Beth Norcross Near the end of his life, Howard Thurman was called "one of the greatest spiritual resources of this nation." He ...

The influence of clergy in swaying their congregants' attitudes about moral issues like abortion and contraception access is dwindling, according to a new study. The influen ...

Vincent Harding Many people who were hopeful for change in the wake of Barack Obama's election have become disillusioned by the ranc ...

Top 10 Findings from Half in Ten's Inaugural Report Tracking Our Progress Reducing Poverty: Where We Are Today and What We Need to Do to Cut Poverty in Half in 10 Years T ...

The Census Bureau on Tuesday released the latest data on poverty in the United States, and the news was troubling. The Census Bureau on Tuesday released the latest data on poverty ...

The forthcoming dedication of the national memorial monument honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., affords an opening for considering the complexity and meaning of his leadership. ...

Broadcaster Tavis Smiley and Princeton professor Cornel West just wrapped up their 18-city "Poverty Tour." The aim of their trip, which traversed through Wisconsin, Detroit, Washington, D.C., and th ...

Being a socialentrepreneur used to be a lonely endeavor. Being a socialentrepreneur used to be a lonely endeavor. I grew up believing that to be in business meant leaving your s ...

Wendy Clarissa Geiger Re: Carolyn McKinstry's "From Mourning to Gladness" (May 2011): Birmingham Sunday spurred many Africa ...

Shakespeare said a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Maybe, but a Stink Rose by any other name (say... garlic?) might get more play. Shakespeare said a rose by any othe ...

My friends and I can be stupid. Add explosives to the equation and the idiocy quotient increases exponentially. Such was the case every 4th of July during high school. My friends ...

During a recent interview, professional boxer Bernard Hopkins <a href="http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2011-05-11/bernard-hopkins-says-donovan-mcnabb-not-black-enough-tough-enough" target=&q ...

There are times in our faith walk when we pray prayers out of simple obedience. There are times in our faith walk when we pray prayers out of simple obedience. Matthew 5:43-44 ...

On April 4th, the global community commemorated the life and legacy of <a href="http://blog.sojo.net/tag/martin-luther-king-jr/" target="_blank">Dr. On ...

Is the gospel about Jesus rescuing us from hell and transporting us to heaven Is the gospel about Jesus rescuing us from hell and transporting us to heaven Actually, I don ...

Ten years ago, Timothy Thomas died from a gunshot fired by a police officer in Over-the-Rhine -- a neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ten years ago, Timothy Thomas died from a guns ...

Forty-six years ago, civil rights activists in <a href="http://blog.sojo.net/tag/selma/" target="_blank">Selma, Alabama</a> began what they hoped would be a 50-mile march to the ...

This is a letter to my son that I am not sure he will understand now, but it is one that I hope he will look back upon to give clarity to some moments of confusion and exclusion. ...

On November 2, the mid-term elections were held and the conversation the next day for many people I talked with was that there were no African-American senators. On November 2, th ...

And the hits just keep on coming.</p> And the hits just keep on coming. The list of people who Glenn Beck has attacked with faulty logic and fear tactics is growing long ...

<p style="text-align: left;">Last week was a-buzz about the six-month anniversary of the Affordable Care Act. And rightfully so. Last week was a-buzz about the six ...

<p style="text-align: left;">Last weekend, the nation had an opportunity to reflect, commemorate, and celebrate the March on Washington and Dr. Last weekend, the n ...

I am grieved and angry that Glenn Beck is going to be on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28 (the anniversary of the historic civil rights March on Washington on August 28, 1963) -- and ...

One's wealth is determined by the value of one's assets minus one's debt. One's wealth is determined by the value of one's assets minus one's debt. T ...

As an urban minister and a political professional, there have been two big news stories that I have followed with some level interest recently. As an urban minister and a politi ...

<p>The Tea Party Express -- the traveling band of conservative speakers, entertainers, and organizers -- stops in Washington, D.C., today on its nationwide effort to "vote them out of office" i ...

<p><a href="http://edwardg.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/black-history-month278x2001.jpg"></a>I've kind of avoided the topic of Black History Month this year until now, almost th ...

<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0764205560?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=sojo_blog-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0764205560">&l ...

<p><a href="http://blog.sojo.net/tag/finding-our-way-in-the-new-economy/"></a></p> Forty-two years ago, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr ...

<p>I am writing to educate Michael Steele and those whose understanding of Native Americans are as superficial as his. On Jan. 4, 2010, Steele, the leader of the Republican Party, held up his hand in the ...

Racial reconciliation among evangelicals is one of those slippery topics that come and go based on which national leader is currently jazzed about it. Racial reconciliation among ...

<em>Time</em> magazine's Jan. Time magazine's Jan. 11 issue hit newsstands last week with a compelling teaser on its cover: "How Megachurches Are He ...

<p>As you probably know, one of the big articles making the rounds this week is <a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1950943,00.html">Time magazine's major repor ...

<p><a href="http://blog.sojo.net/tag/finding-our-way-in-the-new-economy/"></a></p> This month I watched as folks in Washington D.C. ce ...

Our country has a long history of underserving and mistreating African-Americans and other marginalized groups. Our country has a long history of underserving and mistreating Afri ...

Dane County, Wisconsin, is an amazing community for African-American babies to be born into. It is a horrible community in which to live if you are an adult African-American male. ...

One of the toughest parts of being the author of a book about racial reconciliation is that when the latest racial incident flares up, everyone expects you to chime in with your two cents. ...

November 8, 2009 will mark the one-year anniversary of Ecuadorian immigrant Marcello Lucero's brutal murder at the hands of seven high school teens in the infamously anti-immigrant Suffolk County, ...

<p>Forty-six years ago, on Aug. 28, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood and gave the <a href="http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm">"I Have a Dream" ...

Dave Zirin Black athletes have shown the way for sports activism. An interview with Harry Edwards. During th ...

I have been away for the last couple of weeks, first for a family wedding and reunion on a lake in northern Michigan, and then at the Chautauqua conference center in rural New York state. ...

Last week marked the <a href="http://www.urbanfaith.com/2009/02/the-naacp-century.html">centennial celebration</a> of the nation's oldest and most respected civil rights organization ...

<a href="http://blog.sojo.net/2009/07/06/the-next-evangelicalism-interview-with-soong-chan-rah">[continued from part 1]</a></p> [continued from part ...

<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0830833609?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=sojo_blog-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0830833609">&l ...

In 1965, in a last minute move, the American Football League switched its All-Star game from New Orleans to Houston. In 1965, in a last minute move, the American Football League s ...

This week's issue of <em>Newsweek</em> features <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/194592" target="_blank">a compelling article</a> about the evolution of race ...

<p>John Hope Franklin lived through most of the twentieth century. He was a gentle man, a scholar, an activist, and a truth-teller. He studied history and he helped to make it.</p> ...

Even in our current political climate, as President <a title="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1XWvs7SL5I&amp;eurl=http://www.freepress.net/ Obama demands" href="http://www.youtube.com/wat ...

<p>It's a better country than I thought it was. I honestly wouldn't have thought this possible. I guess I would have agreed with the older generation of African Americans in my neighborhood: Th ...

<p>I'm 52, and I've had a great first half-century of life (and am looking forward to the next). But this inaugural week I feel an extraordinary happiness. Younger people can understand it to a ...