Why Cops Attack Racial Justice Protesters
I took part in a racial justice protest in New York City. It was lively and joyous and passionate — until police ran up from behind, cornered a group of us and detained us, assaulting people in the process.
Lament: A Day to Mourn
As we pass the horrifying milestone of 100,000 American deaths to the coronavirus, we’re using the hashtag #Lament100k to urge people to pause — to lament. Of course, the sentiment falls short. As a friend said to me, we can’t abbreviate all these lives; we have to
COVID-19 Virus Puts a Spotlight on Inequality and Racism
While the coronavirus is an equal opportunity killer, the poor and people of color are disproportionately suffering and dying from COVID-19. These communities were least prepared to respond to the virus for reasons rooted in racism and inequality.
Death in the Middle of Death: On the Execution of Walter Barton
It’s been over two months (75 days to be exact) since we’ve had an execution. There are only two other times since the turn of the century the state has gone that long without executing someone. But last Tuesday (May 19), that pause came to
For White Churches, Race Should Not Be an ‘Over There’ Problem
Will your church say anything about Ahmaud Arbery this Sunday? Did your church say anything about Breonna Taylor last Sunday?
Pompeo Investigation Could Undo Religious Freedom Movement’s ‘Success’
The growing concern that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo got his inspector general fired to remove the threat of an inquiry into a Saudi arms deal should worry advocates of international religious freedom.
St. Paul Would Say, ‘Don’t Be Like Mike’
Sports journalists often point to the careers of great athletes who didn’t win a championship and call their greatness into question by asking, “Where are the rings?” Christians, by contrast, must look at the careers of great athletes and ask, “Where is the love?”
How Americans’ ‘Tell It Like It Is’ Attitude Renders Us Vulnerable to Conspiracy Theories
The mythos of American self-making — that with the right amount of grit and cunning, the individual can determine his own truth and fate — lends itself to the view that civil bureaucracies and establishments, by contrast, are inherently sclerotic and corrupt: the information they
Doing the Math: What’s a Human Life Worth?
Recently, at one of his daily news conferences, Gov. Andrew Cuomo addressed the question that has haunted so many of us lately: How much is a human life worth?
Don’t Let Ahmaud Arbery’s Story Pass
I don't know of a person who isn't outraged over the killing of Ahmaud Arbery. But check the social media posts of our African American brothers and sisters in Christ and the overall message is something different from before. They're asking for the help of