergy coalitions in Minneapolis are hosting conversations focused on racial healing, public memory and the future of anti-racism work. Social Divisions, Spiritual Exhaustion Additional information on Minneapolis remembrance events is available through Sahan Journal’s event guide, while coverage of the Houston memorial events can be found via Houston Chronicle reporting. The killing on May 25, 2020, sparked worldwide protests and renewed scrutiny of police brutality and systemic racism. But pastors say it also altered the emotional and theological landscape inside Black congregations already carrying the weight of racial trauma. Organizers connected to this year’s Rise & Remember Festival in Minneapolis say the anniversary is also about resisting what they see as growing political and cultural efforts to minimize the racial justice movement that followed Floyd’s death. For many pastors, Floyd’s death exposed not only social divisions but deep spiritual exhaustion among Black Americans. The Rev. Karen Brau of Luther Place Memorial Church in Washington, D.C., recently framed the church’s responsibility in light of Floyd’s legacy as one of continued “truth-telling,” saying, “I think the ongoing truth-telling … remains relevant and necessary.” ‘Slow Drift Toward Forgetting’ Across the country, churches responded with prayer vigils, protest marches, Bible studies and racial justice ministries. Some clergy preached directly about police violence for the first time. Others partnered with congregations across racial lines to discuss systemic racism and reconciliation. For some faith leaders, the killing created what theologians often call a “Kairos moment” — a decisive time that demands moral action. Yet many clergy now say the church faces a complicated season marked by political backlash against diversity and inclusion efforts. Vicar Jenny Alexander-Allen, speaking at a Washington-area racial justice vigil earlier this year, warned against what she described as “the slow drift toward forgetting” surrounding both racial violence and the political forces shaping public memory. Faith, Justice, Survival For many Black Christians, Floyd’s death also reshaped worship itself. Sermons became more urgent. Prayer services became spaces for lament. Churches increasingly addressed racial trauma alongside spiritual healing. LEARN MORE: Chief Rondo Talks George Floyd, Race and Policing While Black Some congregations established anti-racism ministries, reparations initiatives and partnerships with community activists. Others encouraged members to vote, protest and advocate for criminal justice reform as expressions of faith rather than partisan politics. Six years later, pastors say the emotional wound remains fresh even as public attention shifts elsewhere. Many clergy argue the Black church cannot afford silence because the issues exposed by Floyd’s murder — policing disparities, racial inequality and the devaluation of Black life — remain unresolved. For churches shaped by both scripture and struggle, Floyd’s death became more than a national headline. It became a reminder that faith, justice and survival in Black America have long been inseparable. The post Six Years Later, Black Churches Refuse to Forget Floyd appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"As
\n

As Black churches across the country gather this weekend for prayer vigils, memorial sermons and racial justice commemorations marking six years since George Floyd’s murder, many clergy say the observances are rooted in a simple warning from Leslie Redmond, former Minneapolis NAACP president: What we don’t remember, we repeat.

\n\n\n\n

Yet it comes at a perilous moment. During the era of President Donald Trump — when civil rights laws are being dismantled, white grievances are given priority and Black history is under attack — pastors and activists see growing political pressure to soften, rewrite or move past the racial reckoning of 2020. 

\n\n\n\n

LEARN MORE: George Floyd Square Remains a Sacred Site for Healing, Justice, and Joy

\n\n\n\n

But faith leaders say the racial reckoning that began May 25, 2020, when Floyd died beneath the knee of a white Minneapolis police officer, isn’t over. They believe the church has become one of the nation’s last institutions guarding Floyd’s legacy, keeping alive the spiritual, political, and moral questions raised by his death.

\n\n\n\n

Mourning and Activism

\n\n\n\n

Leading up to the anniversary of Floyd’s death, churches and faith communities nationwide are marking the date with worship services, prayer vigils, gospel concerts and racial justice gatherings that blend mourning with renewed activism. 

\n\n\n\n

In Minneapolis, events centered around George Floyd Square include a Sunday worship service, gospel performances, a candlelight vigil and the Rise and Remember Festival. Organizers of the event say the focus this year is healing, community joy and resisting what activists describe as a national backlash against racial justice efforts.

\n\n\n\n

What we don’t remember, we repeat.

eslie Redmond, former Minneapolis NAACP president
\n\n\n\n

In Houston — Floyd’s hometown — the Rev. Al Sharpton is expected to lead memorial observances at Floyd’s gravesite while also appearing at services at The Church Without Walls. Faith-based observances are also unfolding through denominational networks. 

\n\n\n\n

Leaders connected to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America have circulated anniversary messages framing Floyd’s death as both a spiritual and moral reckoning for the church, Meanwhile, clergy coalitions in Minneapolis are hosting conversations focused on racial healing, public memory and the future of anti-racism work.

\n\n\n\n

Social Divisions, Spiritual Exhaustion

\n\n\n\n

Additional information on Minneapolis remembrance events is available through Sahan Journal’s event guide, while coverage of the Houston memorial events can be found via Houston Chronicle reporting.

\n\n\n\n

The killing on May 25, 2020, sparked worldwide protests and renewed scrutiny of police brutality and systemic racism. But pastors say it also altered the emotional and theological landscape inside Black congregations already carrying the weight of racial trauma.

\n\n\n\n

Organizers connected to this year’s Rise & Remember Festival in Minneapolis say the anniversary is also about resisting what they see as growing political and cultural efforts to minimize the racial justice movement that followed Floyd’s death. 

\n\n\n\n

For many pastors, Floyd’s death exposed not only social divisions but deep spiritual exhaustion among Black Americans.

\n\n\n\n

The Rev. Karen Brau of Luther Place Memorial Church in Washington, D.C., recently framed the church’s responsibility in light of Floyd’s legacy as one of continued “truth-telling,” saying, “I think the ongoing truth-telling … remains relevant and necessary.”

\n\n\n\n

‘Slow Drift Toward Forgetting’

\n\n\n\n

Across the country, churches responded with prayer vigils, protest marches, Bible studies and racial justice ministries. Some clergy preached directly about police violence for the first time. Others partnered with congregations across racial lines to discuss systemic racism and reconciliation.

\n\n\n\n

For some faith leaders, the killing created what theologians often call a “Kairos moment” — a decisive time that demands moral action. Yet many clergy now say the church faces a complicated season marked by political backlash against diversity and inclusion efforts.

\n\n\n\n

Vicar Jenny Alexander-Allen, speaking at a Washington-area racial justice vigil earlier this year, warned against what she described as “the slow drift toward forgetting” surrounding both racial violence and the political forces shaping public memory.

\n\n\n\n

Faith, Justice, Survival

\n\n\n\n

For many Black Christians, Floyd’s death also reshaped worship itself. Sermons became more urgent. Prayer services became spaces for lament. Churches increasingly addressed racial trauma alongside spiritual healing. 

\n\n\n\n

LEARN MORE: Chief Rondo Talks George Floyd, Race and Policing While Black

\n\n\n\n

Some congregations established anti-racism ministries, reparations initiatives and partnerships with community activists. Others encouraged members to vote, protest and advocate for criminal justice reform as expressions of faith rather than partisan politics.

\n\n\n\n

Six years later, pastors say the emotional wound remains fresh even as public attention shifts elsewhere. Many clergy argue the Black church cannot afford silence because the issues exposed by Floyd’s murder — policing disparities, racial inequality and the devaluation of Black life — remain unresolved.

\n\n\n\n

For churches shaped by both scripture and struggle, Floyd’s death became more than a national headline. It became a reminder that faith, justice and survival in Black America have long been inseparable.

\n

The post Six Years Later, Black Churches Refuse to Forget Floyd appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/six-years-later-black-churches-refuse-to-forget-floyd/","site":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","originalAuthor":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Religion"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-25T09:00:00.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-2216418778.jpg?fit=594%2C396&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-05-25T09:13:57.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-2216418778.jpg?fit=594%2C396&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"ZcBBNGztiAMfsEBC","title":"‘Reparations Sunday’ Brings a Hot Debate Into Black Churches","description":"More than a half-century ago, activist James Forman walked into New York’s hallowed Riverside Church during Sunday worship and made a demand that white religious America had spent generations avoiding: Pay reparations. In what became known as the “Black Manifesto,” Forman called on white faith communities to contribute $500 million to Black America. It would be long-overdue recompense for centuries of stolen labor, systemic oppression, and plunder — brazen crimes that helped America build the world’s most powerful economy. Many white clergy recoiled. Others denounced him as divisive, militant, or dangerous. The sanctuary, they believed, was no place for demands about debt. This weekend, the debate Forman forced into the pews is returning to the pulpit with fresh urgency, especially as the nation heads towards its 250th anniversary — and as the Trump administration continues its sweeping rollback of civil rights protections. Across the country, Black churches are observing “Reparations Sunday,” using sermons, prayer vigils, film screenings and educational forums to argue that reparations are not merely a political talking point or academic theory, but a moral obligation rooted in Scripture itself. The movement, supported by the National African American Reparations Commission and other faith-based advocates, reflects how the reparations conversation has evolved in recent years. James Forman (Getty Images) Once largely confined to college lecture halls, think-tank symposiums, and activist circles, the push for reparations is increasingly being woven into worship services and congregational life. Churches are collecting offerings for reparative causes, supporting historically Black colleges and universities, teaching members about legislation like HR-40 and framing economic justice as inseparable from Christian discipleship. For many pastors, the argument is as theological as it is political. Theologians point to Deuteronomy 15, for example, which commands that formerly enslaved people not be sent away “empty-handed.” It’s evidence, they say, that repair, restitution and restoration are biblical principles, not modern inventions. In churches embracing Reparations Sunday, supporters argue the observance is ultimately about more than money. It is about forcing America to confront a truth it has repeatedly tried to bury: that the nation’s wealth and power were built on Black suffering — and that repentance without repair is merely performance. “America, you owe us. What you done to us has been immoral. It’s been evil. It’s been unjust,” Dr. Frederick Haynes III, senior pastor of Friendship West in Dallas, Texas, told a 2022 gathering in San Francisco. ”What you done to us has been immoral. It’s been evil. It’s been unjust. The only way to bring salvation to America— you gotta pay us what you owe us.” The Rev. Robert Turner, a Baltimore pastor known for monthly walks to Washington advocating for reparations, recently described the issue in deeply spiritual terms while standing outside the National Museum of African American History and Culture — just blocks from the White House and the Treasury Department. Turner carried a sign reading “Reparations Now” during his 43-mile walk from Baltimore to Washington earlier this spring. Meanwhile, a growing number of reparations discussions are taking shape at the state and local level. In Maryland, a state commission studying the legacy of racial terror recently recommended financial compensation for descendants of lynching victims and communities harmed by racial violence. Some supporters say Reparations Sunday gives churches an opportunity to move the discussion from abstract politics to personal responsibility. Others argue that the observance reminds congregations that reparations are not solely about money, but include historical acknowledgment, public truth telling, educational opportunity, land access, housing equity and healing generational trauma. Related:https://wordinblack.com/2024/08/faith-based-reparations-fund-helps-kids-pay-college/ At its core, Reparations Sunday asks churches to wrestle with an old biblical question in a modern American context: What does repentance look like when the wounds of injustice still remain visible? For many congregations this year, the answer begins with remembrance, prayer and the conviction that faith without justice remains incomplete. The post ‘Reparations Sunday’ Brings a Hot Debate Into Black Churches appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"More
\n

More than a half-century ago, activist James Forman walked into New York’s hallowed Riverside Church during Sunday worship and made a demand that white religious America had spent generations avoiding: Pay reparations. 

\n\n\n\n

In what became known as the “Black Manifesto,” Forman called on white faith communities to contribute $500 million to Black America. It would be long-overdue recompense for centuries of stolen labor, systemic oppression, and plunder — brazen crimes that helped America build the world’s most powerful economy. 

\n\n\n\n

Many white clergy recoiled. Others denounced him as divisive, militant, or dangerous. The sanctuary, they believed, was no place for demands about debt.

\n\n\n\n

This weekend, the debate Forman forced into the pews is returning to the pulpit with fresh urgency, especially as the nation heads towards its 250th anniversary — and as the Trump administration continues its sweeping rollback of civil rights protections.

\n\n\n\n

Across the country, Black churches are observing “Reparations Sunday,” using sermons, prayer vigils, film screenings and educational forums to argue that reparations are not merely a political talking point or academic theory, but a moral obligation rooted in Scripture itself. 

\n\n\n\n

The movement, supported by the National African American Reparations Commission and other faith-based advocates, reflects how the reparations conversation has evolved in recent years. 

\n\n\n
\n
\"\"
James Forman (Getty Images)
\n
\n\n\n

Once largely confined to college lecture halls, think-tank symposiums, and activist circles, the push for reparations is increasingly being woven into worship services and congregational life. Churches are collecting offerings for reparative causes, supporting historically Black colleges and universities, teaching members about legislation like HR-40 and framing economic justice as inseparable from Christian discipleship.

\n\n\n\n

For many pastors, the argument is as theological as it is political.

\n\n\n\n

Theologians point to Deuteronomy 15, for example, which commands that formerly enslaved people not be sent away “empty-handed.” It’s evidence, they say, that repair, restitution and restoration are biblical principles, not modern inventions. 

\n\n\n\n

In churches embracing Reparations Sunday, supporters argue the observance is ultimately about more than money. It is about forcing America to confront a truth it has repeatedly tried to bury: that the nation’s wealth and power were built on Black suffering — and that repentance without repair is merely performance.

\n\n\n\n

“America, you owe us. What you done to us has been immoral. It’s been evil. It’s been unjust,” Dr. Frederick Haynes III, senior pastor of Friendship West in Dallas, Texas, told a 2022 gathering in San Francisco. ”What you done to us has been immoral. It’s been evil. It’s been unjust. The only way to bring salvation to America— you gotta pay us what you owe us.”

\n\n\n\n

The Rev. Robert Turner, a Baltimore pastor known for monthly walks to Washington advocating for reparations, recently described the issue in deeply spiritual terms while standing outside the National Museum of African American History and Culture — just blocks from the White House and the Treasury Department.

\n\n\n\n

Turner carried a sign reading “Reparations Now” during his 43-mile walk from Baltimore to Washington earlier this spring.  

\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, a growing number of reparations discussions are taking shape at the state and local level. In Maryland, a state commission studying the legacy of racial terror recently recommended financial compensation for descendants of lynching victims and communities harmed by racial violence.  

\n\n\n\n

Some supporters say Reparations Sunday gives churches an opportunity to move the discussion from abstract politics to personal responsibility.

\n\n\n\n

Others argue that the observance reminds congregations that reparations are not solely about money, but include historical acknowledgment, public truth telling, educational opportunity, land access, housing equity and healing generational trauma.

\n\n\n\n

Related:https://wordinblack.com/2024/08/faith-based-reparations-fund-helps-kids-pay-college/

\n\n\n\n

At its core, Reparations Sunday asks churches to wrestle with an old biblical question in a modern American context: What does repentance look like when the wounds of injustice still remain visible?

\n\n\n\n

For many congregations this year, the answer begins with remembrance, prayer and the conviction that faith without justice remains incomplete.

\n

The post ‘Reparations Sunday’ Brings a Hot Debate Into Black Churches appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/reparations-sunday-brings-a-hot-debate-into-black-churches/","site":"Joseph Williams","originalAuthor":"Joseph Williams","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Religion","religion"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-22T17:45:58.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-517213200.jpg?fit=594%2C524&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-05-22T17:50:12.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-517213200.jpg?fit=594%2C524&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"qFSEOzhIWumXyb7e","title":"Word In Black’s Summer Event Schedule","description":"We’re hosting virtual conversations every two weeks this summer. Register for them below, and we’ll email you a calendar reminder to watch your selected event(s) live. JUNE Safe Space: How to Support Black Men’s Mental Health 6/3/2026, 6-7:15 p.m. ET How can we break stigmas and cost barriers to better support Black men’s mental health? In honor of Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, join Word In Black for a conversation and practice session with community leaders and support practitioners. They will share resources, opportunities and lead a meditation exercise. Register Is AI Poisoning Black America? A Live Debate 6/17/2026, 6-7:15 p.m. ET A live debate between leaders arguing whether AI is empowering or hurting Black Americans. Before and after the moderated debate, live viewers will share their thoughts via polls and rate which debaters were the most successful at proving their arguments. Register JULY Building Black Safe Havens in the U.S. 7/1/2026, 6-7:15 p.m. ET Join Word In Black for an exploration into all-Black communities in the U.S. We’ll discuss the viability, obstacles and opportunities related to starting these “safe havens”, as well as tips for people interested in launching their own. Register Delivering Solutions for the Maternal Health Crisis 7/15/2026, 12-1:15 p.m. ET Black women are more than three times more likely to die from pregnancy and childbirth complications than their white peers, according to the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. During this virtual event, Word In Black’s health reporter Jennifer Porter Gore will lead a discussion with medical leaders, advocates, and organizers about how the U.S. can improve these outcomes. The discussion will explore Black-led community models and policies that can make a difference. Speakers TBA. Register AUGUST The Dark Side of Our Addiction to Fast Fashion 8/5/2026, 6-7:15 p.m. ET It’s easy to get cute, cheap clothes from places like Shein and H&M, but at what cost? In this virtual conversation, we’ll examine the downside of fast fashion’s convenience, including its potential impact on your physical health, the environment, and the labor market. We’ll also discuss Black-led movements to reverse these outcomes. Speakers TBA Register Is College Still Worth It? 8/19/2026, 6-7:15 p.m. ET While enrollment is declining at many four-year colleges, HBCUs are breaking enrollment records. But what does the future look like for college graduates as the U.S. grapples with AI in the workplace and an unstable job market? Join this virtual event as we explore these questions with panelists. We will also invite live viewers to call in and share their thoughts and experiences as we consider whether college is still worth it in 2026 and beyond. Register Reach Out Would you like to serve as a guest speaker at one of our planned events? Or do you have an idea for a future event? Email Shernay Williams at Shernay.williams @ wordinblack.com. Rewatch Word In Black’s Previous Events Word In Black’s Religion Hot Topics 5/21/26: Event Replay What’s on Your Plate? Food Access in Black America 5/13/26: Event Replay The Action Plan to Get Black Women Back to Work 4/29/26 Event Recap ‘Breaking the Silence’: How Black Women Can Fight Breast Cancer 4/9/26 Event Recap The post Word In Black’s Summer Event Schedule appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"\"
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We’re hosting virtual conversations every two weeks this summer.

\n\n\n\n

Register for them below, and we’ll email you a calendar reminder to watch your selected event(s) live. 

\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

JUNE

\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Safe Space: How to Support Black Men’s Mental Health

\n\n\n\n

6/3/2026, 6-7:15 p.m. ET

\n\n\n\n

How can we break stigmas and cost barriers to better support Black men’s mental health? 

\n\n\n\n

In honor of Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, join Word In Black for a conversation and practice session with community leaders and support practitioners. They will share resources, opportunities and lead a meditation exercise. 

\n\n\n\n

Register

\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Is AI Poisoning Black America? A Live Debate

\n\n\n\n

6/17/2026, 6-7:15 p.m. ET

\n\n\n\n

A live debate between leaders arguing whether AI is empowering or hurting Black Americans. Before and after the moderated debate, live viewers will share their thoughts via polls and rate which debaters were the most successful at proving their arguments.

\n\n\n\n

Register

\n\n\n\n

JULY

\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Building Black Safe Havens in the U.S.

\n\n\n\n

7/1/2026, 6-7:15 p.m. ET

\n\n\n\n

Join Word In Black for an exploration into all-Black communities in the U.S. We’ll discuss the viability, obstacles and opportunities related to starting these “safe havens”, as well as tips for people interested in launching their own.

\n\n\n\n

Register

\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Delivering Solutions for the Maternal Health Crisis

\n\n\n\n

7/15/2026, 12-1:15 p.m. ET

\n\n\n\n

Black women are more than three times more likely to die from pregnancy and childbirth complications than their white peers, according to the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. 

\n\n\n\n

During this virtual event, Word In Black’s health reporter Jennifer Porter Gore will lead a discussion with medical leaders, advocates, and organizers about how the U.S. can improve these outcomes. The discussion will explore Black-led community models and policies that can make a difference. Speakers TBA.

\n\n\n\n

Register

\n\n\n\n

AUGUST

\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

The Dark Side of Our Addiction to Fast Fashion

\n\n\n\n

8/5/2026, 6-7:15 p.m. ET

\n\n\n\n

It’s easy to get cute, cheap clothes from places like Shein and H&M, but at what cost? 

\n\n\n\n

In this virtual conversation, we’ll examine the downside of fast fashion’s convenience, including its potential impact on your physical health, the environment, and the labor market. We’ll also discuss Black-led movements to reverse these outcomes. Speakers TBA

\n\n\n\n

Register

\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Is College Still Worth It?

\n\n\n\n

8/19/2026, 6-7:15 p.m. ET

\n\n\n\n

While enrollment is declining at many four-year colleges, HBCUs are breaking enrollment records. 

\n\n\n\n

But what does the future look like for college graduates as the U.S. grapples with AI in the workplace and an unstable job market? Join this virtual event as we explore these questions with panelists. We will also invite live viewers to call in and share their thoughts and experiences as we consider whether college is still worth it in 2026 and beyond.

\n\n\n\n

Register

\n\n\n\n

Reach Out

\n\n\n\n

Would you like to serve as a guest speaker at one of our planned events? Or do you have an idea for a future event? Email Shernay Williams at Shernay.williams @ wordinblack.com.

\n\n\n\n

Rewatch Word In Black’s Previous Events

\n\n\n\n

Word In Black’s Religion Hot Topics  5/21/26: Event Replay

\n\n\n\n

What’s on Your Plate? Food Access in Black America 5/13/26: Event Replay

\n\n\n\n

The Action Plan to Get Black Women Back to Work 4/29/26 Event Recap

\n\n\n\n

‘Breaking the Silence’: How Black Women Can Fight Breast Cancer 4/9/26 Event Recap

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The post Word In Black’s Summer Event Schedule appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/word-in-blacks-summer-event-schedule/","site":"Shernay Williams","originalAuthor":"Shernay Williams","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Events","AI","Black safe havens","college","education","fast fashion","hbcus","health","maternal health","mental health","Shein"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-21T21:21:56.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/YouTube-Events-Image.png?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1","type":"image/png"},"createdAt":"2026-05-21T21:33:41.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/YouTube-Events-Image.png?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"rv81kXiMgtAypsIV","title":"Team Unerased Launches Power Read 25 for America 250","description":"You got to make your own worlds…You got to write yourself in. — Octavia Butler When the National Endowment for the Arts unveiled the list of 24 titles for its “Big Read” program tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration, the message was unmistakable. Although five white women, three Black men, and one Native American woman and one Latina woman made the cut, the list is dominated by 14 white men. Black women — whose labor, activism, intellect, and creativity have helped shape every chapter of this country’s democracy story — were nowhere to be found RELATED: ‘Family Spirit’: A Page-Turner With a Beating Heart The omission was glaring — and familiar. Rather than protest, Team Unerased has created its own best-books campaign centered on the pivotal role Black women have played in building this nation, before and beyond America’s Independence story. Adversity and Justice Storytelling by and about Black women is more than cultural preservation. It is civic education, political organizing, and historical correction. Black women’s voices are critical to understanding America and the long quest for freedom. As we witness the dismantling of more than 60 years of racial progress, we launch Power Read 25, an initiative celebrating change agents through the ages. Stories of Black women, both revered and under-acknowledged, remind us that the quest for justice has always been punctuated by adversity. Again and again, Black women transformed resistance into resilience and turmoil into triumph. The initiative begins with 25 biographies that bring the past, present, and future of Black women into America’s unfolding story of democracy. The titles, geared toward both adult and young readers, enable them to engage with often overlooked narratives that reveal Black women’s resistance, organization, and the change they sparked in the face of abominable repression. Black women’s voices are critical to understanding America and the long quest for freedom. Selected by a panel of civic, literary, and cultural leaders, Power Reads will illuminate achievement, resilience, social change, and intellectual rigor during the dark days of our nation’s halting march to racial equality. The featured protagonists will include widely revered and lesser-known historical figures, as well as contemporary voices who have shaped our past and the moments leading up to our current circumstances. Look Deeper, Read Widely The 2026 titles will be released in July, followed by a public convening in September and reading circles throughout the fall. We will focus on metropolitan Washington, D.C., for this initial campaign, although a nationwide Power Read will launch in early 2027. As the country looks toward the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Power Read 25 invites our audience to look deeper, read more widely, and examine history through the lives, labor, creativity and courage of Black women. History, after all, is not only etched in dates, monuments, or national milestones. It is found in lives. In choices. In stories. What we read and whose lives we study shape awareness and inspire social change. Visit Unerased for more details. Gwen McKinney is creator and campaign director of Unerased | Black Women Speak The post Team Unerased Launches Power Read 25 for America 250 appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"Organizers
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You got to make your own worlds…You got to write yourself in. — Octavia Butler

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When the National Endowment for the Arts unveiled the list of 24 titles for its “Big Read” program tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration, the message was unmistakable. Although five white women, three Black men, and one Native American woman and one Latina woman made the cut, the list is dominated by 14 white men.

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Black women — whose labor, activism, intellect, and creativity have helped shape every chapter of this country’s democracy story — were nowhere to be found

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RELATED: ‘Family Spirit’: A Page-Turner With a Beating Heart

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The omission was glaring — and familiar. Rather than protest, Team Unerased has created its own best-books campaign centered on the pivotal role Black women have played in building this nation, before and beyond America’s Independence story.

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Adversity and Justice

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Storytelling by and about Black women is more than cultural preservation. It is civic education, political organizing, and historical correction. Black women’s voices are critical to understanding America and the long quest for freedom. 

\n\n\n\n

As we witness the dismantling of more than 60 years of racial progress, we launch Power Read 25, an initiative celebrating change agents through the ages. Stories of Black women, both revered and under-acknowledged, remind us that the quest for justice has always been punctuated by adversity. Again and again, Black women transformed resistance into resilience and turmoil into triumph.  

\n\n\n\n

The initiative begins with 25 biographies that bring the past, present, and future of Black women into America’s unfolding story of democracy. The titles, geared toward both adult and young readers, enable them to engage with often overlooked narratives that reveal Black women’s resistance, organization, and the change they sparked in the face of abominable repression. 

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Black women’s voices are critical to understanding America and the long quest for freedom. 

\n\n\n\n

Selected by a panel of civic, literary, and cultural leaders, Power Reads will illuminate achievement, resilience, social change, and intellectual rigor during the dark days of our nation’s halting march to racial equality. The featured protagonists will include widely revered and lesser-known historical figures, as well as contemporary voices who have shaped our past and the moments leading up to our current circumstances. 

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Look Deeper, Read Widely

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The 2026 titles will be released in July, followed by a public convening in September and reading circles throughout the fall. We will focus on metropolitan Washington, D.C., for this initial campaign, although a nationwide Power Read will launch in early 2027.

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As the country looks toward the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Power Read 25 invites our audience to look deeper, read more widely, and examine history through the lives, labor, creativity and courage of Black women.

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History, after all, is not only etched in dates, monuments, or national milestones. It is found in lives. In choices. In stories. 

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What we read and whose lives we study shape awareness and inspire social change. Visit Unerased for more details.

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Gwen McKinney is creator and campaign director of Unerased | Black Women Speak

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The post Team Unerased Launches Power Read 25 for America 250 appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/team-unerased-launches-power-read-25-for-america-250/","site":"Joseph Williams","originalAuthor":"Joseph Williams","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Black women","Opinion","opinion"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-21T20:49:38.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-200279348-001.jpg?fit=727%2C480&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-05-21T21:03:20.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-200279348-001.jpg?fit=727%2C480&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"GKTcklO3WEYd5NRO","title":"Elon Musk Expands AI Plant Accused of Polluting Black Areas","description":"For months, the NAACP and a coalition of environmental justice groups have accused Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company of poisoning Black communities in North Mississippi and Memphis with an improvised power plant fueled by unpermitted gas turbines. Now, even after the groups sued him, alleging violations of the Clean Air Act, Musk appears to be escalating the fight. The billionaire recently added six more gas-powered turbines to the sprawling xAI data center operation, and civil rights and environmental advocates are racing to prevent the pollution from becoming permanent. LEARN MORE: Elon Musk’s AI Empire Accused of Polluting Black Communities The NAACP, represented by Earthjustice and the Southern Environmental Law Center, the NAACP asked a federal court earlier this month to immediately shut them down. Increasing Pollution Ben Grillot, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, said in a statement that the court must act “in order to protect communities in North Mississippi and Memphis from the tech company’s harmful pollution.” Sitting just across the state line from Memphis, the ad hoc power plant supplies power to t Colossus 1 and Colossus 2, a massive pair of supercomputers that Musk’s xAI company has built in the area. The facilities both run and train Grok, Musk’s entry in the crowded AI chatbot field. We will not stand by and idly watch as the Clean Air Act is ignored. Abre’ Conner, NAACP director of environmental and climate justice The new turbines bring the total number operating there from 27 to 33, and the additions are some of the largest in use at the facility, capable of generating even more air pollution. ‘Blatant Disregard’ for Law In a statement, Abre’ Conner, the NAACP’s director of environmental and climate justice, said that “the urgency of ensuring that our communities’ health and environment are protected is clear.” Musk’s deliberate expansion of an “unpermitted” power plant, she says, is an end run around environmental safeguards, and shows xAI’s “blatant disregard for the law.” Adding six more turbines “further exacerbates the health risks facing families in North Mississippi and the Greater Memphis region,” Conner said. “We will not stand by and idly watch as the Clean Air Act is ignored. We will continue to fight to ensure all polluters, including billionaires’ companies, understand that the law is not to be treated as a suggestion while local communities bear the consequences.” The turbines are running near Southaven, Mississippi, a residential community with homes, schools, churches, and workplaces. The city, which is part of the greater Memphis metro area, is about one-third Black. Bad Air is Even Worse Across the state line in Memphis, xAI’s Colossus 1 facility is located near Boxtown, a community founded by freedmen that remains a predominantly Black neighborhood. Musk pioneered the use of gas-powered turbines, which are mobile and, under some circumstances, can be used without regulatory permits or an environmental review because they are considered temporary. But according to the NAACP, the turbines are now likely the leading source of nitrogen oxide emissions in the greater Memphis area. Nitrogen oxides generate smog, which is already a significant issue around Memphis and in Northern Mississippi. Both DeSoto County, Mississippi, where Southaven is located, and Shelby County, Tennessee, home to Memphis, recently received F grades for smog pollution from the American Lung Association. The post Elon Musk Expands AI Plant Accused of Polluting Black Areas appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"Elon
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For months, the NAACP and a coalition of environmental justice groups have accused Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company of poisoning Black communities in North Mississippi and Memphis with an improvised power plant fueled by unpermitted gas turbines. Now, even after the groups sued him, alleging violations of the Clean Air Act, Musk appears to be escalating the fight.

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The billionaire recently added six more gas-powered turbines to the sprawling xAI data center operation, and civil rights and environmental advocates are racing to prevent the pollution from becoming permanent.

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LEARN MORE: Elon Musk’s AI Empire Accused of Polluting Black Communities

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The NAACP, represented by Earthjustice and the Southern Environmental Law Center, the NAACP asked a federal court earlier this month to immediately shut them down.

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Increasing Pollution

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Ben Grillot, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, said in a statement that the court must act “in order to protect communities in North Mississippi and Memphis from the tech company’s harmful pollution.” 

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Sitting just across the state line from Memphis, the ad hoc power plant supplies power to t Colossus 1 and Colossus 2, a massive pair of supercomputers that Musk’s xAI company has built in the area. The facilities both run and train Grok, Musk’s entry in the crowded AI chatbot field. 

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We will not stand by and idly watch as the Clean Air Act is ignored.

Abre’ Conner, NAACP director of environmental and climate justice
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The new turbines bring the total number operating there from 27 to 33, and the additions are some of the largest in use at the facility, capable of generating even more air pollution. 

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‘Blatant Disregard’ for Law

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In a statement, Abre’ Conner, the NAACP’s director of environmental and climate justice, said that “the urgency of ensuring that our communities’ health and environment are protected is clear.” Musk’s deliberate expansion of an “unpermitted” power plant, she says, is an end run around environmental safeguards, and shows xAI’s “blatant disregard for the law.” 

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Adding six more turbines “further exacerbates the health risks facing families in North Mississippi and the Greater Memphis region,” Conner said. “We will not stand by and idly watch as the Clean Air Act is ignored. We will continue to fight to ensure all polluters, including billionaires’ companies, understand that the law is not to be treated as a suggestion while local communities bear the consequences.” 

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The turbines are running near Southaven, Mississippi, a residential community with homes, schools, churches, and workplaces. The city, which is part of the greater Memphis metro area, is about one-third Black. 

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Bad Air is Even Worse

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Across the state line in Memphis, xAI’s Colossus 1 facility is located near Boxtown, a community founded by freedmen that remains a predominantly Black neighborhood. 

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Musk pioneered the use of gas-powered turbines, which are mobile and, under some circumstances, can be used without regulatory permits or an environmental review because they are considered temporary. 

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But according to the NAACP, the turbines are now likely the leading source of nitrogen oxide emissions in the greater Memphis area. 

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Nitrogen oxides generate smog, which is already a significant issue around Memphis and in Northern Mississippi. Both DeSoto County, Mississippi, where Southaven is located, and Shelby County, Tennessee, home to Memphis, recently received F grades for smog pollution from the American Lung Association. 

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The post Elon Musk Expands AI Plant Accused of Polluting Black Areas appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/elon-musk-expands-ai-plant-accused-of-polluting-black-areas/","site":"Willy Blackmore","originalAuthor":"Willy Blackmore","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Environmental Justice","environmental justice"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-21T20:15:13.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-2217198328-2.jpg?fit=594%2C396&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-05-21T20:18:01.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-2217198328-2.jpg?fit=594%2C396&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"lOMQA2ZwA2RTRvlF","title":"Black Pastor Mark Burns Defends Trump Monument Amid Criticism","description":"Before the prayers began and the cameras started rolling, Pastor Mark Burns stood beside a towering, golden statue of President Donald Trump at the president’s private club and insisted critics — including evangelical Christians with the Book of Exodus in mind — were looking at it the wrong way. “This is not a golden calf,” Burns, who is Black and a staunch Trump supporter, declared as he blessed the 22-foot monument at Trump National Doral golf club in Miami this week. LEARN MORE: Amid Backsliding, a Michigan Group Keeps MLK’s Fire Burning Critics across social media, including many Black Christians, disagreed. They compared the erection of a golden statue of a man many believe was elected by divine providence to one of the Bible’s most infamous warnings about idol worship. ‘A Little Closer to Hell’ Threads user maryhallrayford’s reaction was typical: Burns “has been there from the beginning, kissing the orange behind. What has he gotten for it? A little closer to hell!” That history is part of why Burns’ role in the statue dedication landed so hard inside Black church and political circles. The image of a Black pastor praying over a massive golden Trump monument — while Trump allies describe the president in increasingly messianic language — collided head-on with a Black church tradition shaped by resistance to authoritarian power, racial oppression, and the dangerous fusion of politics and religion. To critics, the statue itself is secondary to a bigger question: what happens when faith stops challenging power and starts sanctifying it. And for Burns, the moment was the latest chapter in a decade-long transformation from a relatively unknown South Carolina preacher to one of the MAGA world’s most visible Black pastors. Divine Intervention, or Luck? The 22-foot monument, known as “Don Colossus,” depicts Trump, then a presidential candidate, raising his fist in the air, mirroring the defiant gesture he made after surviving a 2024 assassination attempt during a campaign stop in Butler, Pennsylvania. Many Trump supporters believe that divine intervention spared Trump and saw it as proof he was destined to become president. To critics, the statue itself is secondary to a bigger question: what happens when faith stops challenging power and starts sanctifying it. Given the golden image of Trump and the statue’s unorthodox funding — cryptocurrency investors associated with the $PATRIOT memecoin bankrolled the project — a person of faith and conversant with the Hebrew Scriptures could not help but compare it to the well-known scene in Exodus. While waiting for Moses to descend the mountain after his conversation with God, the Israelites melted gold they’d collected from their Egyptian bondsmen and crafted a golden calf that they not only worshiped but believed was responsible for their new freedom. Although Burns quickly addressed comparisons to the biblical golden calf in his remarks at the unveiling, the backlash prompted him to issue a follow-up statement after the ceremony. “We worship the Lord Jesus Christ and Him alone.” Losing Ground with Evangelicals Although he wasn’t there in person, Trump phoned into the unveiling and singled out Burns for praise. “I want to thank Mark Burns, a pastor,” the president said. “He’s a good pastor, he’s a good man.” Many evangelicals confess support for the president as someone divinely appointed, anointed and protected by God; such as Robert Jeffress. He told Fox News that Trump “has a better understanding of what the Bible teaches about the role of government than the pope has.” A survey from Pew Research Center in late January found that his approval rating with the group stood at 69 percent. A more recent NPR/PBS News/Marist poll put it at 64 percent, down 5 points from January. Still, the imagery surrounding the dedication sparked criticism from many Christians and commentators, who argued that the statue reflected a troubling merger of political loyalty and religious devotion. ‘Recreational Idolatry’ On “The View,” conservative commentator Ana Navarro mocked the display as carrying “small dictator energy” during a discussion about the monument and the worship controversy surrounding it. Late-night TV host Stephen Colbert also ridiculed the spectacle, describing the unveiling as “recreational idolatry” during an episode of “The Late Show.” In one widely shared Reddit discussion reacting to the ceremony, commenters repeatedly compared the statue to the golden calf story found in Exodus. One commenter wrote, “The statue of trump is the EXACT same as the golden calf.” Another posted, “This is a core repeated message in the bible about how this is bad.” Supporters of the unveiling insist critics are mischaracterizing the event. Burns argued that honoring political figures through monuments is not inherently religious. RELATED: As War and Fear Rise, Americans Pause for National Day of Prayer “This statue was not created for worship,” Burns said in comments published by Premier Christian News. “It was created as a symbol of resilience, patriotism, courage, and gratitude.” According to Alan Cottrill, the artist who created the monument, the statue cost approximately $450,000 after organizers requested a gold-leaf finish that Trump reportedly favored. The post Black Pastor Mark Burns Defends Trump Monument Amid Criticism appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"The
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Before the prayers began and the cameras started rolling, Pastor Mark Burns stood beside a towering, golden statue of President Donald Trump at the president’s private club and insisted critics — including evangelical Christians with the Book of Exodus in mind — were looking at it the wrong way.

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“This is not a golden calf,” Burns, who is Black and a staunch Trump supporter, declared as he blessed the 22-foot monument at Trump National Doral golf club in Miami this week. 

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LEARN MORE: Amid Backsliding, a Michigan Group Keeps MLK’s Fire Burning

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Critics across social media, including many Black Christians, disagreed. They compared the erection of a golden statue of a man many believe was elected by divine providence to one of the Bible’s most infamous warnings about idol worship.

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‘A Little Closer to Hell’

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Threads user maryhallrayford’s reaction was typical: Burns “has been there from the beginning, kissing the orange behind. What has he gotten for it? A little closer to hell!” 

\n\n\n\n

That history is part of why Burns’ role in the statue dedication landed so hard inside Black church and political circles. 

\n\n\n\n

The image of a Black pastor praying over a massive golden Trump monument — while Trump allies describe the president in increasingly messianic language — collided head-on with a Black church tradition shaped by resistance to authoritarian power, racial oppression, and the dangerous fusion of politics and religion. 

\n\n\n\n

To critics, the statue itself is secondary to a bigger question: what happens when faith stops challenging power and starts sanctifying it. 

\n\n\n\n

And for Burns, the moment was the latest chapter in a decade-long transformation from a relatively unknown South Carolina preacher to one of the MAGA world’s most visible Black pastors. 

\n\n\n\n

Divine Intervention, or Luck?

\n\n\n\n

The 22-foot monument, known as “Don Colossus,” depicts Trump, then a presidential candidate, raising his fist in the air, mirroring the defiant gesture he made after surviving a 2024 assassination attempt during a campaign stop in Butler, Pennsylvania. Many Trump supporters believe that divine intervention spared Trump and saw it as proof he was destined to become president. 

\n\n\n\n

To critics, the statue itself is secondary to a bigger question: what happens when faith stops challenging power and starts sanctifying it. 

\n\n\n\n

Given the golden image of Trump and the statue’s unorthodox funding — cryptocurrency investors associated with the $PATRIOT memecoin bankrolled the project — a person of faith and conversant with the Hebrew Scriptures could not help but compare it to the well-known scene in Exodus. While waiting for Moses to descend the mountain after his conversation with God, the Israelites melted gold they’d collected from their Egyptian bondsmen and crafted a golden calf that they not only worshiped but believed was responsible for their new freedom.

\n\n\n\n

Although Burns quickly addressed comparisons to the biblical golden calf in his remarks at the unveiling, the backlash prompted him to issue a follow-up statement after the ceremony.  “We worship the Lord Jesus Christ and Him alone.”  

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Losing Ground with Evangelicals

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Although he wasn’t there in person, Trump phoned into the unveiling and singled out Burns for praise. “I want to thank Mark Burns, a pastor,” the president said. “He’s a good pastor, he’s a good man.” 

\n\n\n\n

Many evangelicals confess support for the president as someone divinely appointed, anointed and protected by God; such as Robert Jeffress. He told Fox News that Trump “has a better understanding of what the Bible teaches about the role of government than the pope has.”

\n\n\n\n

A survey from Pew Research Center in late January found that his approval rating with the group stood at 69 percent. A more recent NPR/PBS News/Marist poll put it at 64 percent, down 5 points from January.

\n\n\n\n

Still, the imagery surrounding the dedication sparked criticism from many Christians and commentators, who argued that the statue reflected a troubling merger of political loyalty and religious devotion.

\n\n\n\n

‘Recreational Idolatry’

\n\n\n\n

On “The View,” conservative commentator Ana Navarro mocked the display as carrying “small dictator energy” during a discussion about the monument and the worship controversy surrounding it.  

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Late-night TV host Stephen Colbert also ridiculed the spectacle, describing the unveiling as “recreational idolatry” during an episode of “The Late Show.”  

\n\n\n\n

In one widely shared Reddit discussion reacting to the ceremony, commenters repeatedly compared the statue to the golden calf story found in Exodus. 

\n\n\n\n

One commenter wrote, “The statue of trump is the EXACT same as the golden calf.” Another posted, “This is a core repeated message in the bible about how this is bad.” 

\n\n\n\n

Supporters of the unveiling insist critics are mischaracterizing the event. Burns argued that honoring political figures through monuments is not inherently religious.

\n\n\n\n

RELATED: As War and Fear Rise, Americans Pause for National Day of Prayer

\n\n\n\n

“This statue was not created for worship,” Burns said in comments published by Premier Christian News. “It was created as a symbol of resilience, patriotism, courage, and gratitude.”  

\n\n\n\n

According to Alan Cottrill, the artist who created the monument, the statue cost approximately $450,000 after organizers requested a gold-leaf finish that Trump reportedly favored.   

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The post Black Pastor Mark Burns Defends Trump Monument Amid Criticism appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/black-pastor-mark-burns-defends-trump-monument-amid-criticism/","site":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","originalAuthor":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Uncategorized"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-18T16:40:51.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-2273271309.jpg?fit=594%2C396&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-05-18T16:56:00.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-2273271309.jpg?fit=594%2C396&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"6nv2Fss58cBHaYOd","title":"Hunger By Policy: SNAP Cuts Hit Hardest in Black America","description":"For the more than 10 million Black Americans who rely on federal food assistance to feed their families, the projected damage from food-aid cuts was not just a warning. They were all but a done deal. The “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act,” signed into law in 2025, slashed $187 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, over the next decade — triggering new work requirements, restricting what recipients can buy, and stripping benefits from legal immigrants. The result: more than 4 million people — a cohort the size of Los Angeles’ population — have already lost SNAP since the law took effect. Hunger prevention advocates say Black Americans have been disproportionately affected, and that the worst is still ahead. The average SNAP benefit amounts to just $187 a month — or barely $6 a day — to supplement a household’s food budget. For many recipients, that modest sum is the difference between consistent meals and food insecurity. And despite time-worn narratives about SNAP recipients being unemployed, Census Bureau data show that more than 75 percent of households receiving SNAP benefits include at least one working person. The reality is SNAP is not a program for people who won’t work — it’s a program for people whose work doesn’t pay enough. Who Is Affected Dating back to the 1960s and President Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society agenda, SNAP currently serves approximately 42 million Americans each month at an annual cost of roughly $113 billion, nearly all of which goes directly to food benefits. Roughly 26 percent of SNAP participants — approximately 10.2 million people — are Black. Experts say the participation rate reflects both the program’s reach into low-income communities and the persistent racial wealth and wage gaps that leave Black families with fewer financial cushions when income falls short. But new work requirements in the OBBBA budget have made it even harder for people to qualify for help putting food on the table. More People At Risk Federal work requirements for SNAP are not new. For years, recipients aged of 16 to 59 who are physically able to work have been required to register for employment and participate in job training programs. SNAP recipients who already have a job are barred from quitting or working less than 30 hours per week. The OBBBA, however, significantly expanded to whom those requirements apply — and sharply limited the circumstances under which states can shield their residents from those restrictions. Under the new law, adults between ages 55 and 64 — who had been exempt — must now work, volunteer, or participate in job training for at least 80 hours per month to keep their benefits beyond three months. Parents whose youngest child is 14 or older are newly subject to requirements, as are veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and former foster youth, who lose exemptions they previously held. States can now waive the requirements only in areas where unemployment exceeds 10 percent — a much higher bar than before. Analysts say that will make it substantially harder for states to provide relief, even in communities where jobs are scarce. The impact on Black recipients is expected to be particularly severe. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that more than 1 million adults aged 55 and older will lose food assistance under the expanded rules. The law also strips SNAP eligibility from legal immigrants — a provision that advocates say falls heavily on Black and Latino communities with residents from Caribbean and Central American countries. What Can’t Go In the Shopping Cart The cuts and work requirements are only part of the story. For the first time, the federal government is allowing states to decide what SNAP recipients can and cannot purchase — a fundamental shift away from a uniform national standard toward a fragmented, state-by-state system that civil rights and nutrition advocates say disproportionately harms Black communities the most. Last May, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins signed the first-of-its-kind waiver for Nebraska, prohibiting SNAP recipients from buying sodas and energy drinks; Indiana and Iowa followed suit within days. Those restrictions took effect January 1; to date, 22 states ban consumers from spending SNAP funds on certain items, ranging from candy and sweetened beverages to prepared desserts. Several of the states moving fastest to implement purchasing restrictions have some of the largest Black populations in the country. Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and South Carolina are among those phasing in changes this year. Texas’s restrictions took effect last month and were expected to affect more than 3.5 million recipients. Opponents point out the irony: the same states restricting what low-income Black residents can buy with their food benefits have made next to no investments in grocery access in Black neighborhoods. As a result, many residents depend on corner stores and convenience markets, where junk food is abundant but fresh fruits and vegetables are harder to find. Recipients in five states — Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee, and West Virginia — have sued to roll back the restrictions. They argue that the Trump administration’s sweeping changes violated the law and were made outside of established procedures. The outcome of that litigation could determine whether the restrictions survive or if they are sent back to the drawing board. Food Banks Can’t Make Up the Shortfall As millions of Americans lose SNAP benefits, hunger prevention advocates are sounding the alarm about what comes next — and what cannot fill the void. SNAP provides nine meals for every one meal supplied by emergency food charities, food banks, and pantries. The nation’s charitable food system, already stretched beyond capacity following the economic disruptions of recent years, is not equipped to absorb the losses now being engineered by federal policy. Advocates estimated that the OBBBA’s changes will result in more than 6 billion fewer meals being available to low-income Americans. For Black communities, the impact is compounded by geography. Food banks and pantries are unevenly distributed nationwide, and with many recipients living in food-desert neighborhoods, emergency food resources are already thin. During a Congressional hearing last month, anti-hunger advocates were direct: no combination of local food drives, food pantries, or private charity can replace a government program that feeds millions of people each day. The post Hunger By Policy: SNAP Cuts Hit Hardest in Black America appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
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For the more than 10 million Black Americans who rely on federal food assistance to feed their families, the projected damage from food-aid cuts was not just a warning. They were all but a done deal.

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The “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act,” signed into law in 2025, slashed $187 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, over the next decade — triggering new work requirements, restricting what recipients can buy, and stripping benefits from legal immigrants. 

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The result: more than 4 million people — a cohort the size of Los Angeles’ population — have already lost SNAP since the law took effect. Hunger prevention advocates say Black Americans have been disproportionately affected, and that the worst is still ahead.

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The average SNAP benefit amounts to just $187 a month — or barely $6 a day — to supplement a household’s food budget. For many recipients, that modest sum is the difference between consistent meals and food insecurity. 

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And despite time-worn narratives about SNAP recipients being unemployed, Census Bureau data show that more than 75 percent of households receiving SNAP benefits include at least one working person. The reality is SNAP is not a program for people who won’t work — it’s a program for people whose work doesn’t pay enough.

\n\n\n\n

Who Is Affected

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Dating back to the 1960s and President Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society agenda, SNAP currently serves approximately 42 million Americans each month at an annual cost of roughly $113 billion, nearly all of which goes directly to food benefits. 

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Roughly 26 percent of SNAP participants — approximately 10.2 million people — are Black. Experts say the participation rate reflects both the program’s reach into low-income communities and the persistent racial wealth and wage gaps that leave Black families with fewer financial cushions when income falls short.

\n\n\n\n

But new work requirements in the OBBBA budget have made it even harder for people to qualify for help putting food on the table. 

\n\n\n\n

More People At Risk

\n\n\n\n

Federal work requirements for SNAP are not new. For years, recipients aged of 16 to 59 who are physically able to work have been required to register for employment and participate in job training programs. SNAP recipients who already have a job are barred from quitting or working less than 30 hours per week.

\n\n\n\n

The OBBBA, however, significantly expanded to whom those requirements apply — and sharply limited the circumstances under which states can shield their residents from those restrictions.

\n\n\n\n

Under the new law, adults between ages 55 and 64 — who had been exempt — must now work, volunteer, or participate in job training for at least 80 hours per month to keep their benefits beyond three months. Parents whose youngest child is 14 or older are newly subject to requirements, as are veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and former foster youth, who lose exemptions they previously held. 

\n\n\n\n

States can now waive the requirements only in areas where unemployment exceeds 10 percent — a much higher bar than before. Analysts say that will make it substantially harder for states to provide relief, even in communities where jobs are scarce.

\n\n\n\n

The impact on Black recipients is expected to be particularly severe. 

\n\n\n\n

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that more than 1 million adults aged 55 and older will lose food assistance under the expanded rules. The law also strips SNAP eligibility from legal immigrants — a provision that advocates say falls heavily on Black and Latino communities with residents from Caribbean and Central American countries.

\n\n\n\n

What Can’t Go In the Shopping Cart

\n\n\n\n

The cuts and work requirements are only part of the story. For the first time, the federal government is allowing states to decide what SNAP recipients can and cannot purchase — a fundamental shift away from a uniform national standard toward a fragmented, state-by-state system that civil rights and nutrition advocates say disproportionately harms  Black communities the most.

\n\n\n\n

Last May, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins signed the first-of-its-kind waiver for Nebraska, prohibiting SNAP recipients from buying sodas and energy drinks; Indiana and Iowa followed suit within days. Those restrictions took effect January 1; to date, 22 states ban consumers from spending SNAP funds on certain items, ranging from candy and sweetened beverages to prepared desserts.

\n\n\n\n

Several of the states moving fastest to implement purchasing restrictions have some of the largest Black populations in the country. Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and South Carolina are among those phasing in changes this year. Texas’s restrictions took effect last month and were expected to affect more than 3.5 million recipients.

\n\n\n\n

Opponents point out the irony: the same states restricting what low-income Black residents can buy with their food benefits have made next to no investments in grocery access in Black neighborhoods. As a result, many residents depend on corner stores and convenience markets, where junk food is abundant but fresh fruits and vegetables are harder to find.

\n\n\n\n

Recipients in five states — Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee, and West Virginia — have sued to roll back the restrictions. They argue that the Trump administration’s sweeping changes violated the law and were made outside of established procedures. The outcome of that litigation could determine whether the restrictions survive or if they are sent back to the drawing board.

\n\n\n\n

Food Banks Can’t Make Up the Shortfall

\n\n\n\n


As millions of Americans lose SNAP benefits, hunger prevention advocates are sounding the alarm about what comes next — and what cannot fill the void.

\n\n\n\n

SNAP provides nine meals for every one meal supplied by emergency food charities, food banks, and pantries. The nation’s charitable food system, already stretched beyond capacity following the economic disruptions of recent years, is not equipped to absorb the losses now being engineered by federal policy.

\n\n\n\n

Advocates estimated that the OBBBA’s changes will result in more than 6 billion fewer meals being available to low-income Americans. For Black communities, the impact is compounded by geography. Food banks and pantries are unevenly distributed nationwide, and with many recipients living in food-desert neighborhoods, emergency food resources are already thin. During a Congressional hearing last month, anti-hunger advocates were direct: no combination of local food drives, food pantries, or private charity can replace a government program that feeds millions of people each day.

\n\n\n\n

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The post Hunger By Policy: SNAP Cuts Hit Hardest in Black America appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/hunger-by-policy-the-big-beautiful-bill-is-already-stripping-food-aid-from-millions-of-black-americans/","site":"Jennifer Porter Gore","originalAuthor":"Jennifer Porter Gore","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Health"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-13T22:00:36.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-SNAP032326.jpg?fit=724%2C483&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-05-13T22:12:14.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-SNAP032326.jpg?fit=724%2C483&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"mi3QfeobS0lp5qju","title":"EVENT: Let’s Talk Religion Hot Topics, May 21, 2026","description":"Let’s talk about religion in Black America. Word In Black’s religion and social justice reporter, Rev. Dorothy Boulware, will speak with a group of church leaders on topics ranging from Druski’s viral megachurch video, the explosive growth of the 2819 Church in Atlanta, and new preaching styles like incorporating spoken word. REGISTER TO WATCH IT LIVE Host: Rev. Dorothy Boulware, Word In Black Confirmed speakers: Rev. Lat-Doir Glasper, Kingdom Life Church in Olive Branch, Miss. Bishop Andrea Foster, Kingdom First Assembly Church in Rock Hill, S.C. Rev. Wanda Bynum Duckett, Eastern United Methodist Church in Baltimore, Md. REGISTER HERE Rewatch Word In Black’s Previous Events 5/13/26: What’s on Your Plate? Food Access in Black America 4/29/26 Event Recap: The Action Plan to Get Black Women Back to Work 4/9/26 Event Recap: ‘Breaking the Silence’: How Black Women Can Fight Breast Cancer The post EVENT: Let’s Talk Religion Hot Topics, May 21, 2026 appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
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\"Word
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Let’s talk about religion in Black America. 

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Word In Black’s religion and social justice reporter, Rev. Dorothy Boulware, will speak with a group of church leaders on topics ranging from Druski’s viral megachurch video, the explosive growth of the 2819 Church in Atlanta, and new preaching styles like incorporating spoken word.

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REGISTER TO WATCH IT LIVE

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Host:

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Rev. Dorothy Boulware, Word In Black

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Confirmed speakers:

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Rev. Lat-Doir Glasper, Kingdom Life Church in Olive Branch, Miss.

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Bishop Andrea Foster, Kingdom First Assembly Church in Rock Hill, S.C.

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Rev. Wanda Bynum Duckett, Eastern United Methodist Church in Baltimore, Md.

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REGISTER HERE

\n\n\n\n

Rewatch Word In Black’s Previous Events

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5/13/26: What’s on Your Plate? Food Access in Black America

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4/29/26 Event Recap: The Action Plan to Get Black Women Back to Work 

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4/9/26 Event Recap: ‘Breaking the Silence’: How Black Women Can Fight Breast Cancer

\n\n\n\n

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The post EVENT: Let’s Talk Religion Hot Topics, May 21, 2026 appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/event-lets-talk-religion-hot-topics-may-21-2026/","site":"Shernay Williams","originalAuthor":"Shernay Williams","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Culture","Events","Faith","Religion"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-13T16:07:14.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/600-x-500-px-Religion-Hot-Topics.png?fit=600%2C500&ssl=1","type":"image/png"},"createdAt":"2026-05-13T16:10:36.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/600-x-500-px-Religion-Hot-Topics.png?fit=600%2C500&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"3kDQZWm2YVfeVd55","title":"Black Churches Transform Food Aid Into Food Justice","description":"The Black church has long understood that hunger is political. Long before researchers coined phrases like “food insecurity” or “food apartheid,” Black congregations were feeding families abandoned by segregated systems, economic inequality and government neglect. But a new generation of faith leaders is asking a harder question: What if the church stopped merely responding to hunger and started confronting the system producing it? Across the country, Black churches are building gardens, supporting Black farmers, and reframing food as an issue of justice, health, and self-determination. At the center of that movement is the Black Church Food Security Network, which emerged from Baltimore’s 2015 uprising with a mission that goes far beyond emergency meals: helping Black communities reclaim power over what they eat, where it comes from, and who profits from it. LEARN MORE: Amid the Shutdown Void, Black Churches Filled Empty Stomachs That mission is unfolding against the backdrop of a worsening hunger crisis — driven by inflation, food deserts, and nutritional inequity — that disproportionately affects Black Americans. Worsening Crisis The Urban Institute reported in 2025 that more than one in three Black adults reported household food insecurity, nearly double the rate for white adults. Among Black working-age adults, the number climbed to 39%. As many as 23% of Black children live in poverty, up to three times higher than white children. The modern issues surrounding hunger and food access in Black neighborhoods have required new solutions, including a drive to not just put food in stomachs but also address what should be on the plates of hungry people. The Black church has always understood the power of feeding people. Meals open doors for ministry, healing, and relationships in ways few other things can.Rick Bernstein, Co-founder, First Fruits Farm In Baltimore, seeds of that movement were planted following the 2015 police killing of Freddie Gray. The protests, curfews and service shutdowns it triggered left many Black residents struggling to access basic necessities — and inspired Rev. Heber Brown III, founder of the Black Church Food Security Network, to create a solution. In a 2019 essay, Brown wrote that the moment of crisis, “when public services provided by city government and nonprofit organizations withdrew from the African American community,” that “a window of opportunity opened for the church to step forward.” ‘Alternative Food System’ Churches quickly transformed from worship spaces into emergency response hubs, coordinating food distribution after residents called saying neighborhood stores had shut down during the unrest. Drawing inspiration from figures like Fannie Lou Hamer, the effort connected Black churches with Black farmers to create what Brown described as “an alternative food system.” “Abandoned by government and nonprofits and forced to fend for ourselves, we in the African American community organized and created a system to meet our own basic needs,” Brown wrote. Rev. Dr. Heber Brown III That emergency response eventually evolved into the Black Church Food Security Network, which now partners with congregations, seminaries, and farmers across multiple states. The goal is to address what Brown calls “the systemic problem of food apartheid” in Black communities. “Our current food system — which is characterized by greed, abuses of power, expediency at any cost, legacies of enslavement, and conscience-less consumption — does not resemble the truest virtues of the Christian faith,” Brown wrote. “This corporatized food system is not only inhibiting human flourishing, but it is literally killing humans.” Elsewhere in Maryland, one ministry has become a striking example of what happens when faith and food justice meet in the soil. Obedience, not Charity First Fruits Farm was founded by Rick and Carol Bernstein with a mission rooted deeply in scripture and service; the name itself refers to the Biblical principle of offering one’s “first fruits” to God — the best and the first, not leftovers. The concept behind the farm is simple: all of the produce grown there is donated to feed hungry people. Church volunteers and civic groups plant, harvest and package fresh vegetables. The food is then distributed through food banks, shelters and community ministries. After COVID, the farm distributed more than 1.1 million pounds of potatoes, 406,000 pounds of corn, 95,000 pounds of cabbage, and other produce to food banks, homeless shelters, churches, and households. First Fruits has delivered as far away as Texas. “We believe God called us to grow food for people who need it most,” Bernstein said in previous interviews about the ministry’s mission. “This is not about charity—it’s about obedience and stewardship.” That spirit of stewardship resonates strongly within the Black church, where congregations understood hunger as a communal responsibility. If a member struggled, the church responded by providing meals or groceries. Theology of Care During the Civil Rights Movement, churches not only organized protests and voter drives; they also organized meals. Women’s auxiliaries prepared food for marchers. Congregations fed families displaced by economic retaliation. Today, that same spirit continues through community refrigerators, mobile pantries, meal delivery programs and Black churches are adapting to meet modern needs while practicing a theology of care. In cities where grocery stores have disappeared, some congregations host weekly food giveaways that serve hundreds of families. Others operate soup kitchens, school backpack programs, and senior meal deliveries. Increasingly, churches are also teaching nutrition, gardening and sustainability as part of holistic ministry. “It’s the church being the church outside the building,” Bernstein said. “The Black church has always understood the power of feeding people. Meals open doors for ministry, healing, and relationships in ways few other things can.” The post Black Churches Transform Food Aid Into Food Justice appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"Black
\n

The Black church has long understood that hunger is political.

\n\n\n\n

Long before researchers coined phrases like “food insecurity” or “food apartheid,” Black congregations were feeding families abandoned by segregated systems, economic inequality and government neglect. But a new generation of faith leaders is asking a harder question: What if the church stopped merely responding to hunger and started confronting the system producing it?

\n\n\n\n

Across the country, Black churches are building gardens, supporting Black farmers, and reframing food as an issue of justice, health, and self-determination. At the center of that movement is the Black Church Food Security Network, which emerged from Baltimore’s 2015 uprising with a mission that goes far beyond emergency meals: helping Black communities reclaim power over what they eat, where it comes from, and who profits from it.

\n\n\n\n

LEARN MORE: Amid the Shutdown Void, Black Churches Filled Empty Stomachs

\n\n\n\n

That mission is unfolding against the backdrop of a worsening hunger crisis — driven by inflation, food deserts, and nutritional inequity — that disproportionately affects Black Americans. 

\n\n\n\n

Worsening Crisis

\n\n\n\n

The Urban Institute reported in 2025 that more than one in three Black adults reported household food insecurity, nearly double the rate for white adults. Among Black working-age adults, the number climbed to 39%. As many as 23% of Black children live in poverty, up to three times higher than white children. 

\n\n\n\n

The modern issues surrounding hunger and food access in Black neighborhoods have required new solutions, including a drive to not just put food in stomachs but also address what should be on the plates of hungry people. 

\n\n\n\n

The Black church has always understood the power of feeding people. Meals open doors for ministry, healing, and relationships in ways few other things can.

Rick Bernstein, Co-founder, First Fruits Farm
\n\n\n\n

In Baltimore, seeds of that movement were planted following the 2015 police killing of Freddie Gray. The protests, curfews and service shutdowns it triggered left many Black residents struggling to access basic necessities — and inspired Rev. Heber Brown III, founder of the Black Church Food Security Network, to create a solution.

\n\n\n\n

In a 2019 essay, Brown wrote that the moment of crisis, “when public services provided by city government and nonprofit organizations withdrew from the African American community,” that “a window of opportunity opened for the church to step forward.”

\n\n\n\n

‘Alternative Food System’

\n\n\n\n

Churches quickly transformed from worship spaces into emergency response hubs, coordinating food distribution after residents called saying neighborhood stores had shut down during the unrest. Drawing inspiration from figures like Fannie Lou Hamer, the effort connected Black churches with Black farmers to create what Brown described as “an alternative food system.”

\n\n\n\n

“Abandoned by government and nonprofits and forced to fend for ourselves, we in the African American community organized and created a system to meet our own basic needs,” Brown wrote.

\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Rev. Dr. Heber Brown III
\n\n\n\n

That emergency response eventually evolved into the Black Church Food Security Network, which now partners with congregations, seminaries, and farmers across multiple states. The goal is to address what Brown calls “the systemic problem of food apartheid” in Black communities.

\n\n\n\n

“Our current food system — which is characterized by greed, abuses of power, expediency at any cost, legacies of enslavement, and conscience-less consumption — does not resemble the truest virtues of the Christian faith,” Brown wrote. “This corporatized food system is not only inhibiting human flourishing, but it is literally killing humans.”

\n\n\n\n

Elsewhere in Maryland, one ministry has become a striking example of what happens when faith and food justice meet in the soil. 

\n\n\n\n

Obedience, not Charity

\n\n\n\n

First Fruits Farm was founded by Rick and Carol Bernstein with a mission rooted deeply in scripture and service; the name itself refers to the Biblical principle of offering one’s “first fruits” to God — the best and the first, not leftovers. The concept behind the farm is simple: all of the produce grown there is donated to feed hungry people.

\n\n\n\n

Church volunteers and civic groups plant, harvest and package fresh vegetables. The food is then distributed through food banks, shelters and community ministries.

\n\n\n\n

After COVID, the farm distributed more than 1.1 million pounds of potatoes, 406,000 pounds of corn, 95,000 pounds of cabbage, and other produce to food banks, homeless shelters, churches, and households. First Fruits has delivered as far away as Texas.  

\n\n\n\n

“We believe God called us to grow food for people who need it most,” Bernstein said in previous interviews about the ministry’s mission. “This is not about charity—it’s about obedience and stewardship.”

\n\n\n\n

That spirit of stewardship resonates strongly within the Black church, where congregations understood hunger as a communal responsibility. If a member struggled, the church responded by providing meals or groceries.

\n\n\n\n

Theology of Care

\n\n\n\n

During the Civil Rights Movement, churches not only organized protests and voter drives; they also organized meals. Women’s auxiliaries prepared food for marchers. Congregations fed families displaced by economic retaliation.

\n\n\n\n

Today, that same spirit continues through community refrigerators, mobile pantries, meal delivery programs and Black churches are adapting to meet modern needs while practicing a theology of care.

\n\n\n\n

In cities where grocery stores have disappeared, some congregations host weekly food giveaways that serve hundreds of families. Others operate soup kitchens, school backpack programs, and senior meal deliveries. Increasingly, churches are also teaching nutrition, gardening and sustainability as part of holistic ministry.

\n\n\n\n

“It’s the church being the church outside the building,” Bernstein said. “The Black church has always understood the power of feeding people. Meals open doors for ministry, healing, and relationships in ways few other things can.”

\n

The post Black Churches Transform Food Aid Into Food Justice appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/transforming-food-aid-into-food-justice/","site":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","originalAuthor":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Religion"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-13T15:14:18.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-10.50.24-AM.png?fit=1024%2C679&ssl=1","type":"image/png"},"createdAt":"2026-05-13T15:25:12.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-10.50.24-AM.png?fit=1024%2C679&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"zWaJW0zmc7HdVpyh","title":"Black Communities Could Pay for FEMA Chaos","description":"When President Donald Trump returned to power last year, he put the Federal Emergency Management Agency on the chopping block as part of his efforts to reduce the federal government. With his blessing, then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem slashed FEMA’s budget and staffing, and Trump himself openly discussed shutting down the agency entirely. However, as the slash-and-burn approach delayed critical federal disaster declarations and the services they trigger, people within the agency began speaking up — despite risking their jobs. LEARN MORE: Cut FEMA in Half? Black Folks Know How This Goes “FEMA risks entering hurricane season without the clarity and discipline required for effective response,” Victoria Barton, the politically appointed communications chief at FEMA, wrote in one of a series of memos at the beginning of the year, according to Politico’s E&E News. And now, just ahead of hurricane season, FEMA’s new leadership appears to be listening. Katrina Declaration While hurricanes can hit up and down the eastern seaboard, they are most concentrated in the southeast, where Black people are nearly twice as likely to be affected as other residents living in the same part of the country. Lower-income people in particular disproportionately depend on FEMA, which often ends up playing a major role in the lives of Black residents after a natural disaster. FEMA risks entering hurricane season without the clarity and discipline required for effective response.Victoria barton, FEMA communications In addition to the internal memos, there was also the so-called Katrina Declaration, an open letter FEMA employees sent to Congress last year on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the deadly storm that devastated New Orleans. The document detailed to lawmakers how far the agency had drifted from the reforms made to ensure Black and low-income people weren’t stranded as they were after Hurricane Katrina. Rather than engaging with the critique, however, Noem — whose office has FEMA in its portfolio — suspended the 14 workers who wrote it. Stormy Weather Ahead With hurricane season rapidly approaching on June 1, FEMA is finally taking steps to rebuild the agency — at least somewhat. Trump replaced Noem with former Sen. Markwayne Mullins, an Oklahoma Republican. Last week, along with reinstating the suspended FEMA workers, Mullins rehired hundreds of disaster response workers whom Noem had fired. “As we approach the 2026 hurricane season and the FIFA World Cup, FEMA is taking targeted steps to stabilize our workforce and strengthen readiness,” Barton, FEMA’s communications director, said in a statement. “Under new leadership, FEMA is addressing outstanding personnel actions to ensure workforce stability and a strong, deployable surge force for upcoming national events and potential disasters.” The workers Mullin rehired are from FEMA’s Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery Employees program, or CORE. The unit is often the first federal response after a natural disaster, and sometimes continues to work with communities for years as communities rebuild. First Steps Still, the agency’s critics are clear that bringing back these workers alone is not enough to solve all of FEMA’s problems. RELATED: Who Helps When FEMA Doesn’t? MacKenzie Scott “FEMA is arguably in a worse state than it was back in August when I signed the Katrina Declaration,” Abby Mcllraith, an emergency management specialist who signed the Katrina Declaration, told the Washington Post after she returned to work. “A hiring freeze is still in effect,” she said. “FEMA still has no legally qualified administrator, money isn’t getting to states that need it, (and) we have wildfire and hurricane seasons coming up.” The post Black Communities Could Pay for FEMA Chaos appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"FEMA
\n

When President Donald Trump returned to power last year, he put the Federal Emergency Management Agency on the chopping block as part of his efforts to reduce the federal government. With his blessing, then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem slashed FEMA’s budget and staffing, and Trump himself openly discussed shutting down the agency entirely. 

\n\n\n\n

However, as the slash-and-burn approach delayed critical federal disaster declarations and the services they trigger, people within the agency began speaking up — despite risking their jobs. 

\n\n\n\n

LEARN MORE: Cut FEMA in Half? Black Folks Know How This Goes

\n\n\n\n

“FEMA risks entering hurricane season without the clarity and discipline required for effective response,” Victoria Barton, the politically appointed communications chief at FEMA, wrote in one of a series of memos at the beginning of the year, according to Politico’s E&E News. 

\n\n\n\n

And now, just ahead of hurricane season, FEMA’s new leadership appears to be listening. 

\n\n\n\n

Katrina Declaration

\n\n\n\n

While hurricanes can hit up and down the eastern seaboard, they are most concentrated in the southeast, where Black people are nearly twice as likely to be affected as other residents living in the same part of the country. Lower-income people in particular disproportionately depend on FEMA, which often ends up playing a major role in the lives of Black residents after a natural disaster.

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FEMA risks entering hurricane season without the clarity and discipline required for effective response.

Victoria barton, FEMA communications
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In addition to the internal memos, there was also the so-called Katrina Declaration, an open letter FEMA employees sent to Congress last year on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the deadly storm that devastated New Orleans. The document detailed to lawmakers how far the agency had drifted from the reforms made to ensure  Black and low-income people weren’t stranded as they were after Hurricane Katrina. 

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Rather than engaging with the critique, however, Noem — whose office has FEMA in its portfolio — suspended the 14 workers who wrote it.

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Stormy Weather Ahead

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With hurricane season rapidly approaching on June 1, FEMA is finally taking steps to rebuild the agency — at least somewhat. 

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Trump replaced Noem with former Sen. Markwayne Mullins, an Oklahoma Republican.  Last week, along with reinstating the suspended FEMA workers, Mullins rehired hundreds of disaster response workers whom Noem had fired. 

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“As we approach the 2026 hurricane season and the FIFA World Cup, FEMA is taking targeted steps to stabilize our workforce and strengthen readiness,” Barton, FEMA’s communications director, said in a statement. “Under new leadership, FEMA is addressing outstanding personnel actions to ensure workforce stability and a strong, deployable surge force for upcoming national events and potential disasters.”

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The workers Mullin rehired are from FEMA’s Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery Employees program, or CORE. The unit is often the first federal response after a natural disaster, and sometimes continues to work with communities for years as communities rebuild.

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First Steps

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Still, the agency’s critics are clear that bringing back these workers alone is not enough to solve all of FEMA’s problems.

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RELATED: Who Helps When FEMA Doesn’t? MacKenzie Scott

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“FEMA is arguably in a worse state than it was back in August when I signed the Katrina Declaration,” Abby Mcllraith, an emergency management specialist who signed the Katrina Declaration, told the Washington Post after she returned to work.

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“A hiring freeze is still in effect,” she said. “FEMA still has no legally qualified administrator, money isn’t getting to states that need it, (and) we have wildfire and hurricane seasons coming up.”

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The post Black Communities Could Pay for FEMA Chaos appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/black-communities-could-pay-for-fema-chaos/","site":"Willy Blackmore","originalAuthor":"Willy Blackmore","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Climate","Climate Justice","climate justice"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-12T09:00:00.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-55366938.jpg?fit=594%2C396&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-05-12T09:05:36.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-55366938.jpg?fit=594%2C396&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"XQ8jj02O0xbpCb8z","title":"FBI Search of Black Virginia Senator’s Office Sparks Fury","description":"Black Virginians and Democrats across the state are reacting angrily to an FBI raid on the Portsmouth office of state Sen. L. Louise Lucas, viewing the move not simply as a criminal investigation, but as part of a broader political fight over power, voting rights and redistricting. For many observers, the optics alone were explosive: federal agents searching the office of an 82-year-old Black lawmaker who recently became one of the most visible Democratic figures in Virginia’s bruising congressional redistricting battle on Wednesday. LEARN MORE: How Iran Turned Trap and Hip-Hop Into Viral War Propaganda “Senator Louise Lucas is 82! How low has this country fallen when federal power is used to intimidate an 82-year-old woman whose position was: ‘Let the people vote,’” one Threads user wrote. Power Politics Virginia State Sen. L. Louise Lucas confirmed Wednesday that federal agents executed a search warrant connected to an ongoing corruption investigation. According to the Associated Press, the investigation dates back to the Biden administration. “Today’s actions by federal agents are about far more than one state senator; they are about power and who is allowed to use it on behalf of the people,” Lucas said in a statement posted to X. This is the FBI blatantly using its power for political retribution. This cannot stand. Threads user defending Virginia Sen. L. Louise Lucas “What we saw fits a clear pattern from this administration: When challenged, they try to intimidate and silence the voices that stand up to them,” she added. The searches took place in Portsmouth, where FBI agents searched Lucas’ legislative office and a nearby cannabis dispensary she co-owns. A spokesperson for the FBI’s Norfolk field office told The Hill that agents were executing a court-authorized federal search warrant. The raid quickly ignited backlash online, especially among Democrats and Black voters already wary of growing political tensions around voting access and electoral maps nationwide. Investigation or Retribution? “The FBI raided State Sen. Louise Lucas’ office. This is the FBI blatantly using its power for political retribution,” another Threads user wrote. “This cannot stand.” Lucas has become one of the central political figures in Virginia’s redistricting debate. Supporters say she helped lead efforts to redraw congressional maps in ways Democrats believed more accurately reflected Virginia’s shifting population and voting patterns ahead of the midterm elections. Redistricting determines how political boundaries are drawn and which communities are grouped together in congressional representation. The issue has become increasingly contentious nationwide because even small map changes can dramatically reshape political power in Washington. NPR reported Friday that the Virginia Supreme Court ultimately struck down the proposed maps. The fight became one of the country’s most closely watched redistricting battles, according to Axios. Influential Figure “Watching what’s happening in Virginia: a 4-3 court decision just tossed out maps the citizens voted for,” another Threads user wrote. “If a few judges can just overrule the people’s voice, what’s the point of the vote?” Lucas has been one of the most influential figures in Virginia politics for decades. First elected in the 1980s, she currently chairs the Senate Finance Committee and recently gained national attention after helping block Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposal to build a sports arena in Alexandria for the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals. Lucas indicated Wednesday that she plans to speak further about both the FBI raid and the state Supreme Court ruling in the coming days. “I am not backing down,” Lucas said, “and I will keep fighting for the people of Portsmouth and the commonwealth of Virginia.” The post FBI Search of Black Virginia Senator’s Office Sparks Fury appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"The
\n

Black Virginians and Democrats across the state are reacting angrily to an FBI raid on the Portsmouth office of state Sen. L. Louise Lucas, viewing the move not simply as a criminal investigation, but as part of a broader political fight over power, voting rights and redistricting.

\n\n\n\n

For many observers, the optics alone were explosive: federal agents searching the office of an 82-year-old Black lawmaker who recently became one of the most visible Democratic figures in Virginia’s bruising congressional redistricting battle on Wednesday.

\n\n\n\n

LEARN MORE: How Iran Turned Trap and Hip-Hop Into Viral War Propaganda

\n\n\n\n

“Senator Louise Lucas is 82! How low has this country fallen when federal power is used to intimidate an 82-year-old woman whose position was: ‘Let the people vote,’” one Threads user wrote.

\n\n\n\n

Power Politics

\n\n\n\n

Virginia State Sen. L. Louise Lucas confirmed Wednesday that federal agents executed a search warrant connected to an ongoing corruption investigation. According to the Associated Press, the investigation dates back to the Biden administration.

\n\n\n\n

“Today’s actions by federal agents are about far more than one state senator; they are about power and who is allowed to use it on behalf of the people,” Lucas said in a statement posted to X.

\n\n\n\n

This is the FBI blatantly using its power for political retribution. This cannot stand.

Threads user defending Virginia Sen. L. Louise Lucas
\n\n\n\n

“What we saw fits a clear pattern from this administration: When challenged, they try to intimidate and silence the voices that stand up to them,” she added.

\n\n\n\n

The searches took place in Portsmouth, where FBI agents searched Lucas’ legislative office and a nearby cannabis dispensary she co-owns. A spokesperson for the FBI’s Norfolk field office told The Hill that agents were executing a court-authorized federal search warrant.

\n\n\n\n

The raid quickly ignited backlash online, especially among Democrats and Black voters already wary of growing political tensions around voting access and electoral maps nationwide.

\n\n\n\n

Investigation or Retribution?

\n\n\n\n

“The FBI raided State Sen. Louise Lucas’ office. This is the FBI blatantly using its power for political retribution,” another Threads user wrote. “This cannot stand.”

\n\n\n\n

Lucas has become one of the central political figures in Virginia’s redistricting debate. Supporters say she helped lead efforts to redraw congressional maps in ways Democrats believed more accurately reflected Virginia’s shifting population and voting patterns ahead of the midterm elections.

\n\n\n\n

Redistricting determines how political boundaries are drawn and which communities are grouped together in congressional representation. The issue has become increasingly contentious nationwide because even small map changes can dramatically reshape political power in Washington.

\n\n\n\n

NPR reported Friday that the Virginia Supreme Court ultimately struck down the proposed maps. The fight became one of the country’s most closely watched redistricting battles, according to Axios.

\n\n\n\n

Influential Figure

\n\n\n\n

“Watching what’s happening in Virginia: a 4-3 court decision just tossed out maps the citizens voted for,” another Threads user wrote. “If a few judges can just overrule the people’s voice, what’s the point of the vote?”

\n\n\n\n

Lucas has been one of the most influential figures in Virginia politics for decades. First elected in the 1980s, she currently chairs the Senate Finance Committee and recently gained national attention after helping block Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposal to build a sports arena in Alexandria for the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals.

\n\n\n\n

Lucas indicated Wednesday that she plans to speak further about both the FBI raid and the state Supreme Court ruling in the coming days.

\n\n\n\n

“I am not backing down,” Lucas said, “and I will keep fighting for the people of Portsmouth and the commonwealth of Virginia.”

\n

The post FBI Search of Black Virginia Senator’s Office Sparks Fury appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/fbi-search-of-black-virginia-senator-sparks-fury/","site":"Clayton Gutzmore","originalAuthor":"Clayton Gutzmore","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Politics"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-09T02:16:27.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-2259906427.jpg?fit=594%2C399&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-05-09T02:24:32.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-2259906427.jpg?fit=594%2C399&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"eJA6kJYkEzMkBvMt","title":"In the Black Church, Women’s Hats Still Testify","description":"The Apostle Paul’s mandates toward women in church have often caused more fury than faith, but not the one about women needing to cover their heads. In the Black Church, hats have, for generations, held a prominent place in Sunday worship — one that continues to block the view of even the tallest worshipers. Before the first hymn is lifted or the opening prayer is spoken, a quiet procession tells its own story. Women enter the sanctuary with heads held high, adorned in hats that are as varied as they are meaningful — with or without brims, sculpted felt, delicate netting, bold colors. They are not simply accessories. They are testimony. Rooted in History In Black church tradition, women’s hat-wearing has long stood at the intersection of faith, culture, and dignity. What may appear to outsiders as fashion is, for many, an act of reverence — a visible expression of inward devotion shaped by scripture, history, and lived experience. Betty Clark The most often cited biblical passage comes from 1 Corinthians 11, which addresses the covering of women’s heads in worship. While interpretations vary across denominations, many Black churches have embraced the practice as a sign of honor and respect in the presence of God. Over time, that theological framework merged with cultural expression, giving rise to what is now widely known in the Black community as the “church hat” tradition. Black women’s church millinery also traces back to the post-Emancipation era, when formerly enslaved Black men and women sought to redefine themselves in public and sacred spaces. Clothing became a language of freedom. For Black women in particular, dressing for church was a way to assert dignity in a society that routinely denied it. Back then, Sunday worship offered one of the few spaces where Black women could freely express themselves. Hats signaled care, creativity, and self-worth. In communities where resources were limited, a well-kept hat could transform an outfit and, more importantly, affirm identity. Defiant Self-Expression The larger ones were often greeted with the inquiry, “Trying to catch God’s eye?” according to artist Clara Nartey, who gave her well-known 2020 creation that same title. “I learned that wearing a hat is a form of creative expression. Enslaved Africans were not allowed to dress the way they wanted,” Nartey said. “The only times they got to express themselves in clothes was when they got the rare occasion to congregate at church.” In a world that has frequently sought to diminish Black women’s presence, the act of dressing with care and distinction for worship asserts worth. Regina Moody Sunday worship “was just as much a form of social gathering,” Nartey said. “To Black women, making and wearing elegant hats was a fusion of fashion and faith. Their tall hats have a striking resemblance to African headdresses.” Fashion stylist Michael Andre Settles, owner of Michael Andre Clothier in the metro Baltimore area, is well aware of the importance of hats to a woman’s overall look. He says he can judge which woman is suited for a particular hat when he first sees it. ”When a woman is well dressed, she stands apart; the hat is a crown, heads turn, and she is remembered,” Settles says. “When a woman feels extraordinary, everyone feels it.” The right choice of hat is “the crown of glory, brings it all together,” says Settles, who recently styled a few women for the annual AFRO tea in Baltimore. “It needs to match their personality, their persona, and their silhouette. It’s the final touch.” Declaration of Self-Worth There is also an element of quiet resistance embedded in the tradition of Black women and Sunday hats. In a world that has frequently sought to diminish Black women’s presence, the act of dressing with care and distinction for worship asserts worth. It declares that entering the house of God is not casual, and neither is the person entering. Mildred Harper As churches continue to navigate changing times, the future of the hat tradition will likely reflect the same adaptability that has sustained the Black church itself. It may look different from one generation to the next, but its meaning — rooted in reverence, dignity, and community — endures. And on Sunday mornings, before a word is preached, that meaning is already on display. It sits in the pews, tilts in greeting, nods in agreement with the sermon. It is lifted in praise and bowed in prayer. We have seen it and, more importantly, understand it. Easter Sunday and Mother’s Day in particular, but in many churches, hats rule every Lord’s day with great prominence. Because in the Black church, even what is worn can testify. The post In the Black Church, Women’s Hats Still Testify appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"Church
\n

The Apostle Paul’s mandates toward women in church have often caused more fury than faith, but not the one about women needing to cover their heads. In the Black Church, hats have, for generations, held a prominent place in Sunday worship — one that continues to block the view of even the tallest worshipers.

\n\n\n\n

Before the first hymn is lifted or the opening prayer is spoken, a quiet procession tells its own story. Women enter the sanctuary with heads held high, adorned in hats that are as varied as they are meaningful — with or without brims, sculpted felt, delicate netting, bold colors. 

\n\n\n\n

They are not simply accessories. They are testimony.

\n\n\n\n

Rooted in History

\n\n\n\n

In Black church tradition, women’s hat-wearing has long stood at the intersection of faith, culture, and dignity. What may appear to outsiders as fashion is, for many, an act of reverence — a visible expression of inward devotion shaped by scripture, history, and lived experience.

\n\n\n
\n
\"\"
Betty Clark
\n
\n\n\n

The most often cited biblical passage comes from 1 Corinthians 11, which addresses the covering of women’s heads in worship. While interpretations vary across denominations, many Black churches have embraced the practice as a sign of honor and respect in the presence of God. Over time, that theological framework merged with cultural expression, giving rise to what is now widely known in the Black community as the “church hat” tradition.

\n\n\n\n

Black women’s church millinery also traces back to the post-Emancipation era, when formerly enslaved Black men and women sought to redefine themselves in public and sacred spaces. Clothing became a language of freedom. For Black women in particular, dressing for church was a way to assert dignity in a society that routinely denied it.

\n\n\n\n

Back then, Sunday worship offered one of the few spaces where Black women could freely express themselves. Hats signaled care, creativity, and self-worth. In communities where resources were limited, a well-kept hat could transform an outfit and, more importantly, affirm identity.

\n\n\n\n

Defiant Self-Expression

\n\n\n\n

The larger ones were often greeted with the inquiry, “Trying to catch God’s eye?” according to artist Clara Nartey, who gave her well-known 2020 creation that same title. 

\n\n\n\n

“I learned that wearing a hat is a form of creative expression. Enslaved Africans were not allowed to dress the way they wanted,” Nartey said. “The only times they got to express themselves in clothes was when they got the rare occasion to congregate at church.” 

\n\n\n\n

In a world that has frequently sought to diminish Black women’s presence, the act of dressing with care and distinction for worship asserts worth.

\n\n\n
\n
\"\"
Regina Moody
\n
\n\n\n

Sunday worship “was just as much a form of social gathering,” Nartey said. “To Black women, making and wearing elegant hats was a fusion of fashion and faith. Their tall hats have a striking resemblance to African headdresses.”

\n\n\n\n

Fashion stylist Michael Andre Settles, owner of Michael Andre Clothier in the metro Baltimore area, is well aware of the importance of hats to a woman’s overall look. He says he can judge which woman is suited for a particular hat when he first sees it.

\n\n\n\n

”When a woman is well dressed, she stands apart; the hat is a crown, heads turn, and she is remembered,” Settles says. “When a woman feels extraordinary, everyone feels it.”

\n\n\n\n

The right choice of hat is “the crown of glory, brings it all together,” says Settles, who recently styled a few women for the annual AFRO tea in Baltimore. “It needs to match their personality, their persona, and their silhouette. It’s the final touch.”

\n\n\n\n

Declaration of Self-Worth

\n\n\n\n

There is also an element of quiet resistance embedded in the tradition of Black women and Sunday hats. In a world that has frequently sought to diminish Black women’s presence, the act of dressing with care and distinction for worship asserts worth. It declares that entering the house of God is not casual, and neither is the person entering.

\n\n\n
\n
\"\"
Mildred Harper
\n
\n\n\n

As churches continue to navigate changing times, the future of the hat tradition will likely reflect the same adaptability that has sustained the Black church itself. It may look different from one generation to the next, but its meaning — rooted in reverence, dignity, and community — endures.

\n\n\n\n

And on Sunday mornings, before a word is preached, that meaning is already on display.

\n\n\n\n

It sits in the pews, tilts in greeting, nods in agreement with the sermon. It is lifted in praise and bowed in prayer. We have seen it and, more importantly, understand it.

\n\n\n\n

Easter Sunday and Mother’s Day in particular, but in many churches, hats rule every Lord’s day with great prominence. 

\n\n\n\n

Because in the Black church, even what is worn can testify.

\n

The post In the Black Church, Women’s Hats Still Testify appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/in-the-black-church-womens-hats-still-testify/","site":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","originalAuthor":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Religion","religion"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-07T19:58:37.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Resized_Upfoto_5U4fGuAvIEdAKRv4lCCiIUpmPrTcx1mflJF1lQf3pqc8z.jpg?resize=682%2C1024&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-05-07T20:01:42.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Resized_Upfoto_5U4fGuAvIEdAKRv4lCCiIUpmPrTcx1mflJF1lQf3pqc8z.jpg?resize=682%2C1024&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"l3a1J6ihN0YHUa4m","title":"‘Pray and Stay’ Is Still Hurting Black Women in Church","description":"In too many Black churches, the response to intimate partner violence still begins with prayer — and ends with a woman being sent back home. The harm doesn’t stop at the altar, and neither should the church’s responsibility. Rev. Dr. Thema Bryant, a clinical psychologist and ordained minister, says progress is real but uneven. “Churches have shown growth in attention, training, and sensitivity,” she says, “but some congregations still exhibit sexism and victim blaming.” For survivors, she says, awareness without action can feel like abandonment. “It’s not enough to share brochures or teaching scripts — survivors must be convinced, beyond all doubt, that the abuse is not their fault.” Safety vs. Faith That gap matters most for Black women, who are often expected to carry faith, family, and community on their backs at once. In church spaces that prize endurance and unity, support can blur into pressure to stay, forgive, and keep silent — even when safety is at risk. Bryant says closing that gap starts with culture. “Remove the stigma around divorce,” she says, noting that shame keeps many women from seeking safety. It also requires a more honest use of scripture. Biblical narratives can model accountability and define repentance as change, not apology, but those same texts have been used to justify submission and silence. If boys and men are just taught, ‘You’re the head, you’re the boss, you decide, you get to choose, and they have to obey you no matter what’ — that’s not a way to be in a relationship.Rev. Dr. Thema Bryant Church leaders, she says, must confront those distortions directly. Safety is not a lack of faith, and protecting life must take precedence over preserving appearances. What follows is a conversation with Bryant about what the Black church gets right — and where it still falls short — in responding to intimate partner violence. Word in Black: How should churches engage men and boys in prevention? Thema Bryant: It is so important for churches to teach men and boys what loving looks like, that gentleness and care can be and must be very masculine traits. So the idea where what is often just promoted is the way you love is by being in charge. And if we look at the model of Jesus — how he was with people — it is centered in compassion. It is centered in tenderness. It is centered in being able to listen and not just speak. We often teach relational skills to girls and women. And men are taught to just be the silent type, or if they’re not silent, to kind of rule and reign and dominate. But those aren’t relationship skills. If boys and men are just taught, ‘You’re the head, you’re the boss, you decide, you get to choose, and they have to obey you no matter what,’ that’s not a way to be in a relationship. WIB: You say that on the prevention side. What about the intervention side? Bryant: Pastors should be careful not to promote the idea that the woman should be better at submitting, as if to say the violence is her fault. And not to pray one time and send [the couple] home. If the violence leads to a court trial, the pastor shouldn’t be a character reference for the abusing spouse. He or she has to remember to pastor both parties and to be more concerned for them than for the possible damage to the institution. Couples often celebrate longevity without regard for the abusive, miserable nature of those years. WIB: The survivor often tells the pastor first. What’s the appropriate reaction? Bryant: The first thing we say is to respond with belief and to communicate clearly that no one deserves abuse, violence, or mistreatment, and to appreciate them for trusting you enough to share their story with you. So the do’s are do believe, do validate, do ask them questions about how they are feeling and how they’re managing. And get a sense of their supports, if any, besides the partner or outside of the marriage. And get a sense from them, if they’ve made any decisions about what they’re wanting to do because some people are coming to you and they’re trying to escape and are looking for support. Some people are coming to you because they’re hoping that you’ll talk to the person and get the abuse to stop. Some people are coming to you because they don’t know what to do. All of those are understandable positions to be in, but you don’t want to run off with an agenda before you’re clear where the person’s head is. WIB: What are the inappropriate things we do? Bryant: The “don’t”s are responses like, “He wouldn’t do that. That automatically blames the victim. Or the big one is asking the victim, “Well, what did you do?” — as if there’s any answer a person could give that would justify abuse. Even if the survivor cheated on them. So now, they beat this person to a pulp and want to justify it because of the infidelity. So even then, it’s not okay, right? WIB: Is it okay to suggest leaving? Bryant: Not really. If the leaving is not coming from the survivor, it’s not in her heart to do it, and she’s more likely to return in those circumstances. Secondly, it’s so important to know that at the moment they decide to leave, they’re at the greatest risk of homicide. So sometimes people aren’t leaving because of fear and it can be a well-grounded fear that the violence is going to escalate if the offender knows there’s a plan to get away — and even after they get away. WIB: What else should we know about people’s choice to leave? Bryant: Besides fear, there’s love. And we say it’s unconditional. And combined with the love is the hope: “I don’t want to leave them. I just want the violence to stop.” And then little things will give them hope. Sometimes you have an offender who does apologize, and they’re sorry, it’ll never happen again. And then there’s that honeymoon period where they treat you nice again. So love, hope, fear, and then some people are like, “I promised God, so I’m never leaving, right? No matter what, I made a vow to God, and I’m not going to break my vow to God.” So, you know, that’s why we have to hear where people are, but also to have them to even imagine what life would look like. The post ‘Pray and Stay’ Is Still Hurting Black Women in Church appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"Rev.
\n

In too many Black churches, the response to intimate partner violence still begins with prayer — and ends with a woman being sent back home. The harm doesn’t stop at the altar, and neither should the church’s responsibility.

\n\n\n\n

Rev. Dr. Thema Bryant, a clinical psychologist and ordained minister, says progress is real but uneven. “Churches have shown growth in attention, training, and sensitivity,” she says, “but some congregations still exhibit sexism and victim blaming.”

\n\n\n\n

For survivors, she says, awareness without action can feel like abandonment. “It’s not enough to share brochures or teaching scripts — survivors must be convinced, beyond all doubt, that the abuse is not their fault.”

\n\n\n\n

Safety vs. Faith

\n\n\n\n

That gap matters most for Black women, who are often expected to carry faith, family, and community on their backs at once. In church spaces that prize endurance and unity, support can blur into pressure to stay, forgive, and keep silent — even when safety is at risk.

\n\n\n\n

Bryant says closing that gap starts with culture. “Remove the stigma around divorce,” she says, noting that shame keeps many women from seeking safety.

\n\n\n\n

It also requires a more honest use of scripture. Biblical narratives can model accountability and define repentance as change, not apology, but those same texts have been used to justify submission and silence.

\n\n\n\n

If boys and men are just taught, ‘You’re the head, you’re the boss, you decide, you get to choose, and they have to obey you no matter what’ — that’s not a way to be in a relationship.

Rev. Dr. Thema Bryant
\n\n\n\n

Church leaders, she says, must confront those distortions directly. Safety is not a lack of faith, and protecting life must take precedence over preserving appearances.

\n\n\n\n

What follows is a conversation with Bryant about what the Black church gets right — and where it still falls short — in responding to intimate partner violence.

\n\n\n\n

Word in Black: How should churches engage men and boys in prevention?

\n\n\n\n

Thema Bryant: It is so important for churches to teach men and boys what loving looks like, that gentleness and care can be and must be very masculine traits. So the idea where what is often just promoted is the way you love is by being in charge. 

\n\n\n\n

And if we look at the model of Jesus — how he was with people — it is centered in compassion. It is centered in tenderness. It is centered in being able to listen and not just speak. We often teach relational skills to girls and women. And men are taught to just be the silent type, or if they’re not silent, to kind of rule and reign and dominate. 

\n\n\n\n

But those aren’t relationship skills. If boys and men are just taught, ‘You’re the head, you’re the boss, you decide, you get to choose, and they have to obey you no matter what,’ that’s not a way to be in a relationship.

\n\n\n\n

WIB: You say that on the prevention side. What about the intervention side?

\n\n\n\n

Bryant: Pastors should be careful not to promote the idea that the woman should be better at submitting, as if to say the violence is her fault. And not to pray one time and send [the couple] home. 

\n\n\n\n

If the violence leads to a court trial, the pastor shouldn’t be a character reference for the abusing spouse. He or she has to remember to pastor both parties and to be more concerned for them than for the possible damage to the institution. Couples often celebrate longevity without regard for the abusive, miserable nature of those years.

\n\n\n\n

WIB: The survivor often tells the pastor first. What’s the appropriate reaction?

\n\n\n\n

Bryant: The first thing we say is to respond with belief and to communicate clearly that no one deserves abuse, violence, or mistreatment, and to appreciate them for trusting you enough to share their story with you. So the do’s are do believe, do validate, do ask them questions about how they are feeling and how they’re managing. And get a sense of their supports, if any, besides the partner or outside of the marriage.

\n\n\n\n

And get a sense from them, if they’ve made any decisions about what they’re wanting to do because some people are coming to you and they’re trying to escape and are looking for support. Some people are coming to you because they’re hoping that you’ll talk to the person and get the abuse to stop. Some people are coming to you because they don’t know what to do. All of those are understandable positions to be in, but you don’t want to run off with an agenda before you’re clear where the person’s head is.

\n\n\n\n

WIB: What are the inappropriate things we do?

\n\n\n\n

Bryant: The “don’t”s are responses like, “He wouldn’t do that. That automatically blames the victim. Or the big one is asking the victim, “Well, what did you do?” — as if there’s any answer a person could give that would justify abuse. Even if the survivor cheated on them. So now, they beat this person to a pulp and want to justify it because of the infidelity. So even then, it’s not okay, right?

\n\n\n\n

WIB: Is it okay to suggest leaving?

\n\n\n\n

Bryant: Not really. If the leaving is not coming from the survivor, it’s not in her heart to do it, and she’s more likely to return in those circumstances. 

\n\n\n\n

Secondly, it’s so important to know that at the moment they decide to leave, they’re at the greatest risk of homicide. So sometimes people aren’t leaving because of fear and it can be a well-grounded fear that the violence is going to escalate if the offender knows there’s a plan to get away — and even after they get away.

\n\n\n\n

WIB: What else should we know about people’s choice to leave?

\n\n\n\n

Bryant: Besides fear, there’s love. And we say it’s unconditional. And combined with the love is the hope: “I don’t want to leave them. I just want the violence to stop.” And then little things will give them hope. 

\n\n\n\n

Sometimes you have an offender who does apologize, and they’re sorry, it’ll never happen again. And then there’s that honeymoon period where they treat you nice again.

\n\n\n\n

So love, hope, fear, and then some people are like, “I promised God, so I’m never leaving, right? No matter what, I made a vow to God, and I’m not going to break my vow to God.” So, you know, that’s why we have to hear where people are, but also to have them to even imagine what life would look like.

\n

The post ‘Pray and Stay’ Is Still Hurting Black Women in Church appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/pray-and-stay-is-still-hurting-black-women-in-church/","site":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","originalAuthor":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Religion","religion"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-07T10:00:00.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-06-at-6.33.43-PM.png?fit=1024%2C733&ssl=1","type":"image/png"},"createdAt":"2026-05-07T10:14:20.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-06-at-6.33.43-PM.png?fit=1024%2C733&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"3I0yOBUqCU3mXuLE","title":"They’re Testing Democracy’s Collapse in Louisiana First","description":"Decades ago, W. E. B. Du Bois warned, “As goes the South, so goes the nation.” That warning carries renewed weight after last week, when Louisiana experienced two significant challenges to its democratic systems. Yet the state is also actively pushing back, positioning itself as a proving ground for both the erosion of power and the strategies to resist it. On April 29th, in a decision that eviscerated the Voting Rights Act, the Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s congressional map. The decision effectively dismantled the largest Black voting district in the state, effectively suppressing the votes of thousands of Black Louisianans — including mine. The NAACP and the American Civil Liberties Union have already filed lawsuits challenging the ruling. Blueprint, not Policy Just days later, the Louisiana legislature eliminated the position held by Calvin Duncan, a formerly incarcerated Black man who had been elected clerk of the local criminal district court. Framed as a matter of structural efficiency, the legislature effectively fired an elected official whose job was to advance reform and accountability. With the support of the ACLU, Duncan sued and won in federal court, restoring his power. But what’s happening in Louisiana isn’t just policy—it’s a blueprint. Southern states like Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida are advancing their own policies that similarly threaten Black voting power — moves straight out of Project 2025, the far-right road map to reshape and dismantle democratic institutions. Front-Row Seat While it became an issue during the 2024 presidential election, Project 2025 policies had unfolded in Louisiana years before Trump’s first executive order. Since 2023, under Governor Jeff Landry, the state has sought to restructure political systems and limit access to power, particularly for his own constituents. I don’t write about this as a distant observer. I am a Black woman, born and raised in Louisiana, where I still live and work. I’ve seen how decisions made in Baton Rouge don’t stay in government buildings; they show up in courtrooms, classrooms, and everyday life. One of Landry’s early actions was reversing a key component of the “Raise the Age” law, designed to reduce the number of underage people serving time in state penitentiaries. The governor lowered the age at which young people can be tried as adults to age 17, exposing more children to the adult criminal legal system. I am a Black woman, born and raised in Louisiana, where I still live and work. I’ve seen how decisions made in Baton Rouge don’t stay in government buildings; they show up in courtrooms, classrooms, and everyday life. Like so many “tough on crime” policies, the effect is not evenly distributed. It lands hardest on the most vulnerable, including Black and poor children. Weeks after the vote, I saw a former student sitting behind bars for breaking into a car during the 2025 Louisiana snowstorm — seeking shelter when the entire state had shut down. Slow Erosion This is how erosion works—not through one sweeping decision, but through policy shifts that reshape outcomes over time. But Louisiana residents have not been passive. In 2025, voters rejected all four proposed constitutional amendments that would have expanded legislative control over the courts, reshaped tax policy, and altered aspects of the criminal legal system. It was evidence of the power of the people. And we are being called to do so again. On May 16, voters here will face a slate of constitutional amendments that could reshape our schools, courts, and communities, proposals that could directly affect how resources, justice, and opportunity are distributed. Together, these bills represent a continued effort to shift power away from communities and toward politicians, another key component of Project 2025. Thousands, including myself, have turned out in record numbers, set to create a historic election turnout. This is why Louisiana matters: it’s where policies are tested, and then replicated. Georgia, Kentucky, and Washington, D.C., passed more punitive crime bills. Coordinated strategies, like the “trigger laws” that activated abortion bans across 13 states, including Louisiana, show how what begins here does not stay here; the same strategies being used here to weaken voting power, reshape courts, and limit rights are poised to spread nationally — and scale up. Southern Strategies That means the South is the critical battleground for the future of American democracy. And we must continue to fight back. Across the South, Southerners are fighting for their rights. In Florida, grassroots organizing helped flip Jacksonville’s mayoral seat to blue. Georgia currently has its most diverse legislature.Virginia and Alabama have driven major voting rights victories, with courts forcing the redraw of congressional maps to restore fair representation. All of these efforts make clear that even in states labeled “red,” power is being contested, reshaped, and reclaimed. The erosion of fair courts, representative districts, and accountable leadership isn’t partisan; it’s structural. And when power becomes more concentrated, everyday people and Black communities lose their ability to shape what happens next. That is why this moment demands attention beyond state lines. We must listen to the warning Du Bois offered generations ago. Other states would be wise to look here for what’s next, so they can prepare and resist. Julienne Louis-Anderson is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. She is also a former educator who writes about the intersection of culture and politics with education and human development. She is also a Public Voices Fellow of The OpEd Project in partnership with the National Black Child Development Institute. The post They’re Testing Democracy’s Collapse in Louisiana First appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"\"
\n

Decades ago, W. E. B. Du Bois warned, “As goes the South, so goes the nation.” That warning carries renewed weight after last week, when Louisiana experienced two significant challenges to its democratic systems. 

\n\n\n\n

Yet the state is also actively pushing back, positioning itself as a proving ground for both the erosion of power and the strategies to resist it.

\n\n\n\n

On April 29th, in a decision that eviscerated the Voting Rights Act, the Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s congressional map. The decision effectively dismantled the largest Black voting district in the state, effectively suppressing the votes of thousands of Black Louisianans — including mine. The NAACP and the American Civil Liberties Union have already filed lawsuits challenging the ruling.

\n\n\n\n

Blueprint, not Policy

\n\n\n\n

Just days later, the Louisiana legislature eliminated the position held by Calvin Duncan, a formerly incarcerated Black man who had been elected clerk of the local criminal district court. Framed as a matter of structural efficiency, the legislature effectively fired an elected official whose job was to advance reform and accountability. 

\n\n\n\n

With the support of the ACLU, Duncan sued and won in federal court, restoring his power. 

\n\n\n\n

But what’s happening in Louisiana isn’t just policy—it’s a blueprint. 

\n\n\n\n

Southern states like Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida are advancing their own policies that similarly threaten Black voting power — moves straight out of Project 2025, the far-right road map to reshape and dismantle democratic institutions. 

\n\n\n\n

Front-Row Seat

\n\n\n\n

While it became an issue during the 2024 presidential election, Project 2025 policies had unfolded in Louisiana years before Trump’s first executive order. Since 2023, under Governor Jeff Landry, the state has sought to restructure political systems and limit access to power, particularly for his own constituents. 

\n\n\n\n

I don’t write about this as a distant observer. I am a Black woman, born and raised in Louisiana, where I still live and work. I’ve seen how decisions made in Baton Rouge don’t stay in government buildings; they show up in courtrooms, classrooms, and everyday life.

\n\n\n\n

One of Landry’s early actions was reversing a key component of the “Raise the Age” law, designed to reduce the number of underage people serving time in state penitentiaries. The governor lowered the age at which young people can be tried as adults to age 17,  exposing more children to the adult criminal legal system.

\n\n\n\n

I am a Black woman, born and raised in Louisiana, where I still live and work. I’ve seen how decisions made in Baton Rouge don’t stay in government buildings; they show up in courtrooms, classrooms, and everyday life.

\n\n\n\n

Like so many “tough on crime” policies, the effect is not evenly distributed. It lands hardest on the most vulnerable, including Black and poor children. Weeks after the vote, I saw a former student sitting behind bars for breaking into a car during the 2025 Louisiana snowstorm — seeking shelter when the entire state had shut down.

\n\n\n\n

Slow Erosion

\n\n\n\n

This is how erosion works—not through one sweeping decision, but through policy shifts that reshape outcomes over time. 

\n\n\n\n

But Louisiana residents have not been passive.

\n\n\n\n

In 2025, voters rejected all four proposed constitutional amendments that would have expanded legislative control over the courts, reshaped tax policy, and altered aspects of the criminal legal system. It was evidence of the power of the people. And we are being called to do so again. 

\n\n\n\n

On May 16, voters here will face a slate of constitutional amendments that could reshape our schools, courts, and communities, proposals that could directly affect how resources, justice, and opportunity are distributed. Together, these bills represent a continued effort to shift power away from communities and toward politicians, another key component of Project 2025. 

\n\n\n\n

Thousands, including myself, have turned out in record numbers, set to create a historic election turnout. This is why Louisiana matters: it’s where policies are tested, and then replicated. 

\n\n\n\n

Georgia, Kentucky, and Washington, D.C., passed more punitive crime bills. Coordinated strategies, like the “trigger laws” that activated abortion bans across 13 states, including Louisiana, show how what begins here does not stay here; the same strategies being used here to weaken voting power, reshape courts, and limit rights are poised to spread nationally — and scale up.

\n\n\n\n

Southern Strategies

\n\n\n\n

That means the South is the critical battleground for the future of American democracy.

\n\n\n\n

And we must continue to fight back. 

\n\n\n\n

Across the South, Southerners are fighting for their rights. In Florida, grassroots organizing helped flip Jacksonville’s mayoral seat to blue. Georgia currently has its most diverse legislature.Virginia and Alabama have driven major voting rights victories, with courts forcing the redraw of congressional maps to restore fair representation. All of these efforts make clear that even in states labeled “red,” power is being contested,  reshaped, and reclaimed.

\n\n\n\n

The erosion of fair courts, representative districts, and accountable leadership isn’t partisan; it’s structural. And when power becomes more concentrated, everyday people and Black communities lose their ability to shape what happens next.

\n\n\n\n

That is why this moment demands attention beyond state lines. We must listen to the warning Du Bois offered generations ago. Other states would be wise to look here for what’s next, so they can prepare and resist.

\n\n\n
\n
\"\"
\n
\n\n\n

Julienne Louis-Anderson is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. She is also a former educator who writes about the intersection of culture and politics with education and human development. She is also a Public Voices Fellow of The OpEd Project in partnership with the National Black Child Development Institute.

\n\n\n\n

\n

The post They’re Testing Democracy’s Collapse in Louisiana First appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/theyre-testing-democracys-collapse-in-louisiana-first/","site":"Julienne Louis-Anderson","originalAuthor":"Julienne Louis-Anderson","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Opinion","opinion"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-07T09:30:00.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-2241196013.jpg?fit=594%2C396&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-05-07T09:42:58.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-2241196013.jpg?fit=594%2C396&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"kkBgaAu3Iha5YA89","title":"As War and Fear Rise, Americans Pause for National Day of Prayer","description":"The nation is embroiled in a confusing, unpopular war in the Middle East. At home, prices for gas and groceries are spiraling out of control. And the nation’s highest court just rolled back voting rights, erasing milestones it took Black America generations to reach. In moments like these, when headlines are more disturbing than enlightening, prayer becomes more of a refuge than a religious practice. It becomes a place of rest for the heart — a quiet space where fear slows, confusion finds clarity, and the mind is reminded that hope still exists. 75th Anniversary Observed annually on the first Thursday in May, the National Day of Prayer issues an invitation to the entire country to pause for reflection and intercession. Whether you are sitting in a busy city apartment, a quiet home, or even alone in your thoughts, this day invites you to pause and breathe. This year, marking the 75th anniversary of Congress’s creation of it as a national observance, the theme is “Glorify God Among the Nations — Seeking Him in All Generations.” It’s a particularly apt theme, drawn from I Chronicles 16:24: “Tell of his glory among the nations. His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.” Events Nationwide To facilitate participation, the National Day of Prayer website offers downloads of litanies and prayers, as well as locations of in-person and online gatherings. The tens of thousands of nationwide gatherings include prayer breakfasts, marathon Bible readings, concerts, rallies, church prayer vigils, student flagpole gatherings, and observances held in sports stadiums. The Capitol will also host an observance of the day, with representatives from all branches of government and the U.S. military. A few other locations are listed below: Abyssinian Baptist Church, New York City Alfred Street Baptist Church, Alexandria, Virginia. Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia New Psalmist Baptist Church, Baltimore, Maryland Greater Ebenezer Ministries, Detroit, Michigan The Potter’s House, Dallas, Texas The DMV Christian Chamber of Commerce Praying Scripture to Impact Your Business. 6-7:30 p.m. (virtual) The post As War and Fear Rise, Americans Pause for National Day of Prayer appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"As
\n

The nation is embroiled in a confusing, unpopular war in the Middle East. At home, prices for gas and groceries are spiraling out of control. And the nation’s highest court just rolled back voting rights, erasing milestones it took Black America generations to reach.

\n\n\n\n

In moments like these, when headlines are more disturbing than enlightening, prayer becomes more of a refuge than a religious practice. It becomes a place of rest for the heart — a quiet space where fear slows, confusion finds clarity, and the mind is reminded that hope still exists.

\n\n\n\n

75th Anniversary

\n\n\n\n

Observed annually on the first Thursday in May, the National Day of Prayer issues an invitation to the entire country to pause for reflection and intercession. Whether you are sitting in a busy city apartment, a quiet home, or even alone in your thoughts, this day invites you to pause and breathe.

\n\n\n\n

This year, marking the 75th anniversary of Congress’s creation of it as a national observance, the theme is “Glorify God Among the Nations — Seeking Him in All Generations.” It’s a particularly apt theme, drawn from I Chronicles 16:24: “Tell of his glory among the nations. His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.”

\n\n\n\n

Events Nationwide

\n\n\n\n

To facilitate participation, the National Day of Prayer website offers downloads of litanies and prayers, as well as locations of in-person and online gatherings. The tens of thousands of nationwide gatherings include prayer breakfasts, marathon Bible readings, concerts, rallies, church prayer vigils, student flagpole gatherings, and observances held in sports stadiums. 

\n\n\n\n

The Capitol will also host an observance of the day, with representatives from all branches of government and the U.S. military. A few other locations are listed below:

\n\n\n\n

Abyssinian Baptist Church, New York City

\n\n\n\n

Alfred Street Baptist Church, Alexandria, Virginia.

\n\n\n\n

Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia

\n\n\n\n

New Psalmist Baptist Church, Baltimore, Maryland

\n\n\n\n

Greater Ebenezer Ministries, Detroit, Michigan

\n\n\n\n

The Potter’s House, Dallas, Texas

\n\n\n\n

The DMV Christian Chamber of Commerce Praying Scripture to Impact Your Business. 6-7:30 p.m. (virtual) 

\n

The post As War and Fear Rise, Americans Pause for National Day of Prayer appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/as-war-and-fear-rise-americans-pause-for-national-day-of-prayer/","site":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","originalAuthor":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Religion","religion"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-07T09:00:00.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-1392543778-1.jpg?fit=724%2C483&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-05-07T12:30:16.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-1392543778-1.jpg?fit=724%2C483&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"VnUVUMCgRh2llgu3","title":"How Iran Turned Trap and Hip-Hop Into Viral War Propaganda","description":"The missiles flying over Tehran and the Strait of Hormuz are real. So are skyrocketing gas prices, the war jitters, and the political exhaustion hanging over Americans already battered by inflation and another ugly election season. But online, the latest conflict involving the United States and Iran has been repackaged into something stranger: viral AI-generated Lego videos that mock President Donald Trump with rap music, trap beats, punchlines, and cartoon explosions. The clips are goofy on purpose, but beneath the humor is something critics say is more sophisticated, insidious — and far more dangerous. It’s propaganda masquerading as entertainment — and using a Black American art form, one rooted in struggle, hardship, and poverty, as the delivery device. Call it “hip-hop-aganda.” Soundtrack of Resistance Simon Howard, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Miami, says it’s no accident that the Iranian regime chose Black American music as the soundtrack for the campaign. After all, he says, rap and hip-hop are a “global language of resistance and identity” that have served as the soundtrack to revolutions and resistance movements worldwide. “Based on what these individuals from Iran are doing, they are vocalizing their frustration with the U.S.,” Howard says. News reports have tied the videos to Explosive News, a propaganda network with ties to the Iranian government. In an interview with The New Yorker, an unnamed representative of Explosive News insisted it is a “student-led media team with a background in social activism.” The representative also insisted on anonymity out of fear that the success of their viral videos might make them targets of the U.S. government. The organization, he said, is “totally independent”—“no government. No military. No state TV.” ‘I Just Love It So Much’ What is clear, however, is that their videos are landing — hard — on social media. “I’m loving all of the music!” Threads user @gnamo69 wrote in a recent post. “I was kind of losing my faith and hip-hop lately. I don’t know it’s just I’m old but these things are so one point I just love it so much.” Another Threads user, @srblaker, concurred: “Another banger from the Iran Lego News crew. 🔥The Donny Boy smackdown continues. I think that we should be vigilant about any of the media that we are engaging in — even if it is something that we see as entertaining or funny. The stakes are incredibly high.Dr. a.d. carson, professor, university of virginia But user @axiom.daze was “conflicted” about enjoying obvious propaganda that nevertheless expresses their feelings about the Trump administration. “This is a Lego AI video allegedly from Iran, laying out everything our government tries to hide…and it shouldn’t be this catchy 🫣😅,” they wrote. “What a time to be alive.” For decades, Hip Hop has been used to convey political messages and reflect where we are in society. From Jadakiss’s 2004 hit “Why” to Young Jeezy’s “My President Is Black,” hip-hop has been seen as a voice for the voiceless. With inflation still squeezing working-class Americans, fears of a wider Middle East war growing, and Trump’s approval ratings taking a nosedive, the videos land in an audience primed for cynicism. Dope Beats, High Stakes The Lego clips mock American power and exploit public frustration, using hip-hop to package propaganda as relatable internet culture. Though most are stinging critiques of the war with Iran, the videos’ subject matter has expanded. There are videos about Donald Trump falling asleep in a press conference and the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ dinner. Dr. A.D. Carson, associate professor of hip hop in the global south at the University of Virginia, says the videos operate like a funhouse mirror, portraying Donald Trump and other political figures as goofy, cartoonish villains. This form of propaganda, he says, reflects the absurdity of our times. “It feels as if they have their fingers on the pulse of something rhetorically significant,” Carson says. “Using Legos and Hip-Hop as a way to cut through the noise around political discourse is something to admire.” At the same time, “I think that we should be vigilant about any of the media that we are engaging in — even if it is something that we see as entertaining or funny,” Carson says. “The stakes are incredibly high.” Need for Media Literacy A broader lesson from this content is the growing need for media literacy. Both Cason and Howard say viewers in the U.S. should learn to think critically about what they’re seeing — even if it’s a humorous message that mocks Trump, slams an unpopular war, and calls out political hypocrisy. Carson says the videos are “the kind of thing that draws more people in than the event,” particularly among people who get most of their news online. Vigilance, he says, “is going to be incredibly important because our ability to scrutinize media will determine what we are vulnerable to.” With videos created by A.I., one social justice organization argues that this propaganda devalues the art form. The Hip Hop Caucus is an organization that mobilizes communities of color to fight for racial, climate, and economic justice. Brittany Bell Surratt, the Caucus’s senior director of storytelling and communication, believes the Iranian Lego videos could dilute the art form because it lacks the lived experiences of Black communities navigating systemic inequality. “When A.I. tools replicate the sound and aesthetic of hip hop without that lived context, it extracts from the culture,” she says. “What we’re seeing is both a testament to hip hop’s universal appeal and a warning about how easily culture can be extracted and repurposed without accountability.” Experience not loading? Click here The post How Iran Turned Trap and Hip-Hop Into Viral War Propaganda appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"Experts
\n

The missiles flying over Tehran and the Strait of Hormuz are real. So are skyrocketing gas prices, the war jitters, and the political exhaustion hanging over Americans already battered by inflation and another ugly election season.

\n\n\n\n

But online, the latest conflict involving the United States and Iran has been repackaged into something stranger: viral AI-generated Lego videos that mock President Donald Trump with rap music, trap beats, punchlines, and cartoon explosions. The clips are goofy on purpose, but beneath the humor is something critics say is more sophisticated, insidious — and far more dangerous. 

\n\n\n\n

It’s propaganda masquerading as entertainment — and using a Black American art form, one rooted in struggle, hardship, and poverty, as the delivery device. Call it “hip-hop-aganda.” 

\n\n\n\n

Soundtrack of Resistance

\n\n\n\n

Simon Howard, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Miami, says it’s no accident that the Iranian regime chose Black American music as the soundtrack for the campaign. After all, he says, rap and hip-hop are a “global language of resistance and identity” that have served as the soundtrack to revolutions and resistance movements worldwide. 

\n\n\n\n

“Based on what these individuals from Iran are doing, they are vocalizing their frustration with the U.S.,” Howard says.

\n\n\n\n

News reports have tied the videos to Explosive News, a propaganda network with ties to the Iranian government. 

\n\n\n\n

In an interview with The New Yorker, an unnamed representative of Explosive News insisted it is a “student-led media team with a background in social activism.” The representative also insisted on anonymity out of fear that the success of their viral videos might make them targets of the U.S. government.

\n\n\n\n

The organization, he said, is “totally independent”—“no government. No military. No state TV.” 

\n\n\n\n

‘I Just Love It So Much’

\n\n\n\n

What is clear, however, is that their videos are landing — hard — on social media. 

\n\n\n\n

“I’m loving all of the music!” Threads user @gnamo69 wrote in a recent post. “I was kind of losing my faith and hip-hop lately. I don’t know it’s just I’m old but these things are so one point I just love it so much.”

\n\n\n\n

Another Threads user, @srblaker, concurred: “Another banger from the Iran Lego News crew. 🔥The Donny Boy smackdown continues.

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I think that we should be vigilant about any of the media that we are engaging in — even if it is something that we see as entertaining or funny. The stakes are incredibly high.

Dr. a.d. carson, professor, university of virginia
\n\n\n\n

But user @axiom.daze was “conflicted” about enjoying obvious propaganda that nevertheless expresses their feelings about the Trump administration. “This is a Lego AI video allegedly from Iran, laying out everything our government tries to hide…and it shouldn’t be this catchy 🫣😅,” they wrote. “What a time to be alive.”

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For decades, Hip Hop has been used to convey political messages and reflect where we are in society. From Jadakiss’s 2004 hit “Why” to Young Jeezy’s “My President Is Black,” hip-hop has been seen as a voice for the voiceless.

\n\n\n\n

With inflation still squeezing working-class Americans, fears of a wider Middle East war growing, and Trump’s approval ratings taking a nosedive, the videos land in an audience primed for cynicism.

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Dope Beats, High Stakes

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The Lego clips mock American power and exploit public frustration, using hip-hop to package propaganda as relatable internet culture.

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Though most are stinging critiques of the war with Iran, the videos’ subject matter has expanded. There are videos about Donald Trump falling asleep in a press conference and the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ dinner. 

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Dr. A.D. Carson, associate professor of hip hop in the global south at the University of Virginia, says the videos operate like a funhouse mirror, portraying Donald Trump and other political figures as goofy, cartoonish villains. This form of propaganda, he says, reflects the absurdity of our times.

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“It feels as if they have their fingers on the pulse of something rhetorically significant,” Carson says. “Using Legos and Hip-Hop as a way to cut through the noise around political discourse is something to admire.”

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At the same time, “I think that we should be vigilant about any of the media that we are engaging in — even if it is something that we see as entertaining or funny,” Carson says. “The stakes are incredibly high.” 

\n\n\n\n

Need for Media Literacy

\n\n\n\n

A broader lesson from this content is the growing need for media literacy.

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Both Cason and Howard say viewers in the U.S. should learn to think critically about what they’re seeing — even if it’s a humorous message that mocks Trump, slams an unpopular war, and calls out political hypocrisy.

\n\n\n\n

Carson says the videos are “the kind of thing that draws more people in than the event,” particularly among people who get most of their news online. Vigilance, he says, “is going to be incredibly important because our ability to scrutinize media will determine what we are vulnerable to.” 

\n\n\n\n

With videos created by A.I., one social justice organization argues that this propaganda devalues the art form. 

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The Hip Hop Caucus is an organization that mobilizes communities of color to fight for racial, climate, and economic justice. Brittany Bell Surratt, the Caucus’s senior director of storytelling and communication, believes the Iranian Lego videos could dilute the art form because it lacks the lived experiences of Black communities navigating systemic inequality.

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“When A.I. tools replicate the sound and aesthetic of hip hop without that lived context, it extracts from the culture,” she says. “What we’re seeing is both a testament to hip hop’s universal appeal and a warning about how easily culture can be extracted and repurposed without accountability.”

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The post How Iran Turned Trap and Hip-Hop Into Viral War Propaganda appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/iran-trap-and-hip-hop-propaganda/","site":"Clayton Gutzmore","originalAuthor":"Clayton Gutzmore","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Culture","culture"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-06T22:13:12.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-06-at-5.23.38-PM.png?fit=1024%2C615&ssl=1","type":"image/png"},"createdAt":"2026-05-06T22:23:50.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-06-at-5.23.38-PM.png?fit=1024%2C615&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"hjKIQZ6rwFedFioR","title":"EVENT: What’s on Your Plate? Food Access in Black America","description":"From food deserts to chronic, diet-related disease, Black communities face some of the nation’s most persistent food inequities. During this live virtual event, the first in a two-part series, Word In Black will examine how policies and corporate practices shape what foods Black Americans can access, afford, and eat. We will also spotlight organizations working to change the system, and invite the event’s live viewers to take Word In Black’s food survey to help us learn their personal experiences with food. Register here. What’s on Your Plate? Part 1: Food Access in Black America May 13, 6-7:15p ET Moderator Joseph Williams, WIB Head of Content Confirmed Guest Speakers Rev. Dr. Heber Brown, founder of the Black Church Food Security Network Ty Jones Cox, VP for Food Assistance at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Jennifer Porter Gore, WIB Health Reporter Dr. Christa Mahlobo, WIB Insights & Research Director REGISTER HERE Rewatch Our Previous Events 4/29/26 Event Recap: The Action Plan to Get Black Women Back to Work 4/9/26 Event Recap: ‘Breaking the Silence’: How Black Women Can Fight Breast Cancer The post EVENT: What’s on Your Plate? Food Access in Black America appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"\"
\n

From food deserts to chronic, diet-related disease, Black communities face some of the nation’s most persistent food inequities. 

\n\n\n\n

During this live virtual event, the first in a two-part series, Word In Black will examine how policies and corporate practices shape what foods Black Americans can access, afford, and eat. 

\n\n\n\n

We will also spotlight organizations working to change the system, and invite the event’s live viewers to take Word In Black’s food survey to help us learn their personal experiences with food. Register here.

\n\n\n\n

What’s on Your Plate? Part 1: 

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Food Access in Black America

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May 13, 6-7:15p ET

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Moderator 

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Joseph Williams, WIB Head of Content

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Confirmed Guest Speakers

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REGISTER HERE

\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Rewatch Our Previous Events

\n\n\n\n

4/29/26 Event Recap: The Action Plan to Get Black Women Back to Work 

\n\n\n\n

4/9/26 Event Recap: ‘Breaking the Silence’: How Black Women Can Fight Breast Cancer

\n\n\n\n

\n

The post EVENT: What’s on Your Plate? Food Access in Black America appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/event-whats-on-your-plate-food-access-in-black-america/","site":"Shernay Williams","originalAuthor":"Shernay Williams","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Events","Health","food","Food access","food system"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-06T18:04:27.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Web-Whats-On-Your-Plate-513-.png?fit=1024%2C791&ssl=1","type":"image/png"},"createdAt":"2026-05-06T18:07:52.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Web-Whats-On-Your-Plate-513-.png?fit=1024%2C791&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"yynhEoXS6Po7wWcD","title":"She Didn’t Want the Pulpit. Instead, She Built a Stage","description":"Ursula Battle comes from a family of preachers, but she didn’t take the pulpit. Instead, the Baltimore journalist-turned-playwright built her own kind of ministry — one where the stage doubles as a sanctuary and every performance leaves room for transformation. Her work, which centers on faith and faith-based values, fills the pews in performance spaces across metro Baltimore, largely through word of mouth. She’s received mentorship from Charles Dutton, a veteran actor and star of the early-90s sitcom “Roc.” Audiences are so moved by her plays — often set in the fictional United in Victory Tabernacle on the Hill Free Will Baptist Catholic and Episcopal Church — that ministers are on hand to receive those ready to give themselves to the faith. RELATED: Her Calling: Healing Through Music and Medicine “Some even fall prostrate during the show,” Battle says. “It’s just indescribable.” ‘It’s Really a Ministry’ Though she still writes freelance news articles for local papers to help pay the bills, Battle says that finding her passion by blending faith and artistry with the pen has been as unexpected as it is gratifying. ”I know I’m doing what God has called me to do and those kinds of testimonies just verify it, and make me say, ‘Wow!’” she says. “It’s more than a play, it’s really ministry.” A Baltimore native, the drive to preach runs strong in the family. Her grandfather, the late Rev. William Nelson Stokes, founded New Hope Baptist Church, and her father, Rev. John Battle, also owned a barbershop in Sandtown, Winchester. Ursula Battle, however, chose a different path. An excellent student in English and the written word, she got her undergraduate degree from Coppin State University and a graduate degree from the University of Baltimore. Her sights were set on a career in journalism. ”I never expected I’d be able to tell an entire news story, write an article, and make it plain for everyone,” Battle says. Influential Supporters But she was even more surprised when, at the request of her mother, Vashtied Battle, a retired school teacher, she wrote her first play, “The Teachers Lounge.” The play debuted at Coppin State University in 2002, and Battle’s mother was pleased with the outcome. The audience apparently was, too: some came to multiple performances of “The Teachers Lounge,” and those who know Battel still talk about it. Actually, encouragement from two unexpected sources that really put the soul in that first play. My experiences over the years as a journalist was preparation for what I believe God has called me to do. ursula v. battle, playwright The first positive sign came from Cheryl Pasteur, a Maryland state delegate representing the Baltimore area and a former drama teacher and educator. Battle says the influential lawmaker read the script and later became one of the play’s directors. Then, Battle had the opportunity to interview Dutton, who read the script after hearing about it. The actor, who was a friend and collaborator of the legendary playwright August Wilson, gave Battle invaluable advice. “He told me I needed to interject the full life of a teacher, because the original had been pure comedy,” Battle says. “He said, “The life of a teacher isn’t just comedy. You need to capture the other side in terms of the challenges of being an educator.” Writing From the Heart Battle was thrilled: “I was so encouraged and revised the script as he suggested, and the first show was a sellout. But what really got me was when I heard the [audience’s] first laughter.” Her next play, “DisChord in the Choir,” played to packed houses at Johns Hopkins University. Since then, Battle has written more than 30 plays, some even for specific churches and their planned celebrations. Though her creativity has brought her reknoun, she credits her time as a reporter with helping her refine her craft. “My experiences over the years as a journalist was preparation for what I believe God has called me to do,” Battle says. “And the reason I say that is because I’ve interviewed many people who, for example, are in addiction, many people who run recovery houses,” the setting for her play “Serenity House: From Addiction to Deliverance.” Interviewing people who had fallen into addiction, yet found a path to sobriety, “was preparation for me to write the show, as well as the book that followed.” And, much like her subsequent shows, Battle’s message of faith touched her audience. ”I’ve had a young lady come up to me after the show and said it had helped her overcome her addiction, Battle said. “She had relapsed and then the show helper her in such a way that she was about to not go back to using.” ‘Come to Jesus’ Moments Battle’s most recent work, “The Homegoing Service for a Man Named Jesus,” featured tributes from Biblical characters whose lives had been transformed by their encounters with the Savior. Not every play is a Bible-based story, but each story reflects values that spark a desire for real transformation. And as each play ends, the “come to Jesus moment” in the audience begins. Pastors and ministers take their places to receive those who’ve been so moved by what they’ve seen that they’re ready to commit to their faith. Others move toward audience members who indicate a need for prayer. RELATED: Holy Culture Radio Produces a Joyful Noise on the Radio The actors of all ages come from surprising places: boardrooms, physicians’ offices, and classrooms. At least one performer had enough talent to qualify for the 7th round of the talent competition TV show “American Idol.” Battle’s work has received awards from the Patapsco Valley Links, Donnie Glover’s Black Wall Street, Leah’s Book Club, and Playwright of the Year! When people greet her, they often ask Battle, “When’s your next play?” Her answer: “Desperate Housewives of the Bible,” playing June 27 and 28 at One God One Thought Center for Better Living in Windsor Mill, Maryland. The post She Didn’t Want the Pulpit. Instead, She Built a Stage appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"Ursula
\n

Ursula Battle comes from a family of preachers, but she didn’t take the pulpit. Instead, the Baltimore journalist-turned-playwright built her own kind of ministry — one where the stage doubles as a sanctuary and every performance leaves room for transformation.

\n\n\n\n

Her work, which centers on faith and faith-based values, fills the pews in performance spaces across metro Baltimore, largely through word of mouth. She’s received mentorship from Charles Dutton, a veteran actor and star of the early-90s sitcom “Roc.” Audiences are so moved by her plays — often set in the fictional United in Victory Tabernacle on the Hill Free Will Baptist Catholic and Episcopal Church — that ministers are on hand to receive those ready to give themselves to the faith. 

\n\n\n\n

RELATED: Her Calling: Healing Through Music and Medicine

\n\n\n\n

“Some even fall prostrate during the show,” Battle says. “It’s just indescribable.” 

\n\n\n\n

‘It’s Really a Ministry’

\n\n\n\n

Though she still writes freelance news articles for local papers to help pay the bills, Battle says that finding her passion by blending faith and artistry with the pen has been as unexpected as it is gratifying.

\n\n\n\n

”I know I’m doing what God has called me to do and those kinds of testimonies just verify it, and make me say, ‘Wow!’” she says. “It’s more than a play, it’s really ministry.”

\n\n\n\n

A Baltimore native, the drive to preach runs strong in the family. Her grandfather, the late Rev. William Nelson Stokes, founded New Hope Baptist Church, and her father, Rev. John Battle, also owned a barbershop in Sandtown, Winchester.

\n\n\n\n

Ursula Battle, however, chose a different path. 

\n\n\n\n

An excellent student in English and the written word, she got her undergraduate degree from Coppin State University and a graduate degree from the University of Baltimore. Her sights were set on a career in journalism. 

\n\n\n\n

”I never expected I’d be able to tell an entire news story, write an article, and make it plain for everyone,” Battle says.

\n\n\n\n

Influential Supporters

\n\n\n\n

But she was even more surprised when, at the request of her mother, Vashtied Battle, a retired school teacher, she wrote her first play, “The Teachers Lounge.” The play debuted at Coppin State University in 2002, and Battle’s mother was pleased with the outcome. The audience apparently was, too: some came to multiple performances of “The Teachers Lounge,” and those who know Battel still talk about it.

\n\n\n\n

Actually, encouragement from two unexpected sources that really put the soul in that first play.

\n\n\n\n

 My experiences over the years as a journalist was preparation for what I believe God has called me to do.

ursula v. battle, playwright
\n\n\n\n

The first positive sign came from Cheryl Pasteur, a Maryland state delegate representing the Baltimore area and a former drama teacher and educator. Battle says the influential lawmaker read the script and later became one of the play’s directors. 

\n\n\n\n

Then, Battle had the opportunity to interview Dutton, who read the script after hearing about it. The actor, who was a friend and collaborator of the legendary playwright August Wilson, gave Battle invaluable advice. 

\n\n\n\n

“He told me I needed to interject the full life of a teacher, because the original had been pure comedy,” Battle says. “He said, “The life of a teacher isn’t just comedy. You need to capture the other side in terms of the challenges of being an educator.” 

\n\n\n\n

Writing From the Heart

\n\n\n\n

Battle was thrilled: “I was so encouraged and revised the script as he suggested, and the first show was a sellout. But what really got me was when I heard the [audience’s] first laughter.”

\n\n\n\n

Her next play, “DisChord in the Choir,” played to packed houses at Johns Hopkins University. Since then, Battle has written more than 30 plays, some even for specific churches and their planned celebrations. Though her creativity has brought her reknoun, she credits her time as a reporter with helping her refine her craft.

\n\n\n\n

“My experiences over the years as a journalist was preparation for what I believe God has called me to do,” Battle says. “And the reason I say that is because I’ve interviewed many people who, for example, are in addiction, many people who run recovery houses,” the setting for her play “Serenity House: From Addiction to Deliverance.” 

\n\n\n\n

Interviewing people who had fallen into addiction, yet found a path to sobriety, “was preparation for me to write the show, as well as the book that followed.” And, much like her subsequent shows, Battle’s message of faith touched her audience.

\n\n\n\n

”I’ve had a young lady come up to me after the show and said it had helped her overcome her addiction, Battle said. “She had relapsed and then the show helper her in such a way that she was about to not go back to using.” 

\n\n\n\n

‘Come to Jesus’ Moments

\n\n\n\n

Battle’s most recent work, “The Homegoing Service for a Man Named Jesus,” featured tributes from Biblical characters whose lives had been transformed by their encounters with the Savior.

\n\n\n\n

Not every play is a Bible-based story, but each story reflects values that spark a desire for real transformation. And as each play ends, the “come to Jesus moment” in the audience begins.

\n\n\n\n

 Pastors and ministers take their places to receive those who’ve been so moved by what they’ve seen that they’re ready to commit to their faith. Others move toward audience members who indicate a need for prayer.

\n\n\n\n

RELATED: Holy Culture Radio Produces a Joyful Noise on the Radio

\n\n\n\n

The actors of all ages come from surprising places: boardrooms, physicians’ offices, and classrooms.  At least one performer had enough talent to qualify for the 7th round of the talent competition TV show “American Idol.” 

\n\n\n\n

Battle’s work has received awards from the Patapsco Valley Links, Donnie Glover’s Black Wall Street, Leah’s Book Club, and Playwright of the Year!

\n\n\n\n

When people greet her, they often ask Battle, “When’s your next play?” Her answer: “Desperate Housewives of the Bible,” playing June 27 and 28 at One God One Thought Center for Better Living in Windsor Mill, Maryland.

\n\n\n\n

\n

The post She Didn’t Want the Pulpit. Instead, She Built a Stage appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/she-didnt-want-the-pulpit-instead-she-built-a-stage/","site":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","originalAuthor":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Religion","religion"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-05T18:00:15.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-05-at-1.48.49-PM.png?fit=1024%2C675&ssl=1","type":"image/png"},"createdAt":"2026-05-05T18:15:08.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-05-at-1.48.49-PM.png?fit=1024%2C675&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"9Ad7acXOvfcfmzGA","title":"Mamdani: NYC to Spend $20M on Bronx Kids with Asthma","description":"In New York City, the Bronx neighborhood of Mott Haven has so many children with chronic asthma — caused in part by air pollution from industrial development and traffic from two major freeways — that it’s regularly called “Asthma Alley.” But Mayor Zorhan Mamdani and New York City’s health department on Tuesday announced a plan to help those children breathe easier. To mark World Asthma Day, the mayor declared the city will invest $20 million to improve childhood asthma treatment for families in the Bronx. The money comes from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s congestion pricing traffic control plan, in which most drivers pay hefty tolls to enter the city’s downtown during peak times. Environmental Justice “New Yorkers are already benefitting from congestion pricing, and now we’re taking it a step further by investing those funds to improve asthma outcomes for children in the Bronx,” Mamdani said. “Every New Yorker deserves to breathe cleaner air. This initiative puts public health front and center as we build a cleaner, healthier city.” Dr. Alister Martin, New York City’s health commissioner, said the plan will help Bronx children become as healthy as their peers. Every New Yorker deserves to breathe cleaner air. This initiative puts public health front and center as we build a cleaner, healthier city.New york Mayor Zorhan Mamdani “Asthma rates for children in the Bronx have decreased in the past 15 to 20 years, but remain concerningly high in parts of the Bronx,” he said. “This critical funding will continue and accelerate that improvement in children’s respiratory health through environmental justice initiatives like these.” Globally, asthma affects over 260 million people and is responsible for roughly 450,000 deaths annually. In the U.S., Black children are disproportionately more likely to be diagnosed with the condition than white children — particularly if they live in densely populated, low-income urban neighborhoods like Mott Haven. High Childhood Asthma Rates Across New York City, the number of children visiting emergency rooms for asthma-related conditions fell between 2009 and 2024. In that 15-year period, there was a 38% decrease citywide, but only a 25% decrease in the Bronx. This means children ages 5 to 17 who live there still have more ER visits than their peers in the city’s other boroughs. The problem is particularly acute in Mott Haven, a neighborhood bordered by Interstates 87 and 278 and home to an industrial warehouse park where trucks come and go. The community, which is predominantly Black and Latino, has 17 public housing developments, a 35% poverty rate, and a median household income of around $36,000. The rate of asthma-related emergency room visits for children ages 5 to 17 in Mott Haven is almost double the national average, which means it has some of the highest rates of asthma-related emergency room visits in the U.S. System Upgrades Under the plan, families in the Bronx will get some assistance from the city to help fight childhood asthma. A total of $8.9 million will go to the Bronx Asthma Program for community-based asthma support programming. Another $11.1 million will be used to expand the city’s Asthma Case Management Program, which will provide intensive support, including in-school medication administration and classes to teach students with asthma and their families how to manage the respiratory condition. The funding will also be used to replace paper forms with an electronic process that families and health providers currently use to request asthma medication administration forms. These forms allow children to receive or carry asthma medication, such as a rescue inhaler. This is expected to be in place before the 2026-27 school year. Congestion Pricing Payoff Mamdani’s announcement also underscores the benefit of congestion pricing, a controversial plan to reduce gridlock, increase pedestrian safety, and improve air quality. After months of heated debate — and attempts by President Donald Trump, a former New Yorker, to shut down the plan — New York City launched its congestion pricing in January 2025, which charges most passenger vehicles a $9 toll to enter lower Manhattan. To date, $100 million generated from congestion pricing has been directed to support projects in neighborhoods with high rates of environmental pollution, climate change-related damage, and pollution-related health concerns. “Congestion pricing has been a win-win: fewer cars, safer streets, and better quality of life,” said Dr. Martin. The post Mamdani: NYC to Spend $20M on Bronx Kids with Asthma appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"To
\n

In New York City, the Bronx neighborhood of Mott Haven has so many children with chronic asthma — caused in part by air pollution from industrial development and traffic from two major freeways — that it’s regularly called “Asthma Alley.”  

\n\n\n\n

But Mayor Zorhan Mamdani and New York City’s health department on Tuesday announced a plan to help those children breathe easier.  

\n\n\n\n

To mark World Asthma Day, the mayor declared the city will invest $20 million to improve childhood asthma treatment for families in the Bronx. The money comes from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s congestion pricing traffic control plan, in which most drivers pay hefty tolls to enter the city’s downtown during peak times. 

\n\n\n\n

Environmental Justice

\n\n\n\n

“New Yorkers are already benefitting from congestion pricing, and now we’re taking it a step further by investing those funds to improve asthma outcomes for children in the Bronx,” Mamdani said. “Every New Yorker deserves to breathe cleaner air. This initiative puts public health front and center as we build a cleaner, healthier city.”

\n\n\n\n

Dr. Alister Martin, New York City’s health commissioner, said the plan will help Bronx children become as healthy as their peers.

\n\n\n\n

Every New Yorker deserves to breathe cleaner air. This initiative puts public health front and center as we build a cleaner, healthier city.

New york Mayor Zorhan Mamdani
\n\n\n\n

“Asthma rates for children in the Bronx have decreased in the past 15 to 20 years, but remain concerningly high in parts of the Bronx,” he said. “This critical funding will continue and accelerate that improvement in children’s respiratory health through environmental justice initiatives like these.”

\n\n\n\n

Globally, asthma affects over 260 million people and is responsible for roughly 450,000 deaths annually. In the U.S., Black children are disproportionately more likely to be diagnosed with the condition than white children — particularly if they live in densely populated, low-income urban neighborhoods like Mott Haven.

\n\n\n\n

High Childhood Asthma Rates

\n\n\n\n

Across New York City, the number of children visiting emergency rooms for asthma-related conditions fell between 2009 and 2024. In that 15-year period, there was a 38% decrease citywide, but only a 25% decrease in the Bronx. This means children ages 5 to 17 who live there still have more ER visits than their peers in the city’s other boroughs. 

\n\n\n\n

The problem is particularly acute in Mott Haven, a neighborhood bordered by Interstates 87 and 278 and home to an industrial warehouse park where trucks come and go. The community, which is predominantly Black and Latino, has 17 public housing developments, a 35% poverty rate, and a median household income of around $36,000. 

\n\n\n\n

The rate of asthma-related emergency room visits for children ages 5 to 17 in Mott Haven is almost double the national average, which means it has some of the highest rates of asthma-related emergency room visits in the U.S.

\n\n\n\n

System Upgrades

\n\n\n\n

Under the plan, families in the Bronx will get some assistance from the city to help fight childhood asthma. 

\n\n\n\n

A total of $8.9 million will go to the Bronx Asthma Program for community-based asthma support programming. Another $11.1 million will be used to expand the city’s Asthma Case Management Program, which will provide intensive support, including in-school medication administration and classes to teach students with asthma and their families how to manage the respiratory condition. 

\n\n\n\n

The funding will also be used to replace paper forms with an electronic process that families and health providers currently use to request asthma medication administration forms. These forms allow children to receive or carry asthma medication, such as a rescue inhaler. This is expected to be in place before the 2026-27 school year. 

\n\n\n\n

Congestion Pricing Payoff

\n\n\n\n

Mamdani’s announcement also underscores the benefit of congestion pricing, a controversial plan to reduce gridlock, increase pedestrian safety, and improve air quality. After months of heated debate — and attempts by President Donald Trump, a former New Yorker, to shut down the plan — New York City launched its congestion pricing in January 2025, which charges most passenger vehicles a $9 toll to enter lower Manhattan.  

\n\n\n\n

To date, $100 million generated from congestion pricing has been directed to support projects in neighborhoods with high rates of environmental pollution, climate change-related damage, and pollution-related health concerns.

\n\n\n\n

“Congestion pricing has been a win-win: fewer cars, safer streets, and better quality of life,” said Dr. Martin.

\n

The post Mamdani: NYC to Spend $20M on Bronx Kids with Asthma appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/mamdani-nyc-to-spend-20m-on-bronx-kids-with-asthma/","site":"Jennifer Porter Gore","originalAuthor":"Jennifer Porter Gore","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Health","climate justice","health"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-05T15:32:59.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImagesBronxAerial.jpg?fit=724%2C483&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-05-05T15:44:37.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImagesBronxAerial.jpg?fit=724%2C483&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"FgiiXAfFDVbZEwdl","title":"“Data Heat Islands” Add New Burden to Black America","description":"The rush to build gigantic data centers powering the nation’s AI boom, such as Elon Musk’s massive Colossus facility near Memphis, usually draws community pushback because they generate dangerous levels of air pollution. But a new study raises another environmental hazard: the huge amounts of energy data centers require are heating up nearby communities. Researchers call it the data heat island effect. It’s an apt name, considering how similar these temperature increases are to those caused by the urban heat island effect — a significant rise in temperatures in communities that lack shady, green spaces and have an abundance of heat-absorbent surfaces, like metal or asphalt. And Black people are 52 percent more likely than whites to reside in such areas. The data heat island study, which has yet to be peer-reviewed, examined data centers in rural areas to determine whether those facilities caused increases in nearby surface temperatures. Researchers analyzed 20 years of temperature data gathered from communities adjacent to 6,000 different data centers across the country. They concluded that the opening of a data center — the researcher focused on so-called AI “hyperscalers,” supersized facilities like Colossus — led to an average temperature increase of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit. For some data centers, the temperature spike reached 16.4 degrees. The heat island effect was apparent as far as 6.2 miles away from a data center. Study coauthor Andrea Marinoni of the Earth Observation group at the University of Cambridge in England told CNN that the data heat island effect “could have dramatic impacts on society.” The study analyzed surface temperature measurements, not outdoor ambient temperatures, which are generally lower even when it’s very hot outside. Think about the notion of frying an egg on the sidewalk: the air itself is hot, maybe in the 90s or triple digits, but the concrete is even hotter. Still, heat radiating from surfaces — the urban heat island effect — increases daytime air temperatures by up to 7 degrees, according to the EPA. Not only are Black people far more likely to live in urban heat islands, but extensive research shows the negative health impacts of increased heat exposure. Not only do urban heat islands increase the risk of heat-related illnesses and death, but also create conditions that decrease air quality. If running an AI data center in a rural or sparsely populated community can increase heat in the surrounding area, that effect is likely compounded when the data center is in a highly industrialized urban area, such as Memphis. And just like the emissions coming from the gas turbines that power the facility, it’s the Black people living nearby who bear the brunt of the impact. The post “Data Heat Islands” Add New Burden to Black America appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"As
\n

The rush to build gigantic data centers powering the nation’s AI boom, such as Elon Musk’s massive Colossus facility near Memphis, usually draws community pushback because they generate dangerous levels of air pollution. But a new study raises another environmental hazard: the huge amounts of energy data centers require are heating up nearby communities.

\n\n\n\n

Researchers call it the data heat island effect. 

\n\n\n\n

It’s an apt name, considering how similar these temperature increases are to those caused by the urban heat island effect — a significant rise in temperatures in communities that lack shady, green spaces and have an abundance of heat-absorbent surfaces, like metal or asphalt.

\n\n\n\n

And Black people are 52 percent more likely than whites to reside in such areas.

\n\n\n\n

The data heat island study, which has yet to be peer-reviewed, examined data centers in rural areas to determine whether those facilities caused increases in nearby surface temperatures. 

\n\n\n\n

Researchers analyzed 20 years of temperature data gathered from communities adjacent to 6,000 different data centers across the country. They concluded that the opening of a data center — the researcher focused on so-called AI “hyperscalers,” supersized facilities like Colossus — led to an average temperature increase of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit. For some data centers, the temperature spike reached 16.4 degrees.

\n\n\n\n

The heat island effect was apparent as far as 6.2 miles away from a data center.

\n\n\n\n

Study coauthor Andrea Marinoni of the Earth Observation group at the University of Cambridge in England told CNN that the data heat island effect “could have dramatic impacts on society.”

\n\n\n\n

The study analyzed surface temperature measurements, not outdoor ambient temperatures, which are generally lower even when it’s very hot outside. Think about the notion of frying an egg on the sidewalk: the air itself is hot, maybe in the 90s or triple digits, but the concrete is even hotter. 

\n\n\n\n

Still, heat radiating from surfaces — the urban heat island effect — increases daytime air temperatures by up to 7 degrees, according to the EPA.

\n\n\n\n

Not only are Black people far more likely to live in urban heat islands, but extensive research shows the negative health impacts of increased heat exposure. Not only do urban heat islands increase the risk of heat-related illnesses and death, but also create conditions that decrease air quality. 

\n\n\n\n

If running an AI data center in a rural or sparsely populated community can increase heat in the surrounding area, that effect is likely compounded when the data center is in a highly industrialized urban area, such as Memphis. 

\n\n\n\n

And just like the emissions coming from the gas turbines that power the facility, it’s the Black people living nearby who bear the brunt of the impact. 

\n

The post “Data Heat Islands” Add New Burden to Black America appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/data-heat-islands-add-new-burden-to-black-america/","site":"Willy Blackmore","originalAuthor":"Willy Blackmore","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Climate Justice","climate justice"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-04T18:57:35.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-693451974.jpg?fit=594%2C396&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-05-04T19:10:27.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-693451974.jpg?fit=594%2C396&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"6BbDwhU83bOmW4y4","title":"For Intimate Partner Violence Survivors, a Get-Out Toolkit","description":"Over the last six weeks, a deadly spate of intimate partner violence against Black women has exploded into the headlines, causing shock, horror, and dismay. A common question often follows: Why did they stay? When leaving abusive relationships, however, experts say safety is far from a given — and it requires a strategy. And Black women — who face higher rates of intimate partner violence, a weakened safety net with fewer resources and narrower margins for escape — having an exit plan focused on safety is often the difference between survival and tragedy. In fact, experts say, the most dangerous time for women in abusive relationships is the moment they decide to leave. ‘The Issue is Resources’ “You’re Black, you’re a domestic violence survivor, and maybe you’re poor,” says Gretta Gardner, chief legal and program officer for Ujima, The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community. “You start below the bar before you even get in the door.” The narrative that Black men are more violent towards Black women “is not the issue,” says Gardner. “The issue is resources. When you give women resources, we’ll use them. If we don’t have them, we have two choices—we either stay… or we die, or we kill our abuser to stay safe.” How to Leave Safely: A Practical Guide Make a plan.Identify trusted people who can help or offer a place to stay. Prepare an emergency bag with ID, medications, cash, keys, and essential documents. Time your exit. Leave when your partner is least likely to notice. Don’t announce your plans, and map out more than one escape route. Protect your privacy. Use a secure cellphone or device to research help, clear your browsing history, and turn off location services. Avoid posting your plans online. Arrange transportation. Keep your car ready or line up a ride or transit option in advance. If your car has a GPS tracking service, get the tracking settings changed. Get support. If you’re in danger, call 911. Contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233); chat (TheHotline.org); or text START to 88788 for confidential help. Secure your future. Seek a protective order, set aside money, and gather key financial records. Keep a copy of your protective order in your car, on your person, and at your office. Stay alert. Change locks, vary routines, and stay connected to people who can help keep you safe. Nearly 30% of women and 17% of men report experiencing intimate partner violence, or IPV, in their lifetimes. Black women, however, experience it at a much higher rate: four in 10 say they have been abused by a partner in their lifetimes. And while Black women make up around 7% of the U.S. population, they account for roughly 31% of all IPV homicides nationwide. Clear, Decisive, Precise While recent murders of Eusther Toussaint, Barbara Deer, Nancy Metayer, and Dr. Cerina Wanzer Fairfax — all within a 30-day span — were terrifying, Gardner and other advocates say knowing when and how to leave, or helping a loved one do so, is a delicate, emotionally fraught process. But the timing and process, experts say, must be clear, decisive, and precise. Research shows many IPV survivors acknowledge they saw signs they were in danger, from their partner’s escalated verbal, psychological, and physical abuse to blunt death threats. Some survivors report their partners thwarted their attempts to get help, using psychological or emotional manipulation. Others, however, say they barely escaped the situation. Often, the process starts with a gut-check conversation the victim has with a trusted person, or themselves. ‘Those Are the Signs’ Rev. Sheila Poynter Johnson, a licensed psychoanalyst and CEO of Harlem Family Services, says that conversation can be crucial for an IPV victim to determine if a relationship “is bad enough to leave.” “I would say, ‘If you feel confused or afraid or diminished or constantly on edge, that is enough.’ Those are the signs,” she says. “You don’t need visible bruises to justify your desire for peace. And emotional harm is real. Controlling is real, and coercion is real harm. So, you are allowed to choose calm and get out of there.” Since leaving a violent intimate relationship is often the most dangerous time for a survivor, and the system often responds too late — or not at all — safety becomes something survivors have to build for themselves. IPV counselors, experts, and advocacy organizations say the path out starts with a plan: one that accounts for timing, risk, and the reality of just how dangerous leaving can be. Empathy and Survival For women who seem stuck in a violent relationship, however, Johnson says, they need empathy — first and foremost. “[Say] I believe you. That’s what the community does,” says Johnson. “Say, ‘it wasn’t your fault, and your body did what you needed, what it needed to survive. And when we approach people like that, the entire nervous system just calms down, because what’s acceptance.” To be clear, Johnson says: staying in an abusive relationship is a sign of survival, not weakness. “I really want to emphasize the strength of these women,” Johnson says. “It takes strength to survive this. And you know, black women are master survivors. Now it’s time that we master safety.” Resources FindHelphttps://www.auntbertha.com/ National Domestic Violence hotline(800) 799-SAFE (7233); chat (TheHotline.org); or text START to 88788 National Network to End Domestic Violencehttps://nnedv.org/ Ujima, The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community.https://ujimacommunity.org/ . The post For Intimate Partner Violence Survivors, a Get-Out Toolkit appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"Stressed
\n

Over the last six weeks, a deadly spate of intimate partner violence against Black women has exploded into the headlines, causing shock, horror, and dismay. A common question often follows: Why did they stay? 

\n\n\n\n

When leaving abusive relationships, however, experts say safety is far from a given — and it requires a strategy.

\n\n\n\n

And Black women — who face higher rates of intimate partner violence, a weakened safety net with fewer resources and narrower margins for escape — having an exit plan focused on safety is often the difference between survival and tragedy. In fact, experts say, the most dangerous time for women in abusive relationships is the moment they decide to leave.

\n\n\n\n

‘The Issue is Resources’

\n\n\n\n

“You’re Black, you’re a domestic violence survivor, and maybe you’re poor,” says Gretta Gardner, chief legal and program officer for Ujima, The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community. “You start below the bar before you even get in the door.”

\n\n\n\n

The narrative that Black men are more violent towards Black women “is not the issue,” says Gardner.  “The issue is resources. When you give women resources, we’ll use them. If we don’t have them, we have two choices—we either stay… or we die, or we kill our abuser to stay safe.” 

\n\n\n\n

How to Leave Safely: A Practical Guide

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Nearly 30% of women and 17% of men report experiencing intimate partner violence, or IPV, in their lifetimes. Black women, however, experience it at a much higher rate: four in 10 say they have been abused by a partner in their lifetimes. And while Black women make up around 7% of the U.S. population, they account for roughly 31% of all IPV homicides nationwide.

\n\n\n\n

Clear, Decisive, Precise

\n\n\n\n

While recent murders of  Eusther Toussaint, Barbara Deer, Nancy Metayer, and Dr. Cerina Wanzer Fairfax — all within a 30-day span — were terrifying, Gardner and other advocates say knowing when and how to leave, or helping a loved one do so, is a delicate, emotionally fraught process. But the timing and process, experts say, must be clear, decisive, and precise. 

\n\n\n\n

Research shows many IPV survivors acknowledge they saw signs they were in danger, from their partner’s escalated verbal, psychological, and physical abuse to blunt death threats. Some survivors report their partners thwarted their attempts to get help, using psychological or emotional manipulation. Others, however, say they barely escaped the situation. 

\n\n\n\n

Often, the process starts with a gut-check conversation the victim has with a trusted person, or themselves. 

\n\n\n\n

‘Those Are the Signs’

\n\n\n\n

Rev. Sheila Poynter Johnson, a licensed psychoanalyst and CEO of Harlem Family Services, says that conversation can be crucial for an IPV victim to determine if a relationship “is bad enough to leave.” 

\n\n\n\n

“I would say, ‘If you feel confused or afraid or diminished or constantly on edge, that is enough.’ Those are the signs,” she says. “You don’t need visible bruises to justify your desire for peace. And emotional harm is real. Controlling is real, and coercion is real harm. So, you are allowed to choose calm and get out of there.”

\n\n\n\n

Since leaving a violent intimate relationship is often the most dangerous time for a survivor, and the system often responds too late — or not at all — safety becomes something survivors have to build for themselves. IPV counselors, experts, and advocacy organizations say the path out starts with a plan: one that accounts for timing, risk, and the reality of just how dangerous leaving can be.

\n\n\n\n

Empathy and Survival

\n\n\n\n

For women who seem stuck in a violent relationship, however, Johnson says, they need empathy — first and foremost. 

\n\n\n\n

“[Say] I believe you. That’s what the community does,” says Johnson. “Say, ‘it wasn’t your fault, and your body did what you needed, what it needed to survive. And when we approach people like that, the entire nervous system just calms down, because what’s acceptance.”

\n\n\n\n

To be clear, Johnson says: staying in an abusive relationship is a sign of survival, not weakness. 

\n\n\n\n

“I really want to emphasize the strength of these women,” Johnson says. “It takes strength to survive this. And you know, black women are master survivors. Now it’s time that we master safety.”

\n\n\n\n

Resources

\n\n\n\n

FindHelp
https://www.auntbertha.com/

\n\n\n\n

National Domestic Violence hotline
(800) 799-SAFE (7233); chat (TheHotline.org); or text START to 88788

\n\n\n\n

National Network to End Domestic Violence
https://nnedv.org/ 

\n\n\n\n

Ujima, The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community.
https://ujimacommunity.org/  

\n\n\n\n

. 

\n

The post For Intimate Partner Violence Survivors, a Get-Out Toolkit appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/a-get-out-toolkit/","site":"Jennifer Porter Gore","originalAuthor":"Jennifer Porter Gore","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Health","Black women","health"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-01T21:54:44.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImagesIPV050126.jpg?fit=724%2C483&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-05-01T22:49:21.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImagesIPV050126.jpg?fit=724%2C483&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"ohf5sB9waiKF1Mem","title":"A Get-Out Toolkit: Understanding Intimate Partner Violence and Supporting Survivors","description":"Over the last six weeks, a deadly spate of intimate partner violence against Black women has exploded into the headlines, causing shock, horror, and dismay. A common question often follows: Why did they stay? When leaving abusive relationships, however, experts say safety is far from a given — and it requires a strategy. And Black women — who face higher rates of intimate partner violence, a weakened safety net with fewer resources and narrower margins for escape — having an exit plan focused on safety is often the difference between survival and tragedy. In fact, experts say, the most dangerous time for women in abusive relationships is the moment they decide to leave. ‘The Issue is Resources’ “You’re Black, you’re a domestic violence survivor, and maybe you’re poor,” says Gretta Gardner, chief legal and program officer for Ujima, The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community. “You start below the bar before you even get in the door.” The narrative that Black men are more violent towards Black women “is not the issue,” says Gardner. “The issue is resources. When you give women resources, we’ll use them. If we don’t have them, we have two choices—we either stay… or we die, or we kill our abuser to stay safe.” How to Leave Safely: A Practical Guide Make a plan.Identify trusted people who can help or offer a place to stay. Prepare an emergency bag with ID, medications, cash, keys, and essential documents. Time your exit. Leave when your partner is least likely to notice. Don’t announce your plans, and map out more than one escape route. Protect your privacy. Use a secure cellphone or device to research help, clear your browsing history, and turn off location services. Avoid posting your plans online. Arrange transportation. Keep your car ready or line up a ride or transit option in advance. If your car has a GPS tracking service, get the tracking settings changed. Get support. If you’re in danger, call 911. Contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233); chat (TheHotline.org); or text START to 88788 for confidential help. Secure your future. Seek a protective order, set aside money, and gather key financial records. Keep a copy of your protective order in your car, on your person, and at your office. Stay alert. Change locks, vary routines, and stay connected to people who can help keep you safe. Nearly 30% of women and 17% of men report experiencing intimate partner violence, or IPV, in their lifetimes. Black women, however, experience it at a much higher rate: four in 10 say they have been abused by a partner in their lifetimes. And while Black women make up around 7% of the U.S. population, they account for roughly 31% of all IPV homicides nationwide. Clear, Decisive, Precise While recent murders of Eusther Toussaint, Barbara Deer, Nancy Metayer, and Dr. Cerina Wanzer Fairfax — all within a 30-day span — were terrifying, Gardner and other advocates say knowing when and how to leave, or helping a loved one do so, is a delicate, emotionally fraught process. But the timing and process, experts say, must be clear, decisive, and precise. Research shows many IPV survivors acknowledge they saw signs they were in danger, from their partner’s escalated verbal, psychological, and physical abuse to blunt death threats. Some survivors report their partners thwarted their attempts to get help, using psychological or emotional manipulation. Others, however, say they barely escaped the situation. Often, the process starts with a gut-check conversation the victim has with a trusted person, or themselves. ‘Those Are the Signs’ Rev. Sheila Poynter Johnson, a licensed psychoanalyst and CEO of Harlem Family Services, says that conversation can be crucial for an IPV victim to determine if a relationship “is bad enough to leave.” “I would say, ‘If you feel confused or afraid or diminished or constantly on edge, that is enough.’ Those are the signs,” she says. “You don’t need visible bruises to justify your desire for peace. And emotional harm is real. Controlling is real, and coercion is real harm. So, you are allowed to choose calm and get out of there.” Since leaving a violent intimate relationship is often the most dangerous time for a survivor, and the system often responds too late — or not at all — safety becomes something survivors have to build for themselves. IPV counselors, experts, and advocacy organizations say the path out starts with a plan: one that accounts for timing, risk, and the reality of just how dangerous leaving can be. Empathy and Survival For women who seem stuck in a violent relationship, however, Johnson says, they need empathy — first and foremost. “[Say] I believe you. That’s what the community does,” says Johnson. “Say, ‘it wasn’t your fault, and your body did what you needed, what it needed to survive. And when we approach people like that, the entire nervous system just calms down, because what’s acceptance.” To be clear, Johnson says: staying in an abusive relationship is a sign of survival, not weakness. “I really want to emphasize the strength of these women,” Johnson says. “It takes strength to survive this. And you know, black women are master survivors. Now it’s time that we master safety.” Resources FindHelphttps://www.auntbertha.com/ National Domestic Violence hotline(800) 799-SAFE (7233); chat (TheHotline.org); or text START to 88788 National Network to End Domestic Violencehttps://nnedv.org/ Ujima, The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community.https://ujimacommunity.org/ . The post A Get-Out Toolkit: Understanding Intimate Partner Violence and Supporting Survivors appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"Stressed
\n

Over the last six weeks, a deadly spate of intimate partner violence against Black women has exploded into the headlines, causing shock, horror, and dismay. A common question often follows: Why did they stay? 

\n\n\n\n

When leaving abusive relationships, however, experts say safety is far from a given — and it requires a strategy.

\n\n\n\n

And Black women — who face higher rates of intimate partner violence, a weakened safety net with fewer resources and narrower margins for escape — having an exit plan focused on safety is often the difference between survival and tragedy. In fact, experts say, the most dangerous time for women in abusive relationships is the moment they decide to leave.

\n\n\n\n

‘The Issue is Resources’

\n\n\n\n

“You’re Black, you’re a domestic violence survivor, and maybe you’re poor,” says Gretta Gardner, chief legal and program officer for Ujima, The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community. “You start below the bar before you even get in the door.”

\n\n\n\n

The narrative that Black men are more violent towards Black women “is not the issue,” says Gardner.  “The issue is resources. When you give women resources, we’ll use them. If we don’t have them, we have two choices—we either stay… or we die, or we kill our abuser to stay safe.” 

\n\n\n\n

How to Leave Safely: A Practical Guide

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Nearly 30% of women and 17% of men report experiencing intimate partner violence, or IPV, in their lifetimes. Black women, however, experience it at a much higher rate: four in 10 say they have been abused by a partner in their lifetimes. And while Black women make up around 7% of the U.S. population, they account for roughly 31% of all IPV homicides nationwide.

\n\n\n\n

Clear, Decisive, Precise

\n\n\n\n

While recent murders of  Eusther Toussaint, Barbara Deer, Nancy Metayer, and Dr. Cerina Wanzer Fairfax — all within a 30-day span — were terrifying, Gardner and other advocates say knowing when and how to leave, or helping a loved one do so, is a delicate, emotionally fraught process. But the timing and process, experts say, must be clear, decisive, and precise. 

\n\n\n\n

Research shows many IPV survivors acknowledge they saw signs they were in danger, from their partner’s escalated verbal, psychological, and physical abuse to blunt death threats. Some survivors report their partners thwarted their attempts to get help, using psychological or emotional manipulation. Others, however, say they barely escaped the situation. 

\n\n\n\n

Often, the process starts with a gut-check conversation the victim has with a trusted person, or themselves. 

\n\n\n\n

‘Those Are the Signs’

\n\n\n\n

Rev. Sheila Poynter Johnson, a licensed psychoanalyst and CEO of Harlem Family Services, says that conversation can be crucial for an IPV victim to determine if a relationship “is bad enough to leave.” 

\n\n\n\n

“I would say, ‘If you feel confused or afraid or diminished or constantly on edge, that is enough.’ Those are the signs,” she says. “You don’t need visible bruises to justify your desire for peace. And emotional harm is real. Controlling is real, and coercion is real harm. So, you are allowed to choose calm and get out of there.”

\n\n\n\n

Since leaving a violent intimate relationship is often the most dangerous time for a survivor, and the system often responds too late — or not at all — safety becomes something survivors have to build for themselves. IPV counselors, experts, and advocacy organizations say the path out starts with a plan: one that accounts for timing, risk, and the reality of just how dangerous leaving can be.

\n\n\n\n

Empathy and Survival

\n\n\n\n

For women who seem stuck in a violent relationship, however, Johnson says, they need empathy — first and foremost. 

\n\n\n\n

“[Say] I believe you. That’s what the community does,” says Johnson. “Say, ‘it wasn’t your fault, and your body did what you needed, what it needed to survive. And when we approach people like that, the entire nervous system just calms down, because what’s acceptance.”

\n\n\n\n

To be clear, Johnson says: staying in an abusive relationship is a sign of survival, not weakness. 

\n\n\n\n

“I really want to emphasize the strength of these women,” Johnson says. “It takes strength to survive this. And you know, black women are master survivors. Now it’s time that we master safety.”

\n\n\n\n

Resources

\n\n\n\n

FindHelp
https://www.auntbertha.com/

\n\n\n\n

National Domestic Violence hotline
(800) 799-SAFE (7233); chat (TheHotline.org); or text START to 88788

\n\n\n\n

National Network to End Domestic Violence
https://nnedv.org/ 

\n\n\n\n

Ujima, The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community.
https://ujimacommunity.org/  

\n\n\n\n

. 

\n

The post A Get-Out Toolkit: Understanding Intimate Partner Violence and Supporting Survivors appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/05/a-get-out-toolkit-understanding-intimate-partner-violence-and-supporting-survivors/","site":"Jennifer Porter Gore","originalAuthor":"Jennifer Porter Gore","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Health","Black women","health"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-05-01T21:54:44.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImagesIPV050126.jpg?fit=724%2C483&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-05-01T22:04:00.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImagesIPV050126.jpg?fit=724%2C483&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"ki5tgKhssjzeRG6j","title":"SCOTUS Voting Rights Decision is ‘About as Bad as It Gets’","description":"When the Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision on Wednesday that all but invalidates the Voting Rights Act, legal and voting-rights analysts called it a knockout blow to a powerful tool against racial discrimination at the ballot box. Political analysts predicted it would dismantle Black political power for a generation — or longer. Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, was more succinct: “It’s evil genius, man.” “This is a really slick opinion” that technically leaves the Voting Rights Act in place, but dismantles the enforcement mechanism and prevents an easy legislative fix, he says. “It ends up being a rewriting of the VRA” that “usurps” Congress’s power to write laws. “We’re left with rights on paper but very few remedies, in fact,” Hewitt says. “This is about as bad as it gets.” Louisiana Map Disputed In a 6-3 decision, the court’s conservative supermajority dismantled Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the last remaining powerful provision of the 1965 civil rights law that prevents racial discrimination in voting. Section 2, which requires states to seek federal permission before changing voting laws, has been a bulwark against the marginalization of minority voters in redistricting. At issue was a Louisiana congressional map that was specifically redrawn to create two majority-Black districts. Opponents of the plan sued, alleging the map was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander under the Fourteenth Amendment. Writing for the conservative majority, Justice Samuel Alito said taking race into consideration in creating Louisiana’s two new congressional seats — even though the state’s Black voters had been underrepresented in Congress for decades — represents “a departure from the constitutional rule that applies in almost every other context.” “Black people in this country have never enjoyed full representation of power. This decision makes it much less likely that we ever will.” Damon Hewett, President, Lawyers Committee for civil rights Under law The court’s three liberals, however, decried the decision and accused the conservative majority of “eviscerating” voting rights for millions of Americans. Their dissent, written by Justice Elena Kagan, warned that this ruling, combined with other actions, could lead to a resegregation of American society, effectively locking out minority voters. Upending Decades of Law “The Voting Rights Act is—or, now more accurately, was—‘one of the most consequential, efficacious, and amply justified exercises of federal legislative power in our Nation’s history,’” she wrote. “It was born of the literal blood of Union soldiers and civil rights marchers. It ushered in awe-inspiring change, bringing this Nation closer to fulfilling the ideals of democracy and racial equality,” she added. “And it has been repeatedly, and overwhelmingly, reauthorized by the people’s representatives in Congress. Only they have the right to say it is no longer needed—not the Members of this Court.” The court’s decision is a major upheaval in U.S. civil rights law and gives lawmakers permission to draw districting plans that weaken the influence of Black and other minority voters. Some states may even rush ahead to try to redraw districts ahead of this year’s midterm elections. In a statement, former President Barack Obama was blunt, calling the decision “just one more example of how a majority of the current Court seems intent on abandoning its vital role in ensuring equal participation in our democracy and protecting the rights of minority groups against majority overreach.” Obama, however, saw a silver lining: “The good news is that such setbacks can be overcome” at the ballot box, he wrote. “But that will only happen if citizens across the country who cherish our democratic ideals continue to mobilize and vote in record numbers” in every election, not just the upcoming midterms. ‘Herculean Task’ Hewett, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights president, agrees. But, he says, it won’t be easy, and there likely will be significant political damage in the meantime. The ruling “impairs Black political power but doesn’t impair access to the ballot,” he says, noting that only a handful of states have the time and inclination to take advantage of the ruling this year. That’s because it takes time to redraw maps and find qualified candidates, and several states have already held or are set to hold congressional primary elections. “I think the real action is between now and what happens in state houses next year,” he says. “A year from now, I think we’ll see a lot of damage” when states, looking for an edge in the 2028 congressional elections, begin redrawing voting maps. “By that point, it’s completely open season on racial gerrymandering masked as partisanship,” Hewett says. “There will be a lot of bad results” with Black representatives losing their seats in newly gerrymandered districts. Nevertheless, he says, his and other organizations “will keep pushing” even though “there is no easy solution. It’s a Herculean task. We’re in a time right now where we can only defend the laws of the past,” and a new approach is needed. The bottom line, Hewett says, is “Black people in this country have never enjoyed full representation of power. This decision makes it much less likely that we ever will.” The post SCOTUS Voting Rights Decision is ‘About as Bad as It Gets’ appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"Intended
\n

When the Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision on Wednesday that all but invalidates the Voting Rights Act, legal and voting-rights analysts called it a knockout blow to a powerful tool against racial discrimination at the ballot box. Political analysts predicted it would dismantle Black political power for a generation — or longer. 

\n\n\n\n

Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, was more succinct: “It’s evil genius, man.” 

\n\n\n\n

“This is a really slick opinion” that technically leaves the Voting Rights Act in place, but dismantles the enforcement mechanism and prevents an easy legislative fix, he says. “It ends up being a rewriting of the VRA” that “usurps” Congress’s power to write laws. 

\n\n\n\n

“We’re left with rights on paper but very few remedies, in fact,” Hewitt says. “This is about as bad as it gets.” 

\n\n\n\n

Louisiana Map Disputed

\n\n\n\n

In a 6-3 decision, the court’s conservative supermajority dismantled Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the last remaining powerful provision of the 1965 civil rights law that prevents racial discrimination in voting. Section 2, which requires states to seek federal permission before changing voting laws, has been a bulwark against the marginalization of minority voters in redistricting.

\n\n\n\n

At issue was a Louisiana congressional map that was specifically redrawn to create two majority-Black districts. Opponents of the plan sued, alleging the map was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander under the Fourteenth Amendment. 

\n\n\n\n

Writing for the conservative majority, Justice Samuel Alito said taking race into consideration in creating Louisiana’s two new congressional seats — even though the state’s Black voters had been underrepresented in Congress for decades — represents “a departure from the constitutional rule that applies in almost every other context.”

\n\n\n\n

“Black people in this country have never enjoyed full representation of power. This decision makes it much less likely that we ever will.” 

Damon Hewett, President, Lawyers Committee for civil rights Under law
\n\n\n\n

The court’s three liberals, however, decried the decision and accused the conservative majority of “eviscerating” voting rights for millions of Americans. Their dissent, written by Justice Elena Kagan, warned that this ruling, combined with other actions, could lead to a resegregation of American society, effectively locking out minority voters.

\n\n\n\n

Upending Decades of Law

\n\n\n\n

“The Voting Rights Act is—or, now more accurately, was—‘one of the most consequential, efficacious, and amply justified exercises of federal legislative power in our Nation’s history,’” she wrote.

\n\n\n\n

“It was born of the literal blood of Union soldiers and civil rights marchers. It ushered in awe-inspiring change, bringing this Nation closer to fulfilling the ideals of democracy and racial equality,” she added. “And it has been repeatedly, and overwhelmingly, reauthorized by the people’s representatives in Congress. Only they have the right to say it is no longer needed—not the Members of this Court.”

\n\n\n\n

The court’s decision is a major upheaval in U.S. civil rights law and gives lawmakers permission to draw districting plans that weaken the influence of Black and other minority voters. Some states may even rush ahead to try to redraw districts ahead of this year’s midterm elections.

\n\n\n\n

In a statement, former President Barack Obama was blunt, calling the decision “just one more example of how a majority of the current Court seems intent on abandoning its vital role in ensuring equal participation in our democracy and protecting the rights of minority groups against majority overreach.”

\n\n\n\n

Obama, however, saw a silver lining: “The good news is that such setbacks can be overcome” at the ballot box, he wrote.  “But that will only happen if citizens across the country who cherish our democratic ideals continue to mobilize and vote in record numbers” in every election, not just the upcoming midterms. 

\n\n\n\n

‘Herculean Task’

\n\n\n\n

Hewett, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights president, agrees. But, he says, it won’t be easy, and there likely will be significant political damage in the meantime. 

\n\n\n\n

The ruling “impairs Black political power but doesn’t impair access to the ballot,” he says, noting that only a handful of states have the time and inclination to take advantage of the ruling this year. That’s because it takes time to redraw maps and find qualified candidates, and several states have already held or are set to hold congressional primary elections. 

\n\n\n\n

“I think the real action is between now and what happens in state houses next year,” he says. “A year from now, I think we’ll see a lot of damage” when states, looking for an edge in the 2028 congressional elections, begin redrawing voting maps. 

\n\n\n\n

“By that point, it’s completely open season on racial gerrymandering masked as partisanship,” Hewett says. “There will be a lot of bad results” with Black representatives losing their seats in newly gerrymandered districts. 

\n\n\n\n

Nevertheless, he says, his and other organizations “will keep pushing” even though “there is no easy solution. It’s a Herculean task. We’re in a time right now where we can only defend the laws of the past,” and a new approach is needed. 

\n\n\n\n

The bottom line, Hewett says, is “Black people in this country have never enjoyed full representation of power. This decision makes it much less likely that we ever will.” 

\n

The post SCOTUS Voting Rights Decision is ‘About as Bad as It Gets’ appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/04/scotus-voting-rights-decision-is-almost-as-bad-as-it-gets/","site":"Joseph Williams","originalAuthor":"Joseph Williams","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Politics","politics"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-04-29T22:10:36.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/GettyImages-2268102322.jpg?fit=698%2C501&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-04-29T22:22:22.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/GettyImages-2268102322.jpg?fit=698%2C501&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"c4cbeF2AW4FefHBK","title":"In Houston’s Fifth Ward, Residents Fight for the Right to Breathe","description":"In the Fifth Ward community, a historically Black neighborhood on Houston’s northeast side, there are reminders of the neighborhood’s roots in arts, music and politics around every corner. The community was settled by freedmen in the mid-1800’s and is home to a vibrant local art scene along Lyons Avenue. Fifth Ward also was home to not one but two influential Black members of Congress: Barbara Jordan and Mickey Leland. But for years, Fifth Ward families have wondered what’s in their air. Residents live with constant reminders of the heavy industrial activity running alongside and through their community: diesel trucks, metal recycling operations, railways and rumbling traffic along two major interstates that converge blocks from residential streets where kids play. Despite Rollbacks, a Win Now, for the first time, Fifth Ward – and nearby Pleasantville, another historically Black community less than five miles from the Houston Ship Channel – will have state-level data about what’s in the air they breathe every day. It’s an essential step to protect public health, and a remarkable win for long-time local advocates at a time when Black Americans stand to face the greatest health risks from the rollbacks of bedrock pollution protections at the federal level. “The air monitoring network in Pleasantville became the first community-led air monitoring network in the state of Texas, so to have access to regulatory data is a win for the health of Pleasantville residents,” said Bridgette Murray, founder and executive director for Achieving Community Tasks Successfully. Since returning to power last January, the Trump administration has rolled back essential environmental protections that keep all of us safe from the harms of pollution and extreme weather fueled by climate change. It has closed the agency’s environmental justice offices and clawed back millions of dollars intended to improve the health and well-being of people most harmed by pollution. Now, for the first time, Fifth Ward – and nearby Pleasantville, another historically Black community less than five miles from the Houston Ship Channel – will have state-level data about what’s in the air they breathe every day. “I started my environmental justice work in Houston in 1979, when Jimmy Carter was president, and I have continued it under the next eight administrations,” said Dr. Robert Bullard, director of the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice. “Our justice movement will endure because it was not started by or funded with government dollars. Government may cancel our grants, but it cannot cancel our intergenerational movement.” And the administration has overturned the Endangerment Finding, EPA’s bedrock protection against planet-warming pollution. Black Americans Hit Harder These actions put all of us at risk, but the harms will be felt most in communities of color, where people are exposed to more dirty air than in white communities, regardless of income level. This results in stark health disparities: Black children are eight times more likely to die from asthma than white children. The new air monitors in Fifth Ward and Pleasantville will measure levels of one of the deadliest types of air pollution: fine particulate matter, known as soot. Environmental justice communities know so well that fine particulate matter is linked to chronic health problems, like asthma and heart disease, and it puts people across Houston, the country and the world at greater risk of early death. Black Americans shoulder a higher burden of this pollution, and we stand to gain the most from stronger, more protective limits on particulate matter – limits the Trump administration is actively rolling back. The first step to cleaning up our air, however, is to improve our understanding of what’s in it. ‘Focused on Educating Communities’ It took years of advocacy, led by nonprofits Coalition of Community Organizations in Fifth Ward and Achieving Community Tasks Successfully in Pleasantville, to get to this point. With support from the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University and Environmental Defense Fund, community leaders, including Rev. James Caldwell, founder and director of COCO, spearheaded a project to install their own air monitors to gather data to back up what they already know: that the air outside their homes, schools and houses of worship is dirty, and it’s harming the health of their residents. Caldwell says his organization “is focused on educating communities about the effects of air pollution, so our community air monitors provide the data we need to be strong advocates for the Fifth Ward community.” Low-cost sensors help fill the gap in traditional air quality monitoring, but they can produce less accurate data. That’s why reference grade monitors are considered the gold standard: they’re precise, and the data collected at these monitors is often the basis for the regulatory decisions that impact all of us. Work and Progress Tireless efforts by these community leaders forged a unique partnership with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and regulators worked hand in hand with advocates to strategically place two state monitors where residents said they were needed most to measure pollution. RELATED: Climate Justice, the Houston Way And in two historically Black communities facing legacies of disinvestment and unequal protection under our environmental laws, this is progress. It’s an important step toward Houston families having the information needed to continue their advocacy for healthy, safe communities, free from the burdens of toxic pollution. We rely on federal agencies and resources to protect all of us, and especially our most vulnerable, yet those resources have become less effective. The new reference-grade monitors are a win for our communities, and we will continue fighting alongside our community partners for the right to breathe clean air. Dr. Denae King is associate director of the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University The post In Houston’s Fifth Ward, Residents Fight for the Right to Breathe appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"The
\n

In the Fifth Ward community, a historically Black neighborhood on Houston’s northeast side, there are reminders of the neighborhood’s roots in arts, music and politics around every corner. 

\n\n\n\n

The community was settled by freedmen in the mid-1800’s and is home to a vibrant local art scene along Lyons Avenue. Fifth Ward also was home to not one but two influential Black members of Congress: Barbara Jordan and Mickey Leland.

\n\n\n\n

But for years, Fifth Ward families have wondered what’s in their air. 

\n\n\n\n

Residents live with constant reminders of the heavy industrial activity running alongside and through their community: diesel trucks, metal recycling operations, railways and rumbling traffic along two major interstates that converge blocks from residential streets where kids play.

\n\n\n\n

Despite Rollbacks, a Win

\n\n\n\n

Now, for the first time, Fifth Ward – and nearby Pleasantville, another historically Black community less than five miles from the Houston Ship Channel – will have state-level data about what’s in the air they breathe every day. It’s an essential step to protect public health, and a remarkable win for long-time local advocates at a time when Black Americans stand to face the greatest health risks from the rollbacks of bedrock pollution protections at the federal level. 

\n\n\n\n

“The air monitoring network in Pleasantville became the first community-led air monitoring network in the state of Texas, so to have access to regulatory data is a win for the health of Pleasantville residents,” said Bridgette Murray, founder and executive director for Achieving Community Tasks Successfully. 

\n\n\n\n

Since returning to power last January, the Trump administration has rolled back essential environmental protections that keep all of us safe from the harms of pollution and extreme weather fueled by climate change. It has closed the agency’s environmental justice offices and clawed back millions of dollars intended to improve the health and well-being of people most harmed by pollution.

\n\n\n\n

Now, for the first time, Fifth Ward – and nearby Pleasantville, another historically Black community less than five miles from the Houston Ship Channel – will have state-level data about what’s in the air they breathe every day.

\n\n\n\n

“I started my environmental justice work in Houston in 1979, when Jimmy Carter was president, and I have continued it under the next eight administrations,” said Dr. Robert Bullard, director of the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice. “Our justice movement will endure because it was not started by or funded with government dollars. Government may cancel our grants, but it cannot cancel our intergenerational movement.” 

\n\n\n\n

And the administration has overturned the Endangerment Finding, EPA’s bedrock protection against planet-warming pollution. 

\n\n\n\n

Black Americans Hit Harder

\n\n\n\n

These actions put all of us at risk, but the harms will be felt most in communities of color, where people are exposed to more dirty air than in white communities, regardless of income level. This results in stark health disparities: Black children are eight times more likely to die from asthma than white children. 

\n\n\n\n

The new air monitors in Fifth Ward and Pleasantville will measure levels of one of the deadliest types of air pollution: fine particulate matter, known as soot. 

\n\n\n\n

Environmental justice communities know so well that fine particulate matter is linked to chronic health problems, like asthma and heart disease, and it puts people across Houston, the country and the world at greater risk of early death. Black Americans shoulder a higher burden of this pollution, and we stand to gain the most from stronger, more protective limits on particulate matter – limits the Trump administration is actively rolling back.

\n\n\n\n

The first step to cleaning up our air, however, is to improve our understanding of what’s in it.

\n\n\n\n

‘Focused on Educating Communities’

\n\n\n\n

It took years of advocacy, led by nonprofits Coalition of Community Organizations in Fifth Ward and Achieving Community Tasks Successfully in Pleasantville, to get to this point. With support from the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University and Environmental Defense Fund, community leaders, including Rev. James Caldwell, founder and director of COCO, spearheaded a project to install their own air monitors to gather data to back up what they already know: that the air outside their homes, schools and houses of worship is dirty, and it’s harming the health of their residents. 

\n\n\n\n

Caldwell says his organization “is focused on educating communities about the effects of air pollution, so our community air monitors provide the data we need to be strong advocates for the Fifth Ward community.”

\n\n\n\n

Low-cost sensors help fill the gap in traditional air quality monitoring, but they can produce less accurate data. That’s why reference grade monitors are considered the gold standard: they’re precise, and the data collected at these monitors is often the basis for the regulatory decisions that impact all of us.

\n\n\n\n

Work and Progress

\n\n\n\n

Tireless efforts by these community leaders forged a unique partnership with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and regulators worked hand in hand with advocates to strategically place two state monitors where residents said they were needed most to measure pollution. 

\n\n\n\n

RELATED: Climate Justice, the Houston Way

\n\n\n\n

And in two historically Black communities facing legacies of disinvestment and unequal protection under our environmental laws, this is progress. It’s an important step toward Houston families having the information needed to continue their advocacy for healthy, safe communities, free from the burdens of toxic pollution.  

\n\n\n\n

We rely on federal agencies and resources to protect all of us, and especially our most vulnerable, yet those resources have become less effective. The new reference-grade monitors are a win for our communities, and we will continue fighting alongside our community partners for the right to breathe clean air. 

\n\n\n
\n
\"\"
\n
\n\n\n

Dr. Denae King is associate director of the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University

\n\n\n\n

\n

The post In Houston’s Fifth Ward, Residents Fight for the Right to Breathe appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/04/in-houstons-fifth-ward-residents-fight-for-the-right-to-breathe/","site":"Dr. Denae King","originalAuthor":"Dr. Denae King","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Environmental Justice","Opinion"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-04-29T15:04:41.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/GettyImages-2153274633.jpg?fit=724%2C483&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-04-29T15:05:05.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/GettyImages-2153274633.jpg?fit=724%2C483&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"BFWTDtZ8AH8xkOsG","title":"Her Calling: Healing Through Music and Medicine","description":"A compliment to Robin Fay Massie is certain to elicit her response of, “It’s God, or it’s the Lord.” She’s careful, as good Christians say, to give God all the praise and glory for her life. It’s more than an affectation; it’s her entire life. And what a life it is. She’s a full-time school nurse in Atlanta by day, a neonatal intensive care unit nurse by night and a freelance classical violaist. As such, Massie’s life sits at the intersection of faith, caregiving, and artistry, where her work as a school nurse and professional violist becomes a single ministry rooted in service. From Baltimore to Atlanta, her journey shows how devotion to God shapes not only her calling but the way she heals, performs, and moves through the world. Few Black Classical Musicians A freelance musician, “I perform with organizations like the Atlanta Opera and Atlanta Symphony,” she says. “I’ve also worked with groups like the Philadelphia Orchestra and National Symphony. I also do chamber music and work through the musicians’ union, which has been incredibly helpful for opportunities and support.” I believe pain connects us, but joy heals us—and true joy comes through Jesus Christ. I want anyone who encounters me to feel like they’ve been touched by him. Robin Faye Massey The field, however, can be challenging for Black classical musicians. A 2023 study found that Black people represented 2.4% of musicians in surveyed American orchestras, but for string players like Massie, representation for Black string players — violin, viola, cello, and bass — is often even lower. There has been growth, albeit slowly: the percentage of Black classical musicians increased from 1.8% in 2014 to 2.4% in 2023. ‘From the Very Beginning’ Massie’s musical journey began in Baltimore when her parents managed to get her a second-hand piano she had long coveted. ”It was just sitting in someone’s house, not being played,” she says. “It wasn’t financially easy for them, but they got it for me. And I loved playing it from the very beginning.” Later, Massie’s musical interests migrated to the violin — her second musical love. But it was not to be: “My teacher, my mentor, said the notes I played leaned more toward the lower instrument,” the much larger viola,” she says. That was her next musical challenge, and that’s where she remains. Though Massie isn’t officially connected to any orchestra, some critics have become enamored of her playing. They include Michael Caruso, a Philadelphia-area journalist who reviewed one of Massie’s performances. “Especially noteworthy was the strength of Massie’s playing,” he wrote. [Her] strongly projected and beautifully modulated brawny tone made certain that her voice would be heard.” Personal Caregiving Journey Massie’s relationship with the Lord was nurtured from the beginning by her parents and has grown to be the central part of her life. Each day begins with a consultation with the Lord and orders for the day. ”Then I say, ‘O.K., let’s go to the gym,” Massie says. Massie is divorced, but she began her transition to nursing by providing care for her then-husband. ”I knew I had to take care of him regardless of his resistance at the time. I was at peace with it even if he wasn’t,” she says. Her next assignment was caring for her mother, who was having trouble managing diabetes. The healing touch, Massie says, merges with her faith. “I just want everyone I care for to know they’ve been touched by the Lord.” Word in Black: Tell me about your work as a nurse. Robin Fay Massie: I believe that music and nursing, for me, are one spectrum of care, really doing God’s work. It’s ‘heart’ ministry. I knew from a young age that I wanted to help people, even before I fully understood what that meant. It wasn’t until 2016, during a very difficult time in my life, that I stepped into nursing. My then-husband was struggling with health issues and addiction, and he became my first patient in a sense. I remember saying, ‘God, I don’t know what I’m doing, but I’m going to take the next best step.’ And I did. WIB: How did music become a profession for you? Massie: I started piano at four years old. My parents saw that I wasn’t just playing—I was connecting with it—so they sacrificed to get me lessons. At eight, I fell in love with the violin, and at fourteen, a mentor introduced me to the viola. The moment I played it, I knew that was it. WIB: Now, I know you were taking care of your mom. How’s that going? Massie: That has been a profound part of my journey. I moved to Atlanta to care for my mom when I saw her health declining. She’s diabetic, and things weren’t well-controlled. I left Baltimore without a job, without a plan—just trusting God. I call that my ‘wilderness season.’ But he provided every step of the way. Today, my mom is doing so much better. She had surgery and is now standing upright for the first time in years. My brother is also doing well, and I’m able to help care for him, too. It’s clear to me now that God prepared me through nursing for this very purpose. WIB: How does your faith sustain you as well as propel you in life? Massie: I want to leave this world better than I found it. I believe pain connects us, but joy heals us—and true joy comes through Jesus Christ. I want anyone who encounters me to feel like they’ve been touched by him. I start my day intentionally with the Lord because that prepares me to meet others. For me, everything—music, nursing, life—is about the heart. I have to examine myself before I can pour into anyone else. And I strive to show up with joy, because that’s what draws people to him. The post Her Calling: Healing Through Music and Medicine appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"As
\n

A compliment to Robin Fay Massie is certain to elicit her response of, “It’s God, or it’s the Lord.” She’s careful, as good Christians say, to give God all the praise and glory for her life. It’s more than an affectation; it’s her entire life.

\n\n\n\n

And what a life it is. She’s a full-time school nurse in Atlanta by day, a neonatal intensive care unit nurse by night and a freelance classical violaist.

\n\n\n\n

As such, Massie’s life sits at the intersection of faith, caregiving, and artistry, where her work as a school nurse and professional violist becomes a single ministry rooted in service. From Baltimore to Atlanta, her journey shows how devotion to God shapes not only her calling but the way she heals, performs, and moves through the world.

\n\n\n\n

Few Black Classical Musicians

\n\n\n\n

A freelance musician, “I perform with organizations like the Atlanta Opera and Atlanta Symphony,” she says. “I’ve also worked with groups like the Philadelphia Orchestra and National Symphony. I also do chamber music and work through the musicians’ union, which has been incredibly helpful for opportunities and support.”

\n\n\n\n

I believe pain connects us, but joy heals us—and true joy comes through Jesus Christ. I want anyone who encounters me to feel like they’ve been touched by him. 

Robin Faye Massey
\n\n\n\n

The field, however, can be challenging for Black classical musicians.

\n\n\n\n

A 2023 study found that Black people represented 2.4% of musicians in surveyed American orchestras, but for string players like Massie, representation for Black string players — violin, viola, cello, and bass — is often even lower. 

\n\n\n\n

There has been growth, albeit slowly: the percentage of Black classical musicians increased from 1.8% in 2014 to 2.4% in 2023.

\n\n\n\n

‘From the Very Beginning’

\n\n\n\n

Massie’s musical journey began in Baltimore when her parents managed to get her a second-hand piano she had long coveted.  

\n\n\n\n

”It was just sitting in someone’s house, not being played,” she says. “It wasn’t financially easy for them, but they got it for me. And I loved playing it from the very beginning.”

\n\n\n\n

Later, Massie’s musical interests migrated to the violin — her second musical love. But it was not to be: “My teacher, my mentor, said the notes I played leaned more toward the lower instrument,” the much larger viola,” she says. 

\n\n\n\n

That was her next musical challenge, and that’s where she remains.

\n\n\n\n

Though Massie isn’t officially connected to any orchestra, some critics have become enamored of her playing. They include Michael Caruso, a Philadelphia-area journalist who reviewed one of Massie’s performances. 

\n\n\n\n

“Especially noteworthy was the strength of Massie’s playing,” he wrote. [Her] strongly projected and beautifully modulated brawny tone made certain that her voice would be heard.”  

\n\n\n\n

Personal Caregiving Journey

\n\n\n\n

Massie’s relationship with the Lord was nurtured from the beginning by her parents and has grown to be the central part of her life. Each day begins with a consultation with the Lord and orders for the day. 

\n\n\n\n

”Then I say, ‘O.K., let’s go to the gym,” Massie says.

\n\n\n\n

Massie is divorced, but she began her transition to nursing by providing care for her then-husband.

\n\n\n\n

”I knew I had to take care of him regardless of his resistance at the time. I was at peace with it even if he wasn’t,” she says. Her next assignment was caring for her mother, who was having trouble managing diabetes. 

\n\n\n\n

The healing touch, Massie says, merges with her faith. 

\n\n\n\n

“I just want everyone I care for to know they’ve been touched by the Lord.”

\n\n\n\n

Word in Black: Tell me about your work as a nurse.

\n\n\n\n

Robin Fay Massie: I believe that music and nursing, for me, are one spectrum of care, really doing God’s work. It’s ‘heart’ ministry. I knew from a young age that I wanted to help people, even before I fully understood what that meant.

\n\n\n\n

It wasn’t until 2016, during a very difficult time in my life, that I stepped into nursing. My then-husband was struggling with health issues and addiction, and he became my first patient in a sense. I remember saying, ‘God, I don’t know what I’m doing, but I’m going to take the next best step.’ And I did.

\n\n\n\n

WIB: How did music become a profession for you? 

\n\n\n\n

Massie: I started piano at four years old. My parents saw that I wasn’t just playing—I was connecting with it—so they sacrificed to get me lessons. At eight, I fell in love with the violin, and at fourteen, a mentor introduced me to the viola. The moment I played it, I knew that was it.

\n\n\n\n

WIB: Now, I know you were taking care of your mom. How’s that going?

\n\n\n\n

Massie: That has been a profound part of my journey. I moved to Atlanta to care for my mom when I saw her health declining. She’s diabetic, and things weren’t well-controlled. I left Baltimore without a job, without a plan—just trusting God. I call that my ‘wilderness season.’ But he provided every step of the way. 

\n\n\n\n

Today, my mom is doing so much better. She had surgery and is now standing upright for the first time in years. My brother is also doing well, and I’m able to help care for him, too. It’s clear to me now that God prepared me through nursing for this very purpose.

\n\n\n\n

WIB: How does your faith sustain you as well as propel you in life?

\n\n\n\n

Massie: I want to leave this world better than I found it. I believe pain connects us, but joy heals us—and true joy comes through Jesus Christ. I want anyone who encounters me to feel like they’ve been touched by him. 

\n\n\n\n

I start my day intentionally with the Lord because that prepares me to meet others. For me, everything—music, nursing, life—is about the heart. I have to examine myself before I can pour into anyone else. And I strive to show up with joy, because that’s what draws people to him.

\n

The post Her Calling: Healing Through Music and Medicine appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/04/healing-through-music-and-medicine/","site":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","originalAuthor":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Religion","religion"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-04-28T09:00:00.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-27-at-4.57.59-PM.png?fit=1024%2C771&ssl=1","type":"image/png"},"createdAt":"2026-04-28T09:10:25.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-27-at-4.57.59-PM.png?fit=1024%2C771&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"Lpxh1gPnHiuyfbDD","title":"Star Black OB-GYN: “Fibroids Are Never Too Large For Me”","description":"It was a case most gynecologists wouldn’t touch — literally. Brionna Johnson of Chicago, who was 17 weeks pregnant, had a fibroid tumor on her uterus that weighed 27 pounds. One gynecologist after another told her the growth had to come out, but the only way of doing that meant removing her uterus and ending her pregnancy. LEARN MORE: South Carolinians Continue Colleague’s Push for Maternal Health Unwilling to lose both her child and her fertility, she traveled to Chicago’s gritty South Side for one more consultation. It was an appointment with Dr. Pierre Johnson — the self-described Fibroid Slayer. [Doctor and patient had never met.] A Black OB-GYN and surgeon who practices at Loretto Hospital, a facility that primarily serves low-income patients, Johnson examined the woman’s distended abdomen and saw what others didn’t: a way to safely remove the giant fibroid without harming the fetus or removing her uterus. And it worked: Johnson surgically removed the massive fibroid, and mother and fetus are doing just fine. Then, the doctor did something just as unusual in medicine’s buttoned-up culture: he posted about it on Instagram. ‘I’m the Best at This’ “She had the most enormous fibroid I’ve ever seen,” he said in the video, acknowledging that even the higher-ups at Loretto had trepidations about his plan. “There were so many people that tried to block the surgery” because it seemed too risky. “But at the end of the day, there’s so much that happens in medicine that people do not understand,” he said, suggesting that — because the patient is a Black woman — racial bias likely played a role in other doctors’ reluctance to operate. Then, in an Instagram video, Johnson made it plain. “I don’t want to toot my own horn or get too big about it, but I’m the best at this,” he said, breaking into a megawatt smile. “This right here, nobody could have done this. Nobody could have completed this but your boy … I’m just so happy to have helped her.” The patient, Brionna Johnson, before surgery. Instagram/Pierre Johnson Though Johnson already has a substantial social media following — the bespectacled surgeon with the touches of gray in his goatee and short dreadlocks has 126,000 followers on Instagram — his triumph over a tumor the size of a small child went viral. That’s arguably because Black women face some of the nation’s worst reproductive health outcomes: high rates of fibroids, exorbitant maternal mortality rates and medical bias. Patients Failed by the System With Black doctors making up less than 6% of the U.S. physician workforce — and even fewer specializing in obstetrics and gynecology — Johnson’s work sits at the intersection of access, trust and advocacy. He has developed a following, using both the operating room and the algorithm to reach patients who say the system has too often failed them. When you’re looking at providers — people you’re trusting with your life — don’t think that because they wear a white coat, they’re going to look at you differently than their actual beliefs.Dr. Pierre Johnson A Chicago South Side native himself who graduated from Xavier University, Johnson got his medical degree at the University of Illinois, where he was the only Black student in his class. He then returned to Chicago and joined the staff at Loretto. “I’m at Loretto Hospital by design and by choice,” Johnson says. The hospital, he says, “understands my vision. They respect what I do.” Word In Black spoke with Dr. Johnson about his origins, his groundbreaking surgical techniques, and what Black women need to know when seeking gynecological care.The following has been edited for brevity and clarity. Word In Black: How old were you when you knew you wanted to be a doctor? Dr. Pierre Johnson: I was about five or six years old. I’m just a very purpose-driven person. When I was a senior in high school, my term paper for my career goal was literally titled ‘My Life as an OB-GYN.’ As a [South Side] kid, I saw just disparities, racism, just poor health care, and experienced it. Through my mother, through my family, and just watched it. As a kid, I knew that one of my goals was to provide care for women all over the world–but starting with Chicago. WIB: How did Brionna Johnson, the patient with the 27-pound fibroid find you, and how did you know you could help her? Johnson: She actually — through marriage — is related to a distant cousin of mine. When my relative reached out to me and told me about it, it just didn’t sound right. Women with cases like hers typically have an issue getting pregnant. So, when I heard it, I said ‘I don’t care how big it is, I can do it.’ I’d already done 20-pound fibroids preserving the uterus. I’ve perfected a skill, a technique that no one taught me, that I taught myself. WIB: Can you explain fibroids in simple terms for people who may not be familiar? Johnson: Look at a uterus as a house. You’ve got the inside [rooms], the drywall, and the roof. Fibroids could be inside where you are— those are intracavitary or submucosal fibroids, and they’re a huge problem. They could be in the drywall, which is the muscle, they can be somewhat of a problem but not a huge one. Or they could be on the roof. If a tree branch falls off a tree and hits your roof, you probably won’t know it happened. For this particular patient, these enormous fibroids were on the roof — connected to the uterus through a big stalk. The baby is inside, not knowing everything that’s on the roof. So, getting the fibroid off of the roof should not impact what’s happening on the inside. RELATED: WATCH: Black Women and Fibroids —What You Need to Know WIB: What was the largest fibroid you had removed before this patient? Johnson: Before her, it was 20 pounds. A woman from the East Coast. Think about 20 pounds — that’s just walking around with an extra 20-pound weight on your body. It’s crazy. But for this patient, 27 pounds with this large mass, think about a carry-on suitcase — a 24-inch carry-on suitcase — and put that in your body. WIB: How did social media change your reach and the complexity of your cases? Johnson: When I finished residency in 2013 and was in central Illinois for three years, my mindset was: I’m not turning down any case. The hardest cases — I’m taking everything, no matter what it is. I will figure it out. Then I moved to Chicago, word of mouth started growing the [number of] cases, and I started getting active on social media, just teaching. People in Atlanta, Philadelphia started reaching out — ‘I’m in Atlanta, I have a problem, I heard about you.’ Pre-pandemic, 2018, 2019, that’s when people really started connecting with me from outside Chicago. I started teaching people: if you have a problem, adjust your insurance so it can give you the opportunity to move around and choose your care. Don’t let your geographical limitations hinder you. Invest in a PPO plan that allows you to move. As I started preaching this on social media, the cases got way more complex. When things opened back up in 2022, 2023 — it was like floodgates. It just started to grow.WIB: What questions should women ask a surgeon before trusting them with fibroid care? Johnson: If you need surgery, the questions you have to ask are: What is your experience with dealing with these types of cases? What is your philosophy about removing all fibroids? From a complication standpoint, what complications have you experienced and how have you dealt with them? What is your percentage rate of success converting myomectomies to hysterectomies? Meaning, if the doctor goes into surgery planning to take out fibroids and restore the uterus, how many times has he or she ended up aborting that plan and having to take the whole uterus out? That’s an excellent question that people don’t ask. WIB: You mention a doctor’s philosophy and mindset. How can a patient research that? Johnson: When people say they do research, what kind of research are you doing? ChatGPT and Google are really not research if you’re looking at a provider. This person literally has your life in their hands for as long as you’re on that table under anesthesia. The level of trust you have to have in this person is the highest level of trust you will ever have in another human being. That research starts with their social media platforms. Whatever they’re talking about, whatever they’re professing they do, should be reflected in their personal life. If they have different types of views than you — views that are evident on their platforms — then maybe what they’re telling you might not be exactly what it is. Do research on them as a person, not just as a physician. Don’t just look at their Google reviews. Don’t just look at a website. WIB: What are the red flags a woman should never overlook when choosing a provider? Johnson: If a person has ideals and thoughts that aren’t in alignment with your cultural beliefs, they may not be the person you think they are. When you’re looking at providers — people you’re trusting with your life — don’t think that because they wear a white coat, they’re going to look at you differently than their actual beliefs. If they think DEI is a problem, why do you think that now, when caring for you, they’re going to treat you like they would treat their own mother or sister? WIB You went viral for saying patients should look beyond gender and race when choosing a surgeon. Can you explain that? Johnson: As a women’s healthcare specialist, I said that when you are choosing a surgeon, it should not matter the gender, the race, the sexual orientation — none of that matters. You have to look into the soul and the ideals of that person. I’m saying cut out race, gender, all of those things from your criteria. RELATED: Women With Fibroids Have Sharply Increased Heart Disease Risk, Study Says There are Caucasian providers who are in this for the right reasons and will take care of you. Don’t exclude someone you need because of a bias. Look at a person and look at what they bring to the table, and who they really are. If we did more of that, we would watch the numbers change. WIB: Any final advice for women navigating fibroid care and gynecological health? Johnson: Understand you have options. Get a second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth opinion. Somebody is going to talk to you and you’ll feel it — ‘Ah, this is my person.’ Don’t limit yourself. The post Star Black OB-GYN: “Fibroids Are Never Too Large For Me” appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"Dr.
\n

It was a case most gynecologists wouldn’t touch — literally.

\n\n\n\n

Brionna Johnson of Chicago, who was 17 weeks pregnant, had a fibroid tumor on her uterus that weighed 27 pounds. One gynecologist after another told her the growth had to come out, but the only way of doing that meant removing her uterus and ending her pregnancy. 

\n\n\n\n

LEARN MORE: South Carolinians Continue Colleague’s Push for Maternal Health

\n\n\n\n

Unwilling to lose both her child and her fertility, she traveled to Chicago’s gritty South Side for one more consultation. It was an appointment with Dr. Pierre Johnson — the self-described Fibroid Slayer. [Doctor and patient had never met.]

\n\n\n\n

A Black OB-GYN and surgeon who practices at Loretto Hospital, a facility that primarily serves low-income patients, Johnson examined the woman’s distended abdomen and saw what others didn’t: a way to safely remove the giant fibroid without harming the fetus or removing her uterus.

\n\n\n\n

And it worked: Johnson surgically removed the massive fibroid, and mother and fetus are doing just fine. Then, the doctor did something just as unusual in medicine’s buttoned-up culture: he posted about it on Instagram.

\n\n\n\n

‘I’m the Best at This’

\n\n\n\n

“She had the most enormous fibroid I’ve ever seen,” he said in the video, acknowledging that even the higher-ups at Loretto had trepidations about his plan. “There were so many people that tried to block the surgery” because it seemed too risky. 

\n\n\n\n

“But at the end of the day, there’s so much that happens in medicine that people do not understand,” he said, suggesting that — because the patient is a Black woman — racial bias likely played a role in other doctors’ reluctance to operate. 

\n\n\n\n

Then, in an Instagram video, Johnson made it plain.  

\n\n\n\n

“I don’t want to toot my own horn or get too big about it, but I’m the best at this,” he said, breaking into a megawatt smile. “This right here, nobody could have done this. Nobody could have completed this but your boy … I’m just so happy to have helped her.”

\n\n\n
\n
\"\"
The patient, Brionna Johnson, before surgery. Instagram/Pierre Johnson
\n
\n\n\n

Though Johnson already has a substantial social media following — the bespectacled surgeon with the touches of gray in his goatee and short dreadlocks has 126,000 followers on Instagram — his triumph over a tumor the size of a small child went viral. That’s arguably because Black women face some of the nation’s worst reproductive health outcomes: high rates of fibroids, exorbitant maternal mortality rates and medical bias.

\n\n\n\n

Patients Failed by the System

\n\n\n\n

With Black doctors making up less than 6% of the U.S. physician workforce — and even fewer specializing in obstetrics and gynecology — Johnson’s work sits at the intersection of access, trust and advocacy. He has developed a following, using both the operating room and the algorithm to reach patients who say the system has too often failed them. 

\n\n\n\n

When you’re looking at providers — people you’re trusting with your life — don’t think that because they wear a white coat, they’re going to look at you differently than their actual beliefs.

Dr. Pierre Johnson
\n\n\n\n

A Chicago South Side native himself who graduated from Xavier University, Johnson got his medical degree at the University of Illinois, where he was the only Black student in his class. He then returned to Chicago and joined the staff at Loretto.

\n\n\n\n

“I’m at Loretto Hospital by design and by choice,” Johnson says. The hospital, he says, “understands my vision. They respect what I do.”

\n\n\n\n

Word In Black spoke with Dr. Johnson about his origins, his groundbreaking surgical techniques, and what Black women need to know when seeking gynecological care.

The following has been edited for brevity and clarity. 

\n\n\n\n

Word In Black: How old were you when you knew you wanted to be a doctor?

\n\n\n\n

Dr. Pierre Johnson:  I was about five or six years old. I’m just a very purpose-driven person. When I was a senior in high school, my term paper for my career goal was literally titled ‘My Life as an OB-GYN.’ 

\n\n\n\n

As a [South Side] kid, I saw just disparities, racism, just poor health care, and experienced it. Through my mother, through my family, and just watched it. As a kid, I knew that one of my goals was to provide care for women all over the world–but starting with Chicago. 

\n\n\n\n

WIB: How did Brionna Johnson, the patient with the 27-pound fibroid find you, and how did you know you could help her?

\n\n\n\n

Johnson: She actually — through marriage — is related to a distant cousin of mine. When my relative reached out to me and told me about it, it just didn’t sound right. Women with cases like hers typically have an issue getting pregnant. So, when I heard it, I said ‘I don’t care how big it is, I can do it.’ I’d already done 20-pound fibroids preserving the uterus. I’ve perfected a skill, a technique that no one taught me, that I taught myself.

\n\n\n\n

WIB: Can you explain fibroids in simple terms for people who may not be familiar?

\n\n\n\n

Johnson: Look at a uterus as a house. You’ve got the inside [rooms], the drywall, and the roof. Fibroids could be inside where you are— those are intracavitary or submucosal fibroids, and they’re a huge problem. They could be in the drywall, which is the muscle, they can be somewhat of a problem but not a huge one. Or they could be on the roof. 

\n\n\n\n

If a tree branch falls off a tree and hits your roof, you probably won’t know it happened. For this particular patient, these enormous fibroids were on the roof — connected to the uterus through a big stalk. The baby is inside, not knowing everything that’s on the roof. So, getting the fibroid off of the roof should not impact what’s happening on the inside.

\n\n\n\n

RELATED: WATCH: Black Women and Fibroids —What You Need to Know

\n\n\n\n

WIB: What was the largest fibroid you had removed before this patient?

\n\n\n\n

Johnson: Before her, it was 20 pounds. A woman from the East Coast. Think about 20 pounds — that’s just walking around with an extra 20-pound weight on your body. It’s crazy. But for this patient, 27 pounds with this large mass, think about a carry-on suitcase — a 24-inch carry-on suitcase — and put that in your body. 

\n\n\n\n

WIB: How did social media change your reach and the complexity of your cases?

Johnson: When I finished residency in 2013 and was in central Illinois for three years, my mindset was: I’m not turning down any case. The hardest cases — I’m taking everything, no matter what it is. I will figure it out. 

\n\n\n\n

Then I moved to Chicago, word of mouth started growing the [number of] cases, and I started getting active on social media, just teaching. People in Atlanta, Philadelphia started reaching out — ‘I’m in Atlanta, I have a problem, I heard about you.’ Pre-pandemic, 2018, 2019, that’s when people really started connecting with me from outside Chicago.

\n\n\n\n

I started teaching people: if you have a problem, adjust your insurance so it can give you the opportunity to move around and choose your care. Don’t let your geographical limitations hinder you. Invest in a PPO plan that allows you to move. As I started preaching this on social media, the cases got way more complex. When things opened back up in 2022, 2023 — it was like floodgates. It just started to grow.

WIB: What questions should women ask a surgeon before trusting them with fibroid care?

\n\n\n\n

Johnson: If you need surgery, the questions you have to ask are: What is your experience with dealing with these types of cases? What is your philosophy about removing all fibroids? From a complication standpoint, what complications have you experienced and how have you dealt with them? 

\n\n\n\n

What is your percentage rate of success converting myomectomies to hysterectomies? Meaning, if the doctor goes into surgery planning to take out fibroids and restore the uterus, how many times has he or she ended up aborting that plan and having to take the whole uterus out? That’s an excellent question that people don’t ask. 

\n\n\n\n

WIB: You mention a doctor’s philosophy and mindset. How can a patient research that?

\n\n\n\n

Johnson: When people say they do research, what kind of research are you doing? ChatGPT and Google are really not research if you’re looking at a provider. This person literally has your life in their hands for as long as you’re on that table under anesthesia. The level of trust you have to have in this person is the highest level of trust you will ever have in another human being.

\n\n\n\n

That research starts with their social media platforms. Whatever they’re talking about, whatever they’re professing they do, should be reflected in their personal life. If they have different types of views than you — views that are evident on their platforms — then maybe what they’re telling you might not be exactly what it is. Do research on them as a person, not just as a physician. Don’t just look at their Google reviews. Don’t just look at a website. 

\n\n\n\n

WIB: What are the red flags a woman should never overlook when choosing a provider?

\n\n\n\n

Johnson: If a person has ideals and thoughts that aren’t in alignment with your cultural beliefs, they may not be the person you think they are. When you’re looking at providers — people you’re trusting with your life — don’t think that because they wear a white coat, they’re going to look at you differently than their actual beliefs.

\n\n\n\n

If they think DEI is a problem, why do you think that now, when caring for you, they’re going to treat you like they would treat their own mother or sister?

\n\n\n\n

WIB You went viral for saying patients should look beyond gender and race when choosing a surgeon. Can you explain that?

\n\n\n\n

Johnson: As a women’s healthcare specialist, I said that when you are choosing a surgeon, it should not matter the gender, the race, the sexual orientation — none of that matters. You have to look into the soul and the ideals of that person. I’m saying cut out race, gender, all of those things from your criteria. 

\n\n\n\n

RELATED: Women With Fibroids Have Sharply Increased Heart Disease Risk, Study Says

\n\n\n\n

There are Caucasian providers who are in this for the right reasons and will take care of you. Don’t exclude someone you need because of a bias. Look at a person and look at what they bring to the table, and who they really are. If we did more of that, we would watch the numbers change.

\n\n\n\n

WIB: Any final advice for women navigating fibroid care and gynecological health?

\n\n\n\n

Johnson: Understand you have options. Get a second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth opinion. Somebody is going to talk to you and you’ll feel it — ‘Ah, this is my person.’ Don’t limit yourself. 

\n

The post Star Black OB-GYN: “Fibroids Are Never Too Large For Me” appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/04/fibroids-are-never-too-large-for-me/","site":"Jennifer Porter Gore","originalAuthor":"Jennifer Porter Gore","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Health","Black women","health"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-04-24T11:09:00.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-24-at-8.35.05-AM.png?fit=1024%2C867&ssl=1","type":"image/png"},"createdAt":"2026-04-24T11:16:16.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-24-at-8.35.05-AM.png?fit=1024%2C867&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"83flAvG19UbqxdVD","title":"Shame About Being Abused Silenced Me. Now, I’m Speaking Up.","description":"I am a survivor of intimate partner violence. I don’t remember the hitting, likely due to a protective habit of leaving a blank space in my memory where a traumatic event occurred. My mind can’t conjure up images of a closed fist, about to strike. I do, however, remember the physical and emotional pain. I remember being very afraid and feeling helpless. I remember the sensation of walking on eggshells. I remember being confident that it wasn’t my fault. I remember being deeply resolute that — as too many believe — the abuse wasn’t a sign of their intense love for me. I remember knowing that I needed to get out and get away. Yet what I remember most is the shame. It was deep, isolating, soul-wrenching. It convinced me not to tell a living soul what was going on. It made me believe people would question my judgment if I spoke up. It told me that if anyone found out, I would be derided for letting myself fall into this situation. Therefore, I confided in no one. Not family. Not friends. Not a counselor. No one. Haunted by ‘What-Ifs’ I was not alone. Approximately four in 10 Black women have experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetimes. Black women are more than twice as likely as white women to be murdered by their partner. The past 30 days have laid bare that statistic, as the stories of Black women behind the data are told: Dr. Cerina Fairfax, Davonta Curtis, Pastor Tammy McCollum, Qualeshia “Sidditty” Barnes. It includes the horrific murder of eight young children in Louisiana and the wounding of the gunman’s wife — the mother of seven of the children — as well as his girlfriend. It includes Nancy Metayer, an environmental scientist. Police officers checking on her well-being found her shot to death inside her home. Her husband has been charged with killing her. Four years ago — the same year she was married — I interviewed Nancy for a role with The Chisholm Legacy Project; she was our top candidate. Since Nancy’s murder on April 1, I’ve been haunted by the what-ifs. If Nancy had joined us, would I have seen something in her eyes — some telltale sign of abuse? Would I have heard something in her voice? Would I have seen through the mask that we, as victims, strive desperately to maintain while endeavoring to live long enough to become survivors? Would I have recognized my younger self in her? Am I missing the signs in someone else right now? Shame and Silence I was 19 when I first experienced intimate partner violence. It wasn’t the last time. Each time, I dealt with it alone. And I escaped it alone. A few people, like my mother, figured things out after the relationship ended. I know people suspected I’d been abused; for the observant, the signs are often there. But I also recall shutting down any attempt to get me to talk about it. I must join the intrepid force of those who share their stories publicly. I want to tell someone in the cruel, stifling grip of IPV shame: don’t be like me. Even as I write, I weep for the terrified young woman I was. I worked in a domestic violence shelter, and once harbored a friend fleeing her own abuser. Yet, I led a solitary, shadow existence of shame and fear. I never said to a close friend, “Here’s what’s going on with me. Can I talk to you?” I never asked a trusted relative, “Will you help me plan my escape?” I now know it’s not enough to simply tell an intimate partner violence victim that the abuse is not their fault, that they should not bear the shame. Now, I must be the change I want to see in the world. I must join the intrepid force of those who share their stories publicly. I want to tell someone in the cruel, stifling grip of IPV shame: don’t be like me. Tell someone. Get help. Get out. Your partner will not change. It will not get better. To the friends, family members, and colleagues of victims: If you see something, say something. If you sense something, say something. Chances are, they are not okay — even if they insist that they are. Do it even if it means angering that person because you forced them to face tough facts. Do it even if that person doesn’t talk to you for a while. It is far better than the alternative. ‘Hold Black Women’ The Black Femicide Prevention Coalition warns that Black women “are dying at rates that should alarm anyone claiming to care about Black women, the Black family, or the Black community. If people cannot address that reality directly, then they are not engaging in good faith and will be viewed as deflectors.” And those deflectors “are avoiding the truth,” according to the coalition. “And the truth is that Black women and girls deserve more than deflection; they deserve urgency, honesty, and action.” April 22 is Earth Day, set aside to honor and respect our planet. The Black women I know and work with are holding family, community, organizations, movement, democracy, and Earth care. We must ensure that we can hold ourselves. And we must ensure that the people and institutions around us know how to hold Black women, too. Jacqui Patterson is the founder and executive director of The Chisholm Legacy Project, a resource hub for Black, frontline climate justice leadership The post Shame About Being Abused Silenced Me. Now, I’m Speaking Up. appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"Four
\n

I am a survivor of intimate partner violence.

\n\n\n\n

I don’t remember the hitting, likely due to a protective habit of leaving a blank space in my memory where a traumatic event occurred. My mind can’t conjure up images of a closed fist, about to strike. I do, however, remember the physical and emotional pain. I remember being very afraid and feeling helpless. 

\n\n\n\n

I remember the sensation of walking on eggshells. I remember being confident that it wasn’t my fault. I remember being deeply resolute that — as too many believe — the abuse wasn’t a sign of their intense love for me. 

\n\n\n\n

I remember knowing that I needed to get out and get away.

\n\n\n\n

Yet what I remember most is the shame. 

\n\n\n\n

It was deep, isolating, soul-wrenching. It convinced me not to tell a living soul what was going on. It made me believe people would question my judgment if I spoke up. It told me that if anyone found out, I would be derided for letting myself fall into this situation.

\n\n\n\n

Therefore, I confided in no one. Not family. Not friends. Not a counselor.

\n\n\n\n

No one.  

\n\n\n\n

Haunted by ‘What-Ifs’

\n\n\n\n

I was not alone. Approximately four in 10 Black women have experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetimes. Black women are more than twice as likely as white women to be murdered by their partner. 

\n\n\n\n

The past 30 days have laid bare that statistic, as the stories of Black women behind the data are told: Dr. Cerina Fairfax, Davonta Curtis, Pastor Tammy McCollum, Qualeshia “Sidditty” Barnes. It includes the horrific murder of eight young children in Louisiana and the wounding of the gunman’s wife — the mother of seven of the children — as well as his girlfriend.

\n\n\n\n

It includes Nancy Metayer, an environmental scientist. Police officers checking on her well-being found her shot to death inside her home. Her husband has been charged with killing her. 

\n\n\n\n

Four years ago — the same year she was married — I interviewed Nancy for a role with The Chisholm Legacy Project; she was our top candidate. Since Nancy’s murder on April 1, I’ve been haunted by the what-ifs.

\n\n\n\n

If Nancy had joined us, would I have seen something in her eyes — some telltale sign of abuse? Would I have heard something in her voice? Would I have seen through the mask that we, as victims, strive desperately to maintain while endeavoring to live long enough to become survivors? Would I have recognized my younger self in her? 

\n\n\n\n

Am I missing the signs in someone else right now?

\n\n\n\n

Shame and Silence

\n\n\n\n

I was 19 when I first experienced intimate partner violence. It wasn’t the last time. Each time, I dealt with it alone. And I escaped it alone.

\n\n\n\n

A few people, like my mother, figured things out after the relationship ended. I know people suspected I’d been abused; for the observant, the signs are often there. But I also recall shutting down any attempt to get me to talk about it. 

\n\n\n\n

I must join the intrepid force of those who share their stories publicly. I want to tell someone in the cruel, stifling grip of IPV shame: don’t be like me.

\n\n\n\n

Even as I write, I weep for the terrified young woman I was. I worked in a domestic violence shelter, and once harbored a friend fleeing her own abuser. Yet, I led a solitary, shadow existence of shame and fear. I never said to a close friend, “Here’s what’s going on with me. Can I talk to you?” I never asked a trusted relative, “Will you help me plan my escape?”

\n\n\n\n

I now know it’s not enough to simply tell an intimate partner violence victim that the abuse is not their fault, that they should not bear the shame. Now, I must be the change I want to see in the world. I must join the intrepid force of those who share their stories publicly. I want to tell someone in the cruel, stifling grip of IPV shame: don’t be like me. 

\n\n\n\n

Tell someone. Get help. Get out. Your partner will not change. It will not get better.

\n\n\n\n

To the friends, family members, and colleagues of victims: If you see something, say something. If you sense something, say something. Chances are, they are not okay — even if they insist that they are.

\n\n\n\n

Do it even if it means angering that person because you forced them to face tough facts. Do it even if that person doesn’t talk to you for a while. It is far better than the alternative.

\n\n\n\n

‘Hold Black Women’

\n\n\n\n

The Black Femicide Prevention Coalition warns that Black women “are dying at rates that should alarm anyone claiming to care about Black women, the Black family, or the Black community.  If people cannot address that reality directly, then they are not engaging in good faith and will be viewed as deflectors.”

\n\n\n\n

And those deflectors “are avoiding the truth,” according to the coalition. “And the truth is that Black women and girls deserve more than deflection; they deserve urgency, honesty, and action.”

\n\n\n\n

April 22 is Earth Day, set aside to honor and respect our planet. The Black women I know and work with are holding family, community, organizations, movement, democracy, and Earth care. We must ensure that we can hold ourselves. And we must ensure that the people and institutions around us know how to hold Black women, too.

\n\n\n
\n
\"\"
\n
\n\n\n

Jacqui Patterson is the founder and executive director of The Chisholm Legacy Project, a resource hub for Black, frontline climate justice leadership

\n\n\n\n

\n

The post Shame About Being Abused Silenced Me. Now, I’m Speaking Up. appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/04/shame-told-me-to-stay-silent/","site":"Jacqui Patterson","originalAuthor":"Jacqui Patterson","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Opinion","opinion"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-04-23T09:00:00.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/GettyImages-1177159976.jpg?fit=724%2C483&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-04-23T09:07:00.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/GettyImages-1177159976.jpg?fit=724%2C483&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"ilAgMiQHECMJYuMv","title":"500 Voices, One Mission: Reviving Baltimore’s Gospel Sound","description":"When hundreds of voices rise in unison — the kind that shake the rafters and stop you in your tracks — you’re not just hearing a choir. You’re hearing Baltimore. More than 400 singers packed into Gillis Memorial Christian Community Church earlier this month, answering Charm City native Eric Waddell’s call to revive a Black gospel tradition born in the city’s choir lofts and carried across generations. RELATED: Richard Smallwood: ‘I’m Looking Forward to Singing With You in Heaven’ The goal was 500 voices. The reality, Waddell says, is something bigger. “It’s everyone coming together to make one sound,” he said. Revival and Resistance At a time when church choirs are shrinking, praise teams are replacing full ensembles, and arts programs in public schools are disappearing, Waddell sees the Sound of Baltimore as both revival and resistance, an effort to preserve a distinctly Black cultural tradition while rebuilding the pipeline that once carried it from classrooms to choir stands. A recording artist and lifelong church musician, Waddell has taken his ministry across the country. But Baltimore — its history, its harmonies, its church culture — is home. Now, he’s trying to bring that sound back together, with a special focus on reaching young people and reconnecting them to a legacy that’s fading in too many places. The setting matters. Gillis Memorial is home to legends like Aunt Pauline Wells Lewis, the “Godmother of Gospel,” and Roland Joe Smith — names that still echo in Baltimore’s faith music circles. For Waddell, each rehearsal is as much about honoring that lineage as it is about building something new. “There’s room for many more,” he said. “We want everybody.” ‘It’s a Lot of Fun’ Waddell’s roots run deep. He was giving concerts at age 9 at Mt. Pisgah CME in West Baltimore, and by 12, he was directing choirs. A graduate of Carver Vocational High School — if you know, you know — he grew up immersed in the hymns, anthems, spirituals, and gospel traditions that define the city’s sound. I’m praying that it brings our singers back to the choir to stand in our local churches. I’m praying that it inspires pastors to open up the choir stand again, push those screens aside, and get up in the choir stand and let’s sing.Eric Waddell Now, he’s working to make sure that sound doesn’t disappear. “The Baltimore Sound is quickly moving from a mass choir into a movement,” said Rusty Saunders, minister of music at The Hill in Jessup, Maryland. “The energy in the room was off the charts.” Dr. Patrick Alston, an organist and music educator, sees the project as both a reunion and a revival. “This is expanding the fellowship,” he said. “And it’s a lot of fun.” For Waddell, that’s the point: bring the voices back, rebuild the choir stand, and remind a new generation what it means when Baltimore sings. He spoke to Word In Black last week; his remarks have been edited for length and clarity. Word in Black: What’s the Sound of Baltimore? Eric Waddell: It’s the result of the collaboration of singers and musicians who are born and bred in Baltimore; some past, some present. It’s everyone coming together to make one sound, the Baltimore Sound. WIB: Is Gloria Thompson one of the musicians? Waddell: I came up under the tutelage of Gloria Thompson, who is just a genius on the organ and has been for many years. Yes, she’s going to be playing. There’s no one like her. There’s Jonathan Nelson, Jason Nelson, Maurette Brown Clark. WIB: Name some others, please. Waddell: Roland Joe Smith, [a keyboardist and singer] who is still around and still playing. Many of the musicians and singers are from Baltimore but no longer living here. They are coming home to participate in the live recording of Baltimore Sound. We’re going to have a classic piece from Dr. Nathan Carter, as well as a traditional piece from the music of James Peterson and the Baltimore Fellowship Choir. Dvorak Robinson and the Suburban Mass Choir and the Majestics and Fernando Allen and the Salvation. I started out with my first choir with John Beasley and the Interfaith Community Singers. WIB: How does music feed your soul? Waddell: It’s my lifeblood. Even in grief, it gives me strength and brings me joy. This year has been a real struggle for me. I lost both my parents and it’s the music that is getting me through. WIB: Remember the old school joy night on Friday nights? Waddell: We’re looking to have a joy night with some of the old groups from back in the day. Before the live recording, we’re looking to put together a nice joy night with all of the old groups coming together in a big way. I want to have the joy night of some of the old, and then I want to have a joy night with the new groups as well, because we not only want to focus on the past but we want to help shape the future. LEARN MORE: Holy Culture Radio Produces a Joyful Noise on the Radio WIB: What’s your hope for this project? Waddell: Through us coming together, that we’re making a statement to the world, that we’re making a statement to our young people in school, the importance in our public school, the choir, the fine arts department, sight [music] reading back in our schools, the instruments. I’m praying that it brings our singers back to the choir to stand in our local churches. I’m praying that it inspires pastors to open up the choir stand again, push those screens aside, and get up in the choir stand and let’s sing. WIB: When’s the next rehearsal? Waddell: May 11, 7-9 p.m. at Israel Baptist Church and everyone is welcome. The post 500 Voices, One Mission: Reviving Baltimore’s Gospel Sound appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"As
\n

When hundreds of voices rise in unison — the kind that shake the rafters and stop you in your tracks — you’re not just hearing a choir. You’re hearing Baltimore.

\n\n\n\n

More than 400 singers packed into Gillis Memorial Christian Community Church earlier this month, answering Charm City native Eric Waddell’s call to revive a Black gospel tradition born in the city’s choir lofts and carried across generations. 

\n\n\n\n

RELATED: Richard Smallwood: ‘I’m Looking Forward to Singing With You in Heaven’

\n\n\n\n

The goal was 500 voices. The reality, Waddell says, is something bigger.

\n\n\n\n

“It’s everyone coming together to make one sound,” he said.

\n\n\n\n

Revival and Resistance

\n\n\n\n

At a time when church choirs are shrinking, praise teams are replacing full ensembles, and arts programs in public schools are disappearing, Waddell sees the Sound of Baltimore as both revival and resistance, an effort to preserve a distinctly Black cultural tradition while rebuilding the pipeline that once carried it from classrooms to choir stands.

\n\n\n\n

A recording artist and lifelong church musician, Waddell has taken his ministry across the country. But Baltimore — its history, its harmonies, its church culture — is home. Now, he’s trying to bring that sound back together, with a special focus on reaching young people and reconnecting them to a legacy that’s fading in too many places.

\n\n\n\n

The setting matters. Gillis Memorial is home to legends like Aunt Pauline Wells Lewis, the “Godmother of Gospel,” and Roland Joe Smith — names that still echo in Baltimore’s faith music circles. For Waddell, each rehearsal is as much about honoring that lineage as it is about building something new.

\n\n\n\n

“There’s room for many more,” he said. “We want everybody.”

\n\n\n\n

‘It’s a Lot of Fun’

\n\n\n\n

Waddell’s roots run deep. He was giving concerts at age 9 at Mt. Pisgah CME in West Baltimore, and by 12, he was directing choirs. A graduate of Carver Vocational High School — if you know, you know — he grew up immersed in the hymns, anthems, spirituals, and gospel traditions that define the city’s sound.

\n\n\n\n

I’m praying that it brings our singers back to the choir to stand in our local churches. I’m praying that it inspires pastors to open up the choir stand again, push those screens aside, and get up in the choir stand and let’s sing.

Eric Waddell
\n\n\n\n

Now, he’s working to make sure that sound doesn’t disappear.

\n\n\n\n

“The Baltimore Sound is quickly moving from a mass choir into a movement,” said Rusty Saunders, minister of music at The Hill in Jessup, Maryland. “The energy in the room was off the charts.”

\n\n\n\n

Dr. Patrick Alston, an organist and music educator, sees the project as both a reunion and a revival.

\n\n\n\n

“This is expanding the fellowship,” he said. “And it’s a lot of fun.”

\n\n\n\n

For Waddell, that’s the point: bring the voices back, rebuild the choir stand, and remind a new generation what it means when Baltimore sings. He spoke to Word In Black last week; his remarks have been edited for length and clarity. 

\n\n\n\n

Word in Black: What’s the Sound of Baltimore?

\n\n\n\n

Eric Waddell: It’s the result of the collaboration of singers and musicians who are born and bred in Baltimore; some past, some present. It’s everyone coming together to make one sound, the Baltimore Sound.

\n\n\n\n

WIB: Is Gloria Thompson one of the musicians?

\n\n\n\n

Waddell: I came up under the tutelage of Gloria Thompson, who is just a genius on the organ and has been for many years. Yes, she’s going to be playing. There’s no one like her. There’s Jonathan Nelson, Jason Nelson, Maurette Brown Clark. 

\n\n\n\n

WIB: Name some others, please.

\n\n\n\n

Waddell: Roland Joe Smith, [a keyboardist and singer] who is still around and still playing. Many of the musicians and singers are from Baltimore but no longer living here. They are coming home to participate in the live recording of Baltimore Sound. 

\n\n\n\n

We’re going to have a classic piece from Dr. Nathan Carter, as well as a traditional piece from the music of James Peterson and the Baltimore Fellowship Choir. Dvorak Robinson and the Suburban Mass Choir and the Majestics and Fernando Allen and the Salvation. I started out with my first choir with John Beasley and the Interfaith Community Singers.

\n\n\n\n

WIB: How does music feed your soul?

\n\n\n\n

Waddell: It’s my lifeblood. Even in grief, it gives me strength and brings me joy. This year has been a real struggle for me. I lost both my parents and it’s the music that is getting me through.

\n\n\n\n

WIB: Remember the old school joy night on Friday nights?

\n\n\n\n

Waddell: We’re looking to have a joy night with some of the old groups from back in the day. Before the live recording, we’re looking to put together a nice joy night with all of the old groups coming together in a big way. I want to have the joy night of some of the old, and then I want to have a joy night with the new groups as well, because we not only want to focus on the past but we want to help shape the future.

\n\n\n\n

LEARN MORE: Holy Culture Radio Produces a Joyful Noise on the Radio

\n\n\n\n

WIB: What’s your hope for this project?

\n\n\n\n

Waddell: Through us coming together, that we’re making a statement to the world, that we’re making a statement to our young people in school, the importance in our public school, the choir, the fine arts department, sight [music] reading back in our schools, the instruments. I’m praying that it brings our singers back to the choir to stand in our local churches. I’m praying that it inspires pastors to open up the choir stand again, push those screens aside, and get up in the choir stand and let’s sing.

\n\n\n\n

WIB: When’s the next rehearsal?

\n\n\n\n

Waddell: May 11, 7-9 p.m. at Israel Baptist Church and everyone is welcome.

\n

The post 500 Voices, One Mission: Reviving Baltimore’s Gospel Sound appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/04/reviving-baltimores-gospel-sound/","site":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","originalAuthor":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Religion","religion"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-04-22T20:11:50.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/IMG_2818.png?fit=1024%2C805&ssl=1","type":"image/png"},"createdAt":"2026-04-22T20:25:18.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/IMG_2818.png?fit=1024%2C805&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"eoHMdvTw6C5ZTZPl","title":"EVENT: The Action Plan to Get Black Women Back to Work","description":"It’s been a year since economic reports started to reveal that as many as 600,000 Black women – many of them highly educated professionals – are out of work. So what now? Join a virtual planning session produced by Word In Black featuring entrepreneurs, community organizers, and economic strategists who will share resources and map solutions for helping Black women, the heart of the labor force, regain upward mobility. During this interactive session, we’ll also ask the audience to share ideas and economic programs from their communities. We’ll compile everything from the session into a resource document that will live on WordInBlack.com. This event is a follow up to Word In Black’s March video report on The Reality of Being One of 600,000 Black Women Out of Work. Wednesday, April 29, 2026 6-7:15 p.m. ET REGISTER to join the event live Moderator Shernay Williams, Word In Black Confirmed speakers Kimani Norrington-Sands, Job Liberation Virtual Summit Chrissy Thornton, Associated Black Charities Kalyanna Williams, Entrepreneur, The Group Chat REGISTER Related: Event Recap ‘Breaking the Silence’: How Black Women Can Fight Breast Cancer The post EVENT: The Action Plan to Get Black Women Back to Work appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"\"
\n
\"\"
\n
\n\n\n

It’s been a year since economic reports started to reveal that as many as 600,000 Black women – many of them highly educated professionals – are out of work. So what now? 

\n\n\n\n

Join a virtual planning session produced by Word In Black featuring entrepreneurs, community organizers, and economic strategists who will share resources and map solutions for helping Black women, the heart of the labor force, regain upward mobility. 

\n\n\n\n

During this interactive session, we’ll also ask the audience to share ideas and economic programs from their communities. We’ll compile everything from the session into a resource document that will live on WordInBlack.com.

\n\n\n\n

This event is a follow up to Word In Black’s March video report on The Reality of Being One of 600,000 Black Women Out of Work.

\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Wednesday, April 29, 2026 

\n\n\n\n

6-7:15 p.m. ET

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REGISTER to join the event live

\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Moderator

\n\n\n\n

Shernay Williams, Word In Black

\n\n\n\n

Confirmed speakers 

\n\n\n\n

Kimani Norrington-Sands, Job Liberation Virtual Summit

\n\n\n\n

Chrissy Thornton, Associated Black Charities

\n\n\n\n

Kalyanna Williams, Entrepreneur, The Group Chat

\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

REGISTER

\n\n\n\n


Related: Event Recap ‘Breaking the Silence’: How Black Women Can Fight Breast Cancer

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The post EVENT: The Action Plan to Get Black Women Back to Work appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/04/event-the-action-plan-to-get-black-women-back-to-work/","site":"Shernay Williams","originalAuthor":"Shernay Williams","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Black women","Events","Featured","Finance","Labor","Jobs","Workforce"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-04-22T15:56:20.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/WIB-Jobs-Webinar-42926-1.png?fit=1024%2C791&ssl=1","type":"image/png"},"createdAt":"2026-04-22T16:08:40.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/WIB-Jobs-Webinar-42926-1.png?fit=1024%2C791&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"hhrrkJn9tykak3xm","title":"For Young People, Now’s the Time to Talk About HIV","description":"For Generation Z, a cohort that’s coming of age in the aftermath of a global pandemic, the AIDS crisis of the ‘80s and ‘90s seems like ancient history, if not irrelevant. Breakthrough drugs, including one that can effectively block transmission of HIV, mean infection is no longer a death sentence. But for young Black people, the epidemic never really ended. Despite decades of progress in treating and preventing HIV/AIDS, Black adolescents and young adults continue to face disproportionately high rates of new infections, driven in part by shame, stigma and silence. At the same time, the systems meant to protect them, from schools to healthcare, are still falling short. RELATED: Centering Black Women and Girls in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS To reverse the trend, healthcare providers, advocates, and local public health departments nationwide are joining forces, using events and ad campaigns to remind young people: HIV is still prevalent and should be taken seriously. “The reality is that young people are overlooking HIV, and that must change,” Bithiah Lafontant, director of communications for ViiV Healthcare, said in a statement. Link Between HIV and STIs According to available data, young people aged 13-24 accounted for 18% of all new HIV diagnoses nationwide in 2023. That year, only 28% of young adults aged 18–24 said they had ever been tested for HIV — an indication that a significant number of people in this age group are unaware of their HIV status. As with adults, Black youth are disproportionately affected, and they made up 47% of new HIV diagnoses among youth in 2023. Black women and girls accounted for half of all women and girls in the age group who were newly diagnosed with HIV. Experts say the combined lack of comprehensive sex education, low rates of HIV testing, and low awareness of ways to prevent transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections is likely fueling these high infection rates. There were 2.4 million cases of STIs reported in the United States in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The good news is that this was a slight decrease from 2022. But for Black Americans the bad news was really bad. Fear of Judgment That year, almost half of reported cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were among adolescents and young adults 15 to 24 years old. And roughly one-third of those cases (32.4%) were among Black Americans, despite representing just under 13% of the U.S. population. And STIs can increase the risk of HIV transmission because sores or small tears in the skin can expose individuals to the virus. In recent years, studies have found that sex education in U.S. high schools has been inconsistent and, in some cases, diminished, leaving many students without extensive instruction on HIV and sexual health before they become sexually active. The reality is that young people are overlooking HIV, and that must change.Bithiah Lafontant, director of communications, ViiV Healthcare Meanwhile, HIV-related stigma, including fear of judgment and discrimination, continues to discourage many young people from getting tested or seeking care, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They note that stigma can directly deter people from engaging in HIV testing and prevention services. For those reasons, healthcare providers, advocates, and local public health departments nationwide used April 10 — National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day — to draw renewed attention to the persistent impact of HIV among young people in the United States. ‘Stop Making it Weird’ On Threads, for example, Bros in Convo, a Florida-based initiative that connects Black queer men, posted an appeal to its followers to get tested. They also tackled the stigma head-on. “Getting tested should be as normal as any other check-up, but the judgment makes it feel like a way bigger deal than it actually is,” according to the post. “Knowing your status is just looking out for yourself and your people. The community must “stop making it weird,” the post says. “We’re getting tested, we’re supporting our friends living with HIV, and we’re leaving the judgment in the past.” For its part, ViiV, the pharmaceutical manufacturer, launched an ad campaign, “Still Here,” aimed squarely at Gen Z. The quick-cut ad features HIV, personified as a shadowy, menacing figure in a black leather trenchcoat and leather gloves, with a TV screen for a face. At first despondent that people are no longer talking about it, the figure gradually becomes energized as it realizes that the lack of attention is an opportunity for it to thrive. As its TV face flashes with images of the young people it will infect — black, white, queer, and straight — the figure warns, “While you ignore me, I’m still out here, changing lives.” An Important First Step ViiV created “Still Here” to “connect with this audience in a new way about HIV,” Lafontant said. Raising awareness of both pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP — the drug that is 99% effective at blocking HIV transmission — and care for HIV-positive patients is vital to changing health outcomes. Experts say PrEP has been a game-changer, but in 2024, only 9 people aged 13 to 24 were using PrEP for every person diagnosed. Studies have also found that PrEP availability is significantly lower in Black communities than in white communities. LEARN MORE: Alarming Trend Shows Maternal Syphilis Surging in the U.S. “Today, there are many options when it comes to HIV prevention, and condoms are one aspect of a comprehensive approach to sexual health and wellness,” Lafontant, ViiV’s communications director, said in her statement. “Having different options, including long-acting injectable PrEP and treatment options, can help people overcome common barriers, such as stigma and adherence.” “We work closely with people living with HIV and others in the community to best understand their needs and work together to find solutions,” says Lafontant. “The communities most disproportionately impacted by HIV are often those least aware of options to prevent and treat HIV, so getting people talking is an important first step.” The post For Young People, Now’s the Time to Talk About HIV appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"Condoms
\n

For Generation Z, a cohort that’s coming of age in the aftermath of a global pandemic, the AIDS crisis of the ‘80s and ‘90s seems like ancient history, if not irrelevant. Breakthrough drugs, including one that can effectively block transmission of HIV, mean infection is no longer a death sentence. 

\n\n\n\n

But for young Black people, the epidemic never really ended.

\n\n\n\n

Despite decades of progress in treating and preventing HIV/AIDS, Black adolescents and young adults continue to face disproportionately high rates of new infections, driven in part by shame, stigma and silence. At the same time, the systems meant to protect them, from schools to healthcare, are still falling short.

\n\n\n\n

RELATED: Centering Black Women and Girls in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS 

\n\n\n\n

To reverse the trend, healthcare providers, advocates, and local public health departments nationwide are joining forces, using events and ad campaigns to remind young people: HIV is still prevalent and should be taken seriously. 

\n\n\n\n

“The reality is that young people are overlooking HIV, and that must change,” Bithiah Lafontant, director of communications for ViiV Healthcare, said in a statement. 

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

According to available data, young people aged 13-24 accounted for 18% of all new HIV diagnoses nationwide in 2023. That year, only 28% of young adults aged 18–24 said they had ever been tested for HIV — an indication that a significant number of people in this age group are unaware of their HIV status.  

\n\n\n\n

As with adults, Black youth are disproportionately affected, and they made up 47% of new HIV diagnoses among youth in 2023. Black women and girls accounted for half of all women and girls in the age group who were newly diagnosed with HIV. 

\n\n\n\n

Experts say the combined lack of comprehensive sex education, low rates of HIV testing, and low awareness of ways to prevent transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections is likely fueling these high infection rates. There were 2.4 million cases of STIs reported in the United States in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

\n\n\n\n

The good news is that this was a slight decrease from 2022. But for Black Americans the bad news was really bad. 

\n\n\n\n

Fear of Judgment

\n\n\n\n

That year, almost half of reported cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were among adolescents and young adults 15 to 24 years old. And roughly one-third of those cases (32.4%) were among Black Americans, despite representing just under 13% of the U.S. population. And STIs can increase the risk of HIV transmission because sores or small tears in the skin can expose individuals to the virus.

\n\n\n\n

In recent years, studies have found that sex education in U.S. high schools has been inconsistent and, in some cases, diminished, leaving many students without extensive instruction on HIV and sexual health before they become sexually active.

\n\n\n\n

The reality is that young people are overlooking HIV, and that must change.

Bithiah Lafontant, director of communications, ViiV Healthcare
\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, HIV-related stigma, including fear of judgment and discrimination, continues to discourage many young people from getting tested or seeking care, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They note that stigma can directly deter people from engaging in HIV testing and prevention services.

\n\n\n\n

For those reasons, healthcare providers, advocates, and local public health departments nationwide used April 10 — National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day — to draw renewed attention to the persistent impact of HIV among young people in the United States. 

\n\n\n\n

‘Stop Making it Weird’

\n\n\n\n

On Threads, for example, Bros in Convo, a Florida-based initiative that connects Black queer men, posted an appeal to its followers to get tested. They also tackled the stigma head-on. 

\n\n\n\n

“Getting tested should be as normal as any other check-up, but the judgment makes it feel like a way bigger deal than it actually is,” according to the post. “Knowing your status is just looking out for yourself and your people. 

\n\n\n\n

The community must “stop making it weird,” the post says. “We’re getting tested, we’re supporting our friends living with HIV, and we’re leaving the judgment in the past.”

\n\n\n\n

For its part, ViiV, the pharmaceutical manufacturer, launched an ad campaign, “Still Here,” aimed squarely at Gen Z. 

\n\n\n\n

The quick-cut ad features HIV, personified as a shadowy, menacing figure in a black leather trenchcoat and leather gloves, with a TV screen for a face. At first despondent that people are no longer talking about it, the figure gradually becomes energized as it realizes that the lack of attention is an opportunity for it to thrive. 

\n\n\n\n

As its TV face flashes with images of the young people it will infect — black, white, queer, and straight — the figure warns, “While you ignore me, I’m still out here, changing lives.” 

\n\n\n\n

An Important First Step

\n\n\n\n

ViiV created “Still Here” to “connect with this audience in a new way about HIV,” Lafontant said. 

\n\n\n\n

Raising awareness of both pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP — the drug that is 99% effective at blocking HIV transmission — and care for HIV-positive patients is vital to changing health outcomes. Experts say PrEP has been a game-changer, but in 2024, only 9 people aged 13 to 24 were using PrEP for every person diagnosed. Studies have also found that PrEP availability is significantly lower in Black communities than in white communities. 

\n\n\n\n

LEARN MORE: Alarming Trend Shows Maternal Syphilis Surging in the U.S.

\n\n\n\n

“Today, there are many options when it comes to HIV prevention, and condoms are one aspect of a comprehensive approach to sexual health and wellness,” Lafontant, ViiV’s communications director, said in her statement. “Having different options, including long-acting injectable PrEP and treatment options, can help people overcome common barriers, such as stigma and adherence.” 

\n\n\n\n

“We work closely with people living with HIV and others in the community to best understand their needs and work together to find solutions,” says Lafontant. “The communities most disproportionately impacted by HIV are often those least aware of options to prevent and treat HIV, so getting people talking is an important first step.”

\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

\n

The post For Young People, Now’s the Time to Talk About HIV appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/04/for-young-people-nows-the-time-to-talk-about-hiv/","site":"Jennifer Porter Gore","originalAuthor":"Jennifer Porter Gore","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Health","health"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-04-21T21:00:33.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/GettyImagesNYHAAD26jpg.jpg?fit=724%2C483&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-04-21T21:14:55.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/GettyImagesNYHAAD26jpg.jpg?fit=724%2C483&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"CeHcImInV3HCm3rP","title":"Elon Musk’s AI Empire Accused of Polluting Black Communities","description":"The Tennessee-Mississippi border area around Memphis remains at the heart of Elon Musk’s plans for a rapidly growing artificial intelligence-data center empire. But the billionaire’s plans to power a massive new supercomputer there with fossil-fueled generators may have hit a snag. The NAACP sued Musk’s company, xAI, last week, alleging it is operating dozens of unpermitted, gas-powered turbines to supply electricity to Colossus 2 — a new, supersized artificial intelligence data center near Memphis, a majority-Black city. The suit contends the turbines will spew hundreds of tons of pollution into the air over a residential area, worsening smog and exposing people to cancer-causing chemicals. ‘Death Sentence’ for Health Abre’ Conner, NAACP’s director of environmental and climate justice, said in a statement that Musk’s company is “following a shameful, familiar pattern: asking Black and frontline communities to bear the toxic brunt of ‘innovation.’” Two influential nonprofits — the Southern Environmental Law Center and Earth Justice — are assisting the civil rights organization in the lawsuit. LEARN MORE: How Dr. Ben Chavis Defined America’s Environmental Racism A data center “should not be a potential death sentence for a community’s health,” Connor said. It’s clear, she said, that xAI is “looking to evade clear air laws to operate dirty turbines that emit pollution and known carcinogens.” xAI is following a shameful, familiar pattern: asking Black and frontline communities to bear the toxic brunt of ‘innovation.’Abre’ Conner, NAACP director of environmental and climate justice The right to clean air “is not up for negotiation,” she said. For months, xAI has operated the natural gas-burning turbines at its facility in Southaven, Mississippi, just across the Tennessee state line. The company insists it doesn’t need a state permit because the power plant system is temporary. And for its part, Mississippi has said xAI does not need permits to operate the turbines for the first year. Insatiable Power Appetite While it already operates the Colossus 1 and Colossus 2 data centers in Memphis — with the former located not far from Boxtown, a neighborhood founded by formerly enslaved people in the 1860s — xAI plans to build another, named Macrohardrr, in Southaven. Mississippi regulators recently issued an operating permit for another 41 turbines to operate continuously at the facility, helping power the third data center. Last year, xAI began developing the Colossus 2 data center to further train Grok, its AI chatbot. According to the NAACP, xAI installed 27 gas turbines in Southaven, a system capable of generating up to 495 megawatts of power, “the equivalent of a conventional power plant,” according to the lawsuit. Those unpermitted generators could annually produce 1,700 tons of nitrogen oxides, a pollutant that contributes to smog, as well as 180 tons of fine particulate matter, 500 tons of carbon monoxide, and 19 tons of carcinogenic formaldehyde, according to the NAACP. The facility — part of what Mississippi says is a $20 billion investment in developing data center infrastructure in DeSoto County, another Memphis suburb — is close to homes, schools, churches, and other places where residents go about their daily lives. ‘Violation of Law’ The new emissions from the xAI turbines add to already high air pollution in the greater Memphis area: the American Lung Association gave both DeSoto County and Shelby County, Tennessee, where Memphis is located, F ratings for ozone pollution. The lawsuit demands that xAI stop operating the turbines, update the facility with pollution-control technology, and pay fines for violating the Clean Air Act. It also accuses both xAI and Mississippi regulators of leaning on the purported “temporary” status of the tractor-trailer-mounted turbines to skirt regulations. RELATED: The EPA’s Ability to Kill Climate Justice Gets New Life The EPA told the nonprofit news outlet Floodlight that it’s not responsible for state-level permitting, even though it is responsible for enforcing the Clean Air Act if state-level regulations are violated. But former regulators say the rules are quite clear about how this process is supposed to unfold — or how it has gone in the past. The current arrangement “is a violation of the law,” Bruce Buckheit, a former EPA air enforcement chief, told Floodlight after reviewing documentation of xAI’s turbines running in Southhaven. “You’re supposed to get permission first.” The post Elon Musk’s AI Empire Accused of Polluting Black Communities appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"In
\n

The Tennessee-Mississippi border area around Memphis remains at the heart of Elon Musk’s plans for a rapidly growing artificial intelligence-data center empire. But the billionaire’s plans to power a massive new supercomputer there with fossil-fueled generators may have hit a snag.

\n\n\n\n

The NAACP sued Musk’s company, xAI, last week, alleging it is operating dozens of unpermitted, gas-powered turbines to supply electricity to Colossus 2 — a new, supersized artificial intelligence data center near Memphis, a majority-Black city. The suit contends the turbines will spew hundreds of tons of pollution into the air over a residential area, worsening smog and exposing people to cancer-causing chemicals. 

\n\n\n\n

‘Death Sentence’ for Health

\n\n\n\n

Abre’ Conner, NAACP’s director of environmental and climate justice, said in a statement that Musk’s company is “following a shameful, familiar pattern: asking Black and frontline communities to bear the toxic brunt of ‘innovation.’” Two influential nonprofits — the Southern Environmental Law Center and Earth Justice — are assisting the civil rights organization in the lawsuit.

\n\n\n\n

LEARN MORE: How Dr. Ben Chavis Defined America’s Environmental Racism

\n\n\n\n

A data center “should not be a potential death sentence for a community’s health,” Connor said. It’s clear, she said, that xAI is “looking to evade clear air laws to operate dirty turbines that emit pollution and known carcinogens.” 

\n\n\n\n

xAI is following a shameful, familiar pattern: asking Black and frontline communities to bear the toxic brunt of ‘innovation.’

Abre’ Conner, NAACP director of environmental and climate justice
\n\n\n\n

The right to clean air “is not up for negotiation,” she said. 

\n\n\n\n

For months, xAI has operated the natural gas-burning turbines at its facility in Southaven, Mississippi, just across the Tennessee state line. The company insists it doesn’t need a state permit because the power plant system is temporary. And for its part, Mississippi has said xAI does not need permits to operate the turbines for the first year.

\n\n\n\n

Insatiable Power Appetite

\n\n\n\n

While it already operates the Colossus 1 and Colossus 2 data centers in Memphis — with the former located not far from Boxtown, a neighborhood founded by formerly enslaved people in the 1860s — xAI plans to build another, named Macrohardrr, in Southaven. Mississippi regulators recently issued an operating permit for another 41 turbines to operate continuously at the facility, helping power the third data center.

\n\n\n\n

Last year, xAI began developing the Colossus 2 data center to further train Grok, its AI chatbot. According to the NAACP, xAI installed 27 gas turbines in Southaven, a system capable of generating up to 495 megawatts of power, “the equivalent of a conventional power plant,” according to the lawsuit.

\n\n\n\n

Those unpermitted generators could annually produce 1,700 tons of nitrogen oxides, a pollutant that contributes to smog, as well as 180 tons of fine particulate matter, 500 tons of carbon monoxide, and 19 tons of carcinogenic formaldehyde, according to the NAACP. The facility — part of what Mississippi says is a $20 billion investment in developing data center infrastructure in DeSoto County, another Memphis suburb —  is close to homes, schools, churches, and other places where residents go about their daily lives.

\n\n\n\n

‘Violation of Law’

\n\n\n\n

The new emissions from the xAI turbines add to already high air pollution in the greater Memphis area: the American Lung Association gave both DeSoto County and Shelby County, Tennessee, where Memphis is located, F ratings for ozone pollution.

\n\n\n\n

The lawsuit demands that xAI stop operating the turbines, update the facility with pollution-control technology, and pay fines for violating the Clean Air Act. It also accuses both xAI and Mississippi regulators of leaning on the purported “temporary” status of the tractor-trailer-mounted turbines to skirt regulations.

\n\n\n\n

RELATED: The EPA’s Ability to Kill Climate Justice Gets New Life

\n\n\n\n

The EPA told the nonprofit news outlet Floodlight that it’s not responsible for state-level permitting, even though it is responsible for enforcing the Clean Air Act if state-level regulations are violated. But former regulators say the rules are quite clear about how this process is supposed to unfold — or how it has gone in the past.

\n\n\n\n

The current arrangement “is a violation of the law,” Bruce Buckheit, a former EPA air enforcement chief, told Floodlight after reviewing documentation of xAI’s turbines running in Southhaven. “You’re supposed to get permission first.” 

\n

The post Elon Musk’s AI Empire Accused of Polluting Black Communities appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/04/elon-musks-ai-empire-accused-of-polluting-black-communities/","site":"Willy Blackmore","originalAuthor":"Willy Blackmore","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Environmental Justice","environmental justice"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-04-20T18:44:16.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/GettyImages-2217198248.jpg?fit=594%2C396&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-04-20T18:49:31.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/GettyImages-2217198248.jpg?fit=594%2C396&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"mJsj3P9mZI5v4wll","title":"We Can’t Be Silent About the Voices of Youth in Foster Care","description":"Every year, hundreds of thousands of young people from every background, every community, and every part of our country pass through the U.S. foster care system. Though each of their stories is different, they have one thing in common: their futures are shaped by decisions they did not make and cannot control. As the leader of an initiative to improve outcomes for kids in U.S. foster care — particularly young people facing added barriers because of race, identity, or circumstance — I know how easily their voices are silenced at moments that matter most. Now is one of those moments. Barriers to Basic Needs Recent federal policy changes affecting SNAP, the federal food assistance program, and Medicaid have created new reporting requirements for young adults aging out of foster care. While intended to encourage self-sufficiency, these requirements often have the opposite effect. Every six months, young people already navigating housing instability, limited support networks, and the transition to adulthood will have to prove they’re employed, in job training, or enrolled in school, just to maintain 3 months of access to federal assistance. When we stop listening to the stories of young people and families touched by foster care, we risk reducing them from human beings with hopes and dreams to numbers on a spreadsheet. These administrative hurdles can become real barriers to meeting basic needs. Whatever our political views, most of us agree on one basic principle: young people leaving foster care should not face hunger or homelessness because of timing, paperwork, or lack of support. Data Tells the Story Stories matter—especially now. When we stop listening to the stories of young people and families touched by foster care, we risk reducing them from human beings with hopes and dreams to numbers on a spreadsheet. Data is essential, but it cannot fully capture the lived realities of trauma, separation, instability, and resilience. Stories are how people connect, how understanding grows, and how policies improve. The data itself tells a concerning story. Black or African American children account for roughly one-quarter of children in foster care, compared with about 14% of the U.S. child population, according to federal child welfare data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Black children are also underrepresented in adoption rates. According to several studies, Black children represented 23% of the foster care population but only 16% of adoptions. They face longer waiting times to reach permanency LGBTQ youth are also disproportionately represented. National research from UCLA’s Williams Institute estimates that roughly 19% of youth in foster care identify as LGBTQ, far higher than in the general population. These young people face higher rates of placement instability, discrimination, and adverse outcomes. These are the voices society most often doesn’t hear. These numbers aren’t about blame. They reveal where systems are falling short. But it’s the voices and stories of young people and families that show us how to fix them. What Succeeds and What Doesn’t We can start by amplifying the voices of former foster youth so more people know about the inner workings of foster care and how it affects kids and families. Take Camelia, who entered foster care at age 2. She grew up in foster care and credits a caring, consistent adult mentor with helping her gain the confidence and stability to forge a positive path in life. Stories like Camelia’s offer insight into what actually helps young people succeed — and where systems fail. Their perspectives should inform future policies that reflect their priorities and affirm their value with real resources. Then, we must focus more intentionally on prevention: keeping kids out of foster care by reducing bias in decision-making, addressing economic instability, and ensuring that struggling families have the support they need to safely care for their own children. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics,hundreds of thousands of Black women lost their jobs or exited the workforce in 2025.Given that women are typically primary caregivers — and that Black women are more likely to head single-parent households — the profound loss of income puts families with young children at risk of being separated. Keeping families together when it is safe to do so is not a partisan idea; it’s a child-centered one. Children should not be removed from their families simply because they are poor. Cultural Identity Has Value Finally, we can support approaches to foster care that recognize and affirm a child’s racial and cultural identity. Simple, relationship-based approaches, such as sharing cultural traditions, ensuring proper haircare support, attending community events, or helping a child feel seen and understood, can have lasting impacts on a young person’s sense of belonging and well-being. When care is rooted in cultural affirmation and humanity, both our children and our communities flourish. When children and families are at stake, we cannot be silent. We must keep telling the stories of the children and families we serve—with courage, strength, and truth. Stories don’t disappear just because they aren’t told. Numbers help measure the impact of child welfare policies, but when we silence stories, we erase people, reducing human lives to statistics and stripping them of their voice and dignity. Shantay Armstrong is a Black biracial mother of two and manager of the EMBRACE Project at Kidsave. She works at the intersection of foster care, identity, and belonging to support Black, Brown, and LGBTQ+ youth as well as the families who care for them. The post We Can’t Be Silent About the Voices of Youth in Foster Care appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"The
\n

Every year, hundreds of thousands of young people from every background, every community, and every part of our country pass through the U.S. foster care system. Though each of their stories is different, they have one thing in common: their futures are shaped by decisions they did not make and cannot control.  

\n\n\n\n

As the leader of an initiative to improve outcomes for kids in U.S. foster care — particularly young people facing added barriers because of race, identity, or circumstance — I know how easily their voices are silenced at moments that matter most.  

\n\n\n\n

Now is one of those moments. 

\n\n\n\n

Barriers to Basic Needs

\n\n\n\n

Recent federal policy changes affecting SNAP, the federal food assistance program, and Medicaid have created new reporting requirements for young adults aging out of foster care. While intended to encourage self-sufficiency, these requirements often have the opposite effect.

\n\n\n\n

Every six months, young people already navigating housing instability, limited support networks, and the transition to adulthood will have to prove they’re employed, in job training, or enrolled in school, just to maintain 3 months of access to federal assistance.

\n\n\n\n

When we stop listening to the stories of young people and families touched by foster care, we risk reducing them from human beings with hopes and dreams to numbers on a spreadsheet.  

\n\n\n\n

These administrative hurdles can become real barriers to meeting basic needs.  

\n\n\n\n

Whatever our political views, most of us agree on one basic principle: young people leaving foster care should not face hunger or homelessness because of timing, paperwork, or lack of support.  

\n\n\n\n

Data Tells the Story

\n\n\n\n

Stories matter—especially now. When we stop listening to the stories of young people and families touched by foster care, we risk reducing them from human beings with hopes and dreams to numbers on a spreadsheet.  

\n\n\n\n

Data is essential, but it cannot fully capture the lived realities of trauma, separation, instability, and resilience. Stories are how people connect, how understanding grows, and how policies improve.  

\n\n\n\n

The data itself tells a concerning story.

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

These are the voices society most often doesn’t hear. 

\n\n\n\n

These numbers aren’t about blame. They reveal where systems are falling short. But it’s the voices and stories of young people and families that show us how to fix them.  

\n\n\n\n

What Succeeds and What Doesn’t

\n\n\n\n

We can start by amplifying the voices of former foster youth  so more people know about the inner workings of foster care and how it affects kids and families. 

\n\n\n\n

Take Camelia, who entered foster care at age 2. She grew up in foster care and credits a caring, consistent adult mentor with helping her gain the confidence and stability to forge a positive path in life. 

\n\n\n\n

Stories like Camelia’s offer insight into what actually helps young people succeed — and where systems fail. Their perspectives should inform future policies that reflect their priorities and affirm their value with real resources.

\n\n\n\n

Then, we must focus more intentionally on prevention: keeping kids out of foster care by reducing bias in decision-making, addressing economic instability, and ensuring that struggling families have the support they need to safely care for their own children. 

\n\n\n\n

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics,hundreds of thousands of Black women lost their jobs or exited the workforce in 2025.Given that women are typically primary caregivers — and that Black women are more likely to head single-parent households — the profound loss of income puts families with young children at risk of being separated. Keeping families together when it is safe to do so is not a partisan idea; it’s a child-centered one. Children should not be removed from their families simply because they are poor.  

\n\n\n\n

Cultural Identity Has Value

\n\n\n\n

Finally, we can support approaches to foster care that recognize and affirm a child’s racial and cultural identity. 

\n\n\n\n

Simple, relationship-based approaches, such as sharing cultural traditions, ensuring proper haircare support, attending community events, or helping a child feel seen and understood, can have lasting impacts on a young person’s sense of belonging and well-being. When care is rooted in cultural affirmation and humanity, both our children and our communities flourish.  

\n\n\n\n

When children and families are at stake, we cannot be silent. We must keep telling the stories of the children and families we serve—with courage, strength, and truth. Stories don’t disappear just because they aren’t told. Numbers help measure the impact of child welfare policies, but when we silence stories, we erase people, reducing human lives to statistics and stripping them of their voice and dignity.  

\n\n\n
\n
\"\"
\n
\n\n\n

Shantay Armstrong is a Black biracial mother of two and manager of the EMBRACE Project at Kidsave. She works at the intersection of foster care, identity, and belonging to support Black, Brown, and LGBTQ+ youth as well as the families who care for them. 

\n\n\n\n

\n

The post We Can’t Be Silent About the Voices of Youth in Foster Care  appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/04/we-cant-be-silent-about-the-voices-of-youth-in-foster-care/","site":"Shantay Armstrong","originalAuthor":"Shantay Armstrong","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Opinion","opinion"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-04-20T17:07:59.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/GettyImages-473268102-1.jpg?fit=724%2C483&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-04-20T17:19:11.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/GettyImages-473268102-1.jpg?fit=724%2C483&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"U0s7uLhZCosRFpOL","title":"Between Easter and Pentecost, Survival — Not Faith ","description":"Fear settled in before faith ever did. In the Bible, after Jesus’ crucifixion, the disciples weren’t preaching about his resurrection. They were hiding, whispering behind locked doors, trying to figure out how not to die next. For a people who had just watched hope nailed to a cross, survival — not salvation — was the first order of business. That’s where the season really begins: the seven weeks between resurrection, also known as Easter Sunday, and Pentecost Sunday, May 26. Not with lilies or packed pews, and not with the once-a-year return of the Christmas-Easter-Mother’s Day crowd, but in that uneasy space between grief and purpose. The resurrection, Christians believe, didn’t just raise Jesus; it also forced his followers to confront what came next, even if they weren’t ready. And they weren’t. Scripture is clear: they doubted, scattered, denied. They went back to what they knew, unsure how to carry forward a ministry that had just been publicly crushed. It took time — and repeated reminders — for them to understand that resurrection wasn’t an ending, but an assignment. That’s the part that too many Easter sermons, and too many CEM worshippers, skip. As scholar and Presbyterian theologian Dr. Delores S. Williams wrote in “Sisters in the Wilderness,” the resurrection is “not just about what happened to Jesus. It is about what can happen in communities that embrace life over death.” In other words, the miracle isn’t only that Christ had risen; it’s that people who were afraid, disorganized and unsure found a way to stand up, too. That kind of faith doesn’t arrive overnight. The season of Easter is a story of preparation. Jesus shows up behind locked doors, walks alongside them on the road to Emmaus, meets them in their confusion and keeps pointing them forward. Love each other. Stay together. Get ready. Because what comes next will require more than belief. We’re living through a season that feels unsettlingly familiar — a time when rights that Black people once fought for, bled for and was codified into law are being chipped away, sometimes quietly, sometimes in plain sight. From the steady erosion of voting protections to the rollback of affirmative action and other pillars of opportunity, the ground beneath many Black Americans feels less certain than it has in decades. It’s the kind of moment that tests not just politics, but faith: the ability to keep moving, organizing and believing when the outcome isn’t clear. Like those disciples waiting between resurrection and Pentecost, we find ourselves in the in-between — holding on to what we know, even as we wonder what comes next. By the time Pentecost arrives, the same people who were hiding are speaking boldly, organizing, building something new out of what looked like total loss. The arc, from fear to purpose, is the real Easter story, one that lands differently in communities that have long understood what it means to survive before they can thrive. Which is why liberation theologian Dr. James H. Cone insisted the resurrection speaks directly to the oppressed. Not as abstract hope, but as proof that even in the face of state violence, abandonment and despair, the story isn’t over. Easter, then, is less a celebration than a question. If resurrection is real, what are you prepared to do with it? The post Between Easter and Pentecost, Survival — Not Faith — Came First appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"Easter
\n

Fear settled in before faith ever did.

\n\n\n\n

In the Bible, after Jesus’ crucifixion, the disciples weren’t preaching about his resurrection. They were hiding, whispering behind locked doors, trying to figure out how not to die next. For a people who had just watched hope nailed to a cross, survival — not salvation — was the first order of business.

\n\n\n\n

That’s where the season really begins: the seven weeks between resurrection, also known as Easter Sunday, and Pentecost Sunday, May 26.

\n\n\n\n

Not with lilies or packed pews, and not with the once-a-year return of the Christmas-Easter-Mother’s Day crowd, but in that uneasy space between grief and purpose. The resurrection, Christians believe, didn’t just raise Jesus; it also forced his followers to confront what came next, even if they weren’t ready.

\n\n\n\n

And they weren’t.

\n\n\n\n

Scripture is clear: they doubted, scattered, denied. They went back to what they knew, unsure how to carry forward a ministry that had just been publicly crushed. It took time — and repeated reminders — for them to understand that resurrection wasn’t an ending, but an assignment.

\n\n\n\n

That’s the part that too many Easter sermons, and too many CEM worshippers, skip.

\n\n\n\n

As scholar and Presbyterian theologian Dr. Delores S. Williams wrote in “Sisters in the Wilderness,” the resurrection is “not just about what happened to Jesus. It is about what can happen in communities that embrace life over death.” 

\n\n\n\n

In other words, the miracle isn’t only that Christ had risen; it’s that people who were afraid, disorganized and unsure found a way to stand up, too. That kind of faith doesn’t arrive overnight.

\n\n\n\n

The season of Easter is a story of preparation. Jesus shows up behind locked doors, walks alongside them on the road to Emmaus, meets them in their confusion and keeps pointing them forward. Love each other. Stay together. Get ready.

\n\n\n\n

Because what comes next will require more than belief.

\n\n\n\n

We’re living through a season that feels unsettlingly familiar — a time when rights that Black people once fought for, bled for and was codified into law are being chipped away, sometimes quietly, sometimes in plain sight. From the steady erosion of voting protections to the rollback of affirmative action and other pillars of opportunity, the ground beneath many Black Americans feels less certain than it has in decades. It’s the kind of moment that tests not just politics, but faith: the ability to keep moving, organizing and believing when the outcome isn’t clear. 

\n\n\n\n

Like those disciples waiting between resurrection and Pentecost, we find ourselves in the in-between — holding on to what we know, even as we wonder what comes next.

\n\n\n\n

By the time Pentecost arrives, the same people who were hiding are speaking boldly, organizing, building something new out of what looked like total loss. The arc, from fear to purpose, is the real Easter story, one that lands differently in communities that have long understood what it means to survive before they can thrive.

\n\n\n\n

Which is why liberation theologian Dr. James H. Cone insisted the resurrection speaks directly to the oppressed. Not as abstract hope, but as proof that even in the face of state violence, abandonment and despair, the story isn’t over.

\n\n\n\n

Easter, then, is less a celebration than a question. If resurrection is real, what are you prepared to do with it?

\n\n\n\n

\n

The post Between Easter and Pentecost, Survival — Not Faith — Came First appeared first on Word In Black.

","url":"https://wordinblack.com/2026/04/between-easter-and-pentecost-survival-not-faith-came-first/","site":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","originalAuthor":"Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware","audio":null,"audioDuration":null,"categories":["Religion","religion"],"author":"wordinblack.com","activeDisplayAuthor":false,"hostname":"wordinblack.com","date":"2026-04-17T12:56:25.000Z","enclosure":{"url":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/GettyImages-2151052655.jpg?fit=703%2C497&ssl=1","type":"image/jpeg"},"createdAt":"2026-04-17T12:58:29.000Z","feedId":"ONltUgoaps3M8l8P","feedIcon":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-facebook-cover.png?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1","feedType":"general","imagePlaceholder":null,"originalImage":"https://i0.wp.com/wordinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/GettyImages-2151052655.jpg?fit=703%2C497&ssl=1","isPinned":false},{"id":"OmXbXS8Rm19KSkMu","title":"Under Fire, RFK Jr. Denies Calling for ‘Re-Parenting’ of Black Kids","description":"Confronted with a statement he made on a podcast in 2024 calling for Black children on ADHD medication to be “re-parented,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told a House committee on Thursday not to believe their lyin’ ears. During an exchange with Rep. Terri Sewell, an Alabama Democrat, Kennedy said he didn’t recall making the statement and accused Sewell of “just making stuff up.” The receipts, however, say otherwise “Every Black kid is now just standard put on Adderall, SSRIs, benzos, which are known to induce violence,” Kennedy said on the 19Keys online show, when he was running for the Democratic presidential nomination. “And those kids are going to have a chance to go somewhere and get re-parented — to live in a community where there’ll be no cellphones, no screens. You’ll actually have to talk to people.” Pending Budget Cuts The exchange with Sewell, who called Kennedy’s remarks “disturbing,” came during the HHS secretary’s at times contentious testimony before the Republican-controlled House Ways and Means Committee. In his first appearance before Congress this year, Kennedy praised the agency’s work to change the nation’s dietary guidelines and decrease waste, fraud and abuse. The secretary also claimed the administration’s overhaul has led to improved drug price negotiations that have decreased prices. But a Senate committee report released Thursday finds drug prices have actually continued to skyrocket. While the committee’s Republicans praised Kennedy as “a breath of fresh air” for emphasizing nutrition and overall health, Democrats slammed him for the Trump administration’s plan to cut roughly 12% from his department’s 2027 budget. The reduction would carve more than $100 billion from the agency that provides healthcare services to all Americans. Home Energy Assistance Threatened Along with slashing $5 billion from the National Institutes of Health — the nation’s world-class health and biomedical research organization — the proposed cuts would also eliminate a program that provides home heating and energy assistance to almost 6 million households. And it would slash budgets for federal programs that help feed low-income families and children. Kennedy also took fire for changes to the vaccine schedule — a move that the courts have sidetracked for now which has been halted by a legal injunction — and a series of measles outbreaks that spread through South Carolina and Texas earlier this year. But Kennedy’s remarks about separating Black children who have ADHD and other mental health issues from their parents drew substantial heat. ‘Re-parenting Controversy’ Pressed by Sewell, Kennedy continued to deny he said anything of the sort. But several social media users reposted the original recording of Kennedy touting his plan for “wellness farms.” He also brought up the idea more than once — including during an interview with the “High Level Conversations” podcast. “Every Black kid is now just standard put on Adderall, SSRIs, benzos, which are known to induce violence,” he said. At the hearing, Sewell pressed Kennedy: “Have you ever re-parented – or parented, I should say – a Black child?” Kennedy responded that he did not “even know what that phrase means” and denied he made the remark. “I’m not going to answer something I didn’t say,” Kennedy said. “You’re just making stuff up.” But Sewell insisted she was “absolutely not making this up, Mr. Secretary.” Even now, she says, Black children and their parents are separated more often than white families “not because of their greater harm but because of longstanding bias and built-in institutionalism.” To suggest that Black families “are not capable of raising their own children is deeply offensive, sir,” she said. RELATED: RFK Jr.: Black Kids on ADHD Drugs Should be ‘Re-parented’ The post Under Fire, RFK Jr. Denies Calling for ‘Re-Parenting’ of Black Kids appeared first on Word In Black.","formattedDescription":"
\"Testifying
\n

Confronted with a statement he made on a podcast in 2024 calling for Black children on ADHD medication to be “re-parented,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told a House committee on Thursday not to believe their lyin’ ears. 

\n\n\n\n

During an exchange with Rep. Terri Sewell, an Alabama Democrat, Kennedy said he didn’t recall making the statement and accused Sewell of “just making stuff up.”

\n\n\n\n

The receipts, however, say otherwise

\n\n\n\n

“Every Black kid is now just standard put on Adderall, SSRIs, benzos, which are known to induce violence,” Kennedy said on the 19Keys online show, when he was running for the Democratic presidential nomination. “And those kids are going to have a chance to go somewhere and get re-parented — to live in a community where there’ll be no cellphones, no screens. You’ll actually have to talk to people.”

\n\n\n\n

Pending Budget Cuts

\n\n\n\n

The exchange with Sewell, who called Kennedy’s remarks “disturbing,” came during the HHS secretary’s at times contentious testimony before the Republican-controlled House Ways and Means Committee. In his first appearance before Congress this year, Kennedy praised the agency’s work to change the nation’s dietary guidelines and decrease waste, fraud and abuse. 

\n\n\n\n

The secretary also claimed the administration’s overhaul has led to improved drug price negotiations that have decreased prices. But a Senate committee report released Thursday finds drug prices have actually continued to skyrocket. 

\n\n\n\n

While the committee’s Republicans praised Kennedy as “a breath of fresh air” for emphasizing nutrition and overall health, Democrats slammed him for the Trump administration’s plan to cut roughly 12% from his department’s 2027 budget. The reduction would carve more than $100 billion from the agency that provides healthcare services to all Americans.

\n\n\n\n

Home Energy Assistance Threatened

\n\n\n\n

Along with slashing $5 billion from the National Institutes of Health — the nation’s world-class health and biomedical research organization — the proposed cuts would also eliminate a program that provides home heating and energy assistance to almost 6 million households. And it would slash budgets for federal programs that help feed low-income families and children. 

\n\n\n\n

Kennedy also took fire for changes to the vaccine schedule — a move that the courts have sidetracked for now which has been halted by a legal injunction — and a series of measles outbreaks that spread through South Carolina and Texas earlier this year.  

\n\n\n\n

But Kennedy’s remarks about separating Black children who have ADHD and other mental health issues from their parents drew substantial heat. 

\n\n\n\n

‘Re-parenting Controversy’

\n\n\n\n

Pressed by Sewell, Kennedy continued to deny he said anything of the sort. But several social media users reposted the original recording of Kennedy touting his plan for “wellness farms.” He also brought up the idea more than once — including during an interview with the “High Level Conversations” podcast. 

\n\n\n\n

“Every Black kid is now just standard put on Adderall, SSRIs, benzos, which are known to induce violence,” he said.  

\n\n\n\n

At the hearing, Sewell pressed Kennedy: “Have you ever re-parented – or parented, I should say – a Black child?” 

\n\n\n\n

Kennedy responded that he did not “even know what that phrase means” and denied he made the remark. 

\n\n\n\n

“I’m not going to answer something I didn’t say,” Kennedy said.  “You’re just making stuff up.” 

\n\n\n\n

But Sewell insisted she was “absolutely not making this up, Mr. Secretary.” Even now, she says, Black children and their parents are separated more often than white families “not because of their greater harm but because of longstanding bias and built-in institutionalism.”

\n\n\n\n

To suggest that Black families “are not capable of raising their own children is deeply offensive, sir,” she said.

\n\n\n\n

RELATED: RFK Jr.: Black Kids on ADHD Drugs Should be ‘Re-parented’

\n

The post Under Fire, RFK Jr. Denies Calling for ‘Re-Parenting’ of Black Kids appeared first on Word In Black.

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