@blackcatholicmessenger.org
Nonprofit media in the tradition of Daniel Rudd's 'American Catholic Tribune' (1885-1897). Amplifying Black Catholic voices. Editor: Nate Tinner-Williams #ThatsTheMessage blackcatholicmessenger.org
Soskin was at one point co-owner of historic Reid's Records in Berkeley before becoming a noted Civil Rights Movement songwriter. She also spearheaded the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond—where she began service as a park ranger in her 80s.
Betty Reid Soskin, the famed centenarian park ranger who recently died at 104, was laid to rest this month with a public memorial in Oakland, California.
The Catholic-raised entrepreneur, musician and activist was remembered as a guiding light of justice. www.blackcatholicmes...
A newly expanded musical on Servant of God Thea Bowman will premiere this week in St. Louis, chronicling the life and work of the famed Black Catholic nun.
ValLimar Jansen wrote and stars in "I Will Live Until I Die", which features a full cast and choir. www.blackcatholicmes...
Amid increasing attempts at digital evangelization, practically anyone can pontificate and many will take as dogma that which is—at best—an informed opinion.
Tulio Huggins writes that the better way forward is to focus on real-world Christian fellowship. www.blackcatholicmes...
This #BlackHistoryMonth, we highlight the Black Catholic Messenger. Under Nate Tinner-Williams, it combines historical research and modern journalism to ensure these voices are represented. 🙏🏾https://nationalpress.org/topic/how-the-black-catholic-messenger-tells-the-full-story/
Discerning a vocation can be a unique experience for Black Catholics, often involving concerns unfamiliar to the average seminarian or consecrated religious.
Fabian Adderley says the call can still proceed through (rather than despite) dismay. www.blackcatholicmes...
The U.S. and Israel have bombed Iran, killing hundreds and openly seeking regime change with the backing of numerous Arab powers—which face retaliatory strikes from the Islamic Republic.
Black Catholics in Congress have called the initial attack illegal. www.blackcatholicmes...
"[The block] had caused the abbey’s early monks—who were unfamiliar to the predominantly White Baptist community in Belmont—to be perceived as slave worshippers. The stone also caused strain within the monastic community, leading to its burial in the woods near the monastery."
A baptismal font at Belmont Abbey in North Carolina has generated controversy for its history as a former slave auction block, though some praise its repurposing.
Matt Memrick explores the stone's story and its reception at a nearby Benedictine college. www.blackcatholicmes...
Maryland AG Anthony Brown is suing ICE and the DHS over a planned $102M immigrant detention center, one of many stirring controversy nationwide.
The Black Catholic top cop is the first to take the White House to court over the new warehouse conversions. www.blackcatholicmes...
"True discernment requires that we know who God truly is, rather than confining him to the image we are most comfortable with. At the end of the day, we will never become who we are called to be if we confuse endless deliberation with wisdom."
In the path of discernment, the Christian must always be conscious of the temptation to become entirely inert, resisting both the call to action and the call of God.
Joseph Peach writes that modern cultural influences may contribute to a failure to move. www.blackcatholicmes...
Norman Francis, who led Xavier University of Louisiana—the nation's Catholic HBCU—for nearly 50 years as its first lay president, has died at 94.
His storied and multifaceted legacy includes successful efforts to grow XULA into an educational powerhouse. www.blackcatholicmes...
Cherfilus-McCormick faces fraud allegations at the federal, state, and congressional level while running for her fourth term, while the Democratic primary field has grown to include several recognizable names in South Florida—including a beloved Miami-born musician and activist.
Former 2 Live Crew rapper Luther "Uncle Luke" Campbell is running for Congress to unseat Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who faces federal charges while seeking reelection.
The 65-year-old musician is one of two Black Catholics in the Democratic primary. www.blackcatholicmes...
The inaugural Tolton Symposium is set for March, celebrating the legacy of the nation's first openly Black Catholic priest.
The conference will take place 16 years since canonization efforts first began for Venerable Augustus Tolton, nearly to the day. www.blackcatholicmes...
Black Catholics Sharon Lavigne and Gail LeBoeuf respectively help lead @risestjames.bsky.social and Inclusive Louisiana, two of the parties in a lawsuit against the civil parish of St. James—which has repeatedly granted land use permits for polluting industries in local Black neighborhoods.
A Black Catholic-led federal lawsuit can proceed against local officials enabling pollution in Louisiana's "Cancer Alley", a judge has ruled.
The civil rights case argues that carcinogenic operations are being steered into African-American communities. www.blackcatholicmes...
The Brooklyn Diocese seeks mediation to universally resolve more than 1,100 child sex abuse cases, following a wave of filings under the New York Child Victims Act.
A lawsuit against the late Black Catholic bishop Guy Sansaricq is among the pending cases. www.blackcatholicmes...
Leading the statement is Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, who has recently faced criticism for refusing to support the abolishment of ICE. Rep. Espaillat, however—an Afro-Dominican who chairs the Congressional @hispaniccaucus.bsky.social—has openly called for the agency to be "dismantled".
Catholic Democrats in Congress have condemned the White House's immigration enforcement and are calling for consideration of the Church's social teaching to guide reform.
Black Catholic Reps. Adriano Espaillat and Gabe Amo signed onto a new statement. www.blackcatholicmes...
Archbishop James Checchio started his tenure in New Orleans by visiting the tomb of Venerable Henriette DeLille, foundress of the Holy Family Sisters.
The Black Creole mother general is among the seven African-American Catholics on track for sainthood. www.blackcatholicmes...
Wynton Marsalis, the founding director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, will step down in 2027 after 40 years helping to popularize jazz as a standard American art form.
The Catholic-raised virtuoso won a Pulitzer—the first for jazz—with the JALC band in 1997. www.blackcatholicmes...
"When a White physician works with a Black patient, it is likely that the physician will not listen adequately to the patient and that the patient will be (understandably) wary of what the physician might say or do. This... can result in disaster."
The tragic stories of Dr. Janell Green Smith and Karrie Jones have recently reminded us that racism remains a feature of American medicine, shown forth in Black maternal healthcare disparities.
Briana Jansky says the ancient past can show us a better way. www.blackcatholicmes...
"You must take the time to wonder about all the what ifs?
Did I show kindness in a time of need?
Did I take care of the sick and wounded?
Did I love and share my love with others?
And the biggest what if;
Did I ask God for His forgiveness."
www.blackcatholicmes...
The 1997 short "Champagne" from Michael Sporn tells of a Black girl navigating life as the daughter of an incarcerated mother, being raised by Catholic nuns.
Simoa Barros reflects on the film, calling it a powerful reflection on compassion and resilience. www.blackcatholicmes...
"The communal nature and celebrations of birds are likely to be instructive, [but] their singing is of particular importance... The natural ability birds possess for music in general and song in particular should inform how Catholics think about theology." www.blackcatholicmes...
Christian solidarity with the oppressed is a longstanding tradition, featuring the likes of Cesar Chavez, Martin Luther King Jr., and countless others.
Dr. Malcolm K. Oliver writes that their example is much needed amid the ongoing moral crisis in America. www.blackcatholicmes...
The new Archbishop of New York, Ronald Hicks, will soon be installed in one of the nation's largest Catholic jurisdictions—and he has his work cut out for him.
Félix Cepeda says he can start by learning the culture and avoiding becoming a culture warrior. www.blackcatholicmes...