A Taste of Old School: Reflecting on Romance and Resistance

As a baby boomer whose coming of age was birthed during the late 1960s and early 70s by the conjugation of the Soul Era black church and the Civil Rights/Black Power protest movement, black popular music was and will always be, for me, about politics and pleasure or romance and resistance.

In tribute to Black Music Month, my wife Willetta and I, after some debate, are putting forward our favorite artists and the songs that we deem most memorable for our “old school” experience. 

We hope that you will do the same. read more

LET US REASON TOGETHER: Wrestling with the Death Penalty as a method of punishment and reform.

by ©Wendell Griffen, 2017 

Justice is a verb!

When I was a child, the King James Version (KJV) of the Holy Bible was the only one found in our home (in Delight, Arkansas), read in our church (Harrison Chapel Baptist Church), and quoted by most people I knew (parents, pastors, other preachers, relatives, friends, neighbors, and strangers). So when people read or quoted Isaiah 1:18, this is what they read and said: Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD. The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) rendering of that passage reads: Come now, let us argue it out, says the LORD. read more

Rhythms of Love and Intimacy

This year, my wife Willetta and I decided to cook a special meal together. For her, “Intimacy is a closeness you can’t adequately do at a restaurant. The experience of doing the actual chopping, seasoning and cooking the food together itself is romantic for me. The conversation is different and we even get to listen to our own special music. No restaurant can do that for us and I enjoy the intimacy of just the two of us alone,” she says. read more

Tracee Perryman: Helping Others Define Their Greatness

Dr. Tracee Perryman (Dr. P) is featured on the cover of this week's The Sojourner's Truth newspaper. She discusses the evolution of her values, career, and role in serving others. Dr. P emphasizes her commitment to fostering resilience and uplifting Black womanhood. (Read More)

The Viability of Black Family Life: Infidelity

African Americans have been described as the “most unpartnered and isolated group of people in America and possibly the world” (Patterson, 1998). If true, what are the causes and implications of the fractured relationships? I spoke with noted intimacy expert, Ebony Utley, concerning the growing alienation between black men and women. Part three, the conclusion of our discussion, deals with the intersection of infidelity and technology. Read More

The Viability of Black Family Life II: Communication about Communication

Can fractured relationships be repaired? Can mistrust, resentment and other harmful consequences of a disconnected people be healed? I spoke with noted intimacy expert, Ebony Utley, concerning fractured or dysfunctional relationships, a topic many perceive to be emblematic of contemporary life in the black community. read more

Ali: The Blessedness of Resistance

He knew, just as most of us have known for as long as we can remember, that fire burns. So, when a young Cassius Clay won the world heavyweight boxing title in February 1964 and soon thereafter announced that he had joined the Nation of Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali, that he would feel the intense heat of societal backlash. read more