by Kimberly Peeler-Ringer R3 Contributor Summer has barely just begun and it’s already been a hard season so far. The Supreme Court gutted a crucial piece of the Voting Rights Act, Paula Deen reminded us we’re not as post-racial as we thought, and opening statements began in the trial of George Zimmerman. Between celebrating the actions of Senator Wendy Davis and mourning the declining health of South African icon Nelson Mandela, it’s been an emotional week. And no sooner than... Read more

I had never cried off of hip hop before–then Lecrae.  The 33-year-old rap star had just gotten hype at the McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration concert in Maryland, performing his Christian-message hits, jumping higher than any Que Dawg, and getting the crowd dancing like it was Friday night (instead of a Thursday evening). But for his final song, “Just Like You,” Lecrae cut the music. We stopped dancing. We just listened. He started rapping about a drug-addled father who was never there and... Read more

As I mentioned briefly in my prior post, I spent the week of June 8 through June 14 at Hartford Seminary attending the Religious Leadership Diversity Workshop. The workshop has been running for a few years, and the seminary works to bring together people of various faiths to try and create an experience for attendees that both allows for the sharing of personal stories and points of view and helps to educate them on various faiths and faith practices as... Read more

by Kimberly Peeler-Ringer R3 Contributor On this week’s episode of “I Honestly Can’t Say I’m Shocked,” Paula Deen admitted to using a racial epithet to describe a certain segment of African Americans. The popular chef, also known as the self-appointed face of Southern cooking, is being sued by a former employee. In court depositions from this case, Paula Deen admitted using derogatory terms to describe African-Americans. She also provided her thoughts—unsolicited thoughts—about hiring Black men to dress up in jackets... Read more

An ongoing court case concerning the constitutionality of a yoga program in Encinitas, Calif., schools resumed today. The plaintiffs assert that the program is inherently religious and, therefore, prohibited by the California Constitution. Their expert witness, a religious studies scholar from Indiana University, testified that the program is clearly religious because it contains elements that connect historically with things that she associates with Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism and that those Hindu, Buddhist, and Taoist components cannot be effectively separated from the physical practices. Such... Read more

Mixing two parts “church girl” with sociology, activism and Hip-Hop, Candice Benbow seeks to engage in innovative theological practices that will transform underserved and oppressed communities. Candice’s blog, “Selah and Amen: Righteous Critique”, allows her to marry her passion for writing with her social, political and spiritual commentaries. In February 2011, Candice launched Divine Dialogue, an internet radio show discussing socio-religious issues affecting the African-American Community. In its second season, Divine Dialogue reached over 25,000 listeners. Candice has appeared on... Read more

The throngs of demonstrators who flock to the grassy knoll outside the North Carolina Statehouse each Monday know the drill. They listen to a fiery speech denouncing the Republican majority’s legislative actions. They sing freedom songs and chant civil rights slogans. Then they march two by two into the legislative building to be handcuffed by police and arrested for failing to obey orders to disperse. Leading them in this weekly rite of nonviolent civil disobedience is the Rev. William J. Barber... Read more

I seem to always be trying to fit in to something, somewhere. Shortly after I had my daughter I tried, quite unsuccessfully, to fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans—the big ones. No luck. Once my daughter started school I tried fitting in with other mom’s—in Pre K they were artists and organic farmers who made their own clothes. In other words, I didn’t fit in. Now that my daughter is in grade school the mom’s I meet are all different—which makes... Read more

As I get deeper into the research for my project on black freethinkers and closer to the point of publishing an article and applying for fellowships to start funding the study, one question has been continually on my mind: how should I categorize black humanism? Is it a religion, or more of a philosophy? Admittedly, humanism is not the only component of this project, but it is the largest, as I have encountered few black atheists (thus far) who do... Read more

“I long for the day when a gay or lesbian kid feels like the first place, the best place, to call or go for help is the church,” said Exodus leader Alan Chambers, in his opening remarks at the ex-gay ministry’s 38th annual convention in Irvine, Calif., Wednesday night.  To the ears of most gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, that sounds like nails on a chalkboard.  Church has in fact been the very last place for LGBT people to seek help—a claim validated... Read more