The absurd attack against being “woke” — In this article, I demonstrate how the attack against “woke ideology” is all the evidence needed to demonstrate the importance and necessity of being woke. In an attempt to push back against social justice progress, the term “woke” has been weaponized by political conservatives. Florida governor and Republican presidential nominee…

Stop blaming your sexism, racism, bigotry, and hatred on God — We need you “working in our churches… We just don’t need you to be the pastors of our churches.” This statement is one of the more recent inflammatory comments made by a sexist male church leader. The largest Protestant denomination in America recently voted to restrict the role of women…

The 2nd Amendment is rarely invoked to ensure the rights of Black gun owners — Black and white gun owners are not equally protected by the 2nd Amendment. This is one of the reason why I choose not to carry a gun in public. I’m an African American Army veteran who has possessed and fired several types of firearms. While I am a skilled marksman…

Justice requires focusing on the well-being of all people — I am a professor of religion at Luther College, a small liberal arts college in Decorah, Iowa. One of the courses I teach is called “Clamoring for Change.” In that course, we examine the power, politics, and meaning behind the rhetoric of “change,” as well as the role of Christianity…

Promoting myths of white innocence and white supremacy — Purpose of the Story In a previous article, I compared recent attempts by conservative legislatures to pass laws prohibiting the teaching of American history that emphasizes the systemic oppression of Black people by white people to attempts by American anti-abolitionists to limit the dissemination of abolitionist teachings that emphasized and rejected the systemic oppression…

Recognizing the racist fears and agenda of CRT critics — Very few opponents of Critical Race Theory (CRT) would say they support chattel slavery. Very few would admit they would have opposed the abolition of slavery if they were alive during the time of chattel slavery in America. However, their opposition to the teaching of CRT is virtually identical to…

Criminal cases involving Black people often deny their humanity — I recently published an article celebrating the inspiring 2023 New York City Council election victory of Yusef Salaam, a man who was falsely arrested and imprisoned as part of the Central Park Five. An Election Victory That’s Larger Than Politics The amazing story and triumph of Yusef Salaammedium.com While researching and writing that article, I came across the term “No Humans Involved” (NHI).

The amazing story and triumph of Yusef Salaam — On November 7, 2023, I watched television from my home in rural Iowa, awaiting the official declaration that Yusef Salaam had won a seat representing Harlem on the New York City Council. There was no doubt Salaam would win the seat since he ran unopposed. My excitement, therefore, had nothing…

Why the myth of a single biblical world-view is so dangerous — I am an ordained Christian minister who has served various local Christian congregations in a ministerial capacity since 1990. I am also a Professor of Religion with a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from Yale University. My area of training is biblical studies and…