Black History
OP-ED: Black Studies becomes major factor in social advancement
NNPA NEWSWIRE — At the modern HCBU campuses, most have established courses in Black Studies, but few have departments dedicated to the field. Only Howard and Clark Atlanta universities offer a Master of Arts in Black Studies. Howard is the only HBCU to offer a doctoral program in African Studies; eight traditionally White institutions (including Princeton and Yale) also offer a Ph. D in African Studies.
By Merdies Hayes, Editor, Our Weekly News
The Black Power movement of the late 1960s helped to redefine African American identity and establish a new racial consciousness. As influential as this period was in the study and enhancement of the African Diaspora, this movement spawned the academic discipline known as Black Studies on our college and university campuses.
While there are more than 100 Black Studies degree programs nationwide, it can be confirmed that the beginning of this curriculum evolved from a student strike at San Francisco State University in 1968. Young people there forced the establishment of the Division of Ethnic Studies and departments of Black, Asian, Chicano and Native studies, all accomplished despite the discouragement of then university president and future United States Sen. S.I. Hayakawya.
The Black Student Union
The Black Student Union on campus drafted a political statement, “The Justification for African American Studies,” that would become the main document for the development of the academic departments at more than 60 universities by the early 1970s. Shortly thereafter, Black Studies programs were implemented with inherent reservations from the various campus administrations at UCLA, Cal State Los Angeles, Cal State Long Beach and at Cal State Northridge.
Black students demanded an end to the so-called “liberal-fascist” ideology that was rampant on campus, as well as calling for the immediate preparation of African American youth including secondary school students to have direct participation in the struggles of the Black community and to define themselves as responsible to and for the future successes of that community. Black Studies departments were created in a confrontational environment in a forceful rejection of traditional curricula content.
It was a novel idea that was met with early opposition from the entrenched White faculty and administration already reeling from the Free Speech movement, opposition to the Vietnam War and a general uprising from young adults of all races, religions and creeds. Black students, specifically, wanted to reinforce the position that African Americans must possess the rights to self-determination, liberation and voice opposition to the dominant ideology of “White capitalism” (e.g. world imperialism, White supremacy) that for centuries had excluded persons of color.
The Atlanta University Conferences
Black Studies can be traced back as far back as the Atlanta University Conferences held from 1898 to 1914. This early formulation was under the auspices of W.E.B. DuBois in marking the inauguration of the first scientific study of the conditions of Black people that covered important aspects of life (e.g., health homes, the question of organization, economic development, higher education, voting).
By 1915, Carter G. Woodson had founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) in marking a brave new era for Black curriculum. The group was founded to promote historical research, publish books on Black life and history, promote the study of Black history through clubs and schools and, in a noble effort, to foster harmony between the races by interpreting one history to the other. It was during this period that the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HCBUs) began to respond to scholarly activities in history and social science.
It had become abundantly clear more than 100 years ago that Black education should conform to the social conditions of Black people. Black colleges began to add courses in Black history to their curricula. This effort corresponded with a call by Black college students for a culturally relevant curriculum, the same theme that occurred some 50 years later when mainstream support for Black Studies grew, particularly when more African American students were admitted into predominantly White institutions.
For the past 50 years, Black Studies has been evolving as a result of the social movement that opposed institutional racism in higher education. As more Black families were moving into the middle class, young people in many sectors either saw education as oppressive or liberating. Many African Americans began to consider Black Studies and Black education as having a “special assignment” to challenge and call out White mainstream knowledge for its deficiencies and racial corruption.
Pan Africa movement
Black Studies in large part grew out of Pan Africanism, which had its origins as a movement of intellectual protest against ill-treatment of Blacks all over the world. This movement was initiated by Black persons in the America and in the West Indies whose ancestors came from Africa. There are similarities between Black Studies and Pan Africanism in that the latter movement was created because Black people all over the world were tired of being mired with the “slave mentality” that had been connected with them from their African ancestors.
The advent of Pan Africanism was the result of Black people deciding that they were better than how they were treated, and if they banded together in a practical standpoint, they could possibly change the world. Far more than an “en vogue” application of the Civil Rights Movement, Pan Africanism and the resulting Black Studies was an emotional, cultural, psychological and ideological movement that would allow African Americans to feel secure while striving for long-sought political, economic and psychological power visa vis other races or world regions.
At its origin, Black Studies offered a clear and precise application of the African American experience, because many of the traditional history books for decades presented Black people as a hapless, helpless lot always mired in despair. It was only then that African Americans would study in detail persons like Anthony Johnson one of the original 20 Africans who arrived in Jamestown in 1619 and would later become a successful entrepreneur, or Denmark Vessey, who fought to liberate his people from slavery by organizing 9,000 slaves and freemen to revolt in Charleston, S.C. In 1822. there was also Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler who in 1864 became the first Black woman to earn a medical degree. This area of study helped to forge a pathway for each succeeding generation to learn that African Americans have always been innovators, fighters and intelligent persons well capable of succeeding in any endeavor.
Development of Black scholars
Black Studies is not exclusively reserved for Black scholars. There are a number of scholars from a variety of backgrounds who have done important work looking at the Black Diaspora. From the African American point of view, however, a primary reason for the implementation of Black Studies was to develop a critical mass of Black scholars. The significant presence today of African American academicians is due in large part to the existence of a longstanding tradition within Black Studies that offers a route into academia for an untold number of Black scholars.
The subject of Black Studies is interdisciplinary in nature. The subject draws in academics from a range of disciplines, including history, literature, education studies, sociology, theology, health studies, and some subjects as unexpected as sexuality and criminology. A strong tenant within Black Studies is the exposure to a range of ideas and discussions that can forge meaningful connections that can be built on the future. Had it not been for the Black Studies agenda, there are historic figures and contemporary individuals who may have never been encountered and whose work was and is relevant to contemporary dynamics within the Black community.
Women’s studies, as well, are an important aspect of Black Studies. In “Out Of The Revolution: The Development of Africana Studies” (2000), authors Delores P. Aldridge and Carlene Young attest that while the emergence of Black feminism was an offshoot of White feminism, the two groups are far apart in terms of battling sexism and striving for equality in a White-male-dominated world.
“During American slavery, Africana women were as harshly treated physically and mentally as were their male counterparts, thereby invalidating the alignment of Africana women and White women as equals in the struggle. The endless chores of the Africana woman awaited her both in and outside the home. Africana men and women have been equal partners in the struggle against oppression from early on. Thus, they could not afford division based on sex. In the African American slave experience, Africana men and women were viewed the same by the slave owners, thereby negating traditional (African and European) notions of male or female roles.”
Valuable study for both genders
Such study has proved valuable to African American students of both genders. Aldridge and Young state that Black Studies has empowered the Black student in noting that this academic challenge was a direct response to the mandate for change at all levels that characterized the Civil Rights Movement and the social rebellions of the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s.
At the modern HCBU campuses, most have established courses in Black Studies, but few have departments dedicated to the field. Only Howard and Clark Atlanta universities offer a Master of Arts in Black Studies. Howard is the only HBCU to offer a doctoral program in African Studies; eight traditionally White institutions (including Princeton and Yale) also offer a Ph. D in African Studies.
Why don’t more HBCUs offer a diploma in Black Studies? The problem is money.
“A program in African American Studies is very difficult to sustain in good times, and it’s near impossible in tough times,” said Dr. Johnny Taylor, president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. “However, some of the majority institutions have been able to get someone to underwrite less popular programs.”
The University of Wisconsin-Madison offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in Black Studies, much to the disappointment of Dr. Mayibuye Monanabela who is among the founders of the Africana Studies department at Tennessee State University. He said getting students to major in Black Studies is often difficult primarily because, outside of teaching, there are not many well-paying trades that would require such professional acumen.
“We (HBCUs) should be doing better,” Monanabela said. “When students are ready to sign-up for a major, they ask ‘What can I do with a degree in Africana Studies?’“
Dr. David H. Jackson Jr., chair of the department of history and political science (which includes Black Studies) at Florida A&M University, believes the current attitude toward Black Studies among African American students could be an obstacle in the field’s development.
“If I looked at FAMU and the country in general from the 1980s and early ’90s in terms of an aggressive attitude toward embracing Black culture, I don’t see that as much now,” he said. As well, some Black students at predominantly White institutions may have the assumption that students at an HBCU tend to be “Africa-centered” or “radical,” and that belief could contribute to an apathy about the subject, which is in direct contrast with the roots of Black Studies programs.
Looking toward the future
HCBUs faced internal challenges in developing these programs as an older generation of administrators may have been reluctant to establish such a curriculum, because of the association with “militancy” and for fear of losing support from outside communities. Also, some HBCUs felt that because they were Black institutions, they were not obligated to dedicate a department to the subject because “just being a Black school was sufficient.”
At Princeton, Black Studies has proven to be a popular and successful program. Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr., chair of the Center for African American Studies at the New Jersey campus, believes the burgeoning interest in Black Studies may provide ground for a degree program.
“I think we’re seeing a new phase in the presence of Black Studies in higher education,” Glaude said. “We need to find an institutional configuration that reflects the complexity and nuance of the field. We haven’t changed our name to ‘Diaspora studies,’ and we have insisted that in order to mark that, as a field, Black Studies should be thought of more broadly.”
People of African ancestry have a long history and tradition in practically every region of the world. This history has been hallmarked by a number of struggles for recognition and against discrimination. In the present context of global uncertainty and the political reshaping of nation states Black Studies can play an essential role in the examination of the world’s Black population and the challenges that lie ahead.
Black History
Practitioners of African Traditional Spirituality Offer Ancestral Reverence Ritual Oct. 31
The Council for Global Ancestral Reverence will host “Ancestral Souls Rising” from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2, featuring a three-day gathering of prayer and discussion. Led by elders and priests across the African diaspora, the seventh annual ritual honors those lost without traditional rites while addressing current social challenges. This year’s event connects ancestral wisdom with contemporary issues, including a two-day conversation inspired by Afro-Beat music focused on Black community solidarity and the sacred importance of voting. Read more for details on the ritual schedule and participants.
The Council for Global Ancestral Reverence (C4GAR), a group of elders who practice African traditional spirituality, will lead a three-day gathering of prayer and discussion from Oct. 31-Nov. 2.
Called ‘Ancestral Souls Rising,’ the council members and 21 priests will lead the prayers from many parts of the African diaspora: Africa, Portugal, and across the U.S. from Maryland to the Bay Area.
Now in its seventh year, the annual ritual began during the 2020 pandemic when hundreds of thousands of people died alone and were buried in mass graves without rites and rituals according to loved ones’ traditions.
This prayer event was and is intended to give peace to the departed and comfort for the living who still mourn. Each year, we gather names of new ancestors from living elders to elevate them into the “Great Hall of the Titans.”
In ensuing years, C4GAR added themes to the prayer gathering that referenced current events. In 2024, before the consequential presidential election, C4GAR called on people to vote, invoking the memory of Civil Rights Movement heroes and heroines like John Lewis, who urged “Good Trouble,” and Fannie Lou Hamer, who famously declared that she was “sick and tired of being sick and tired.”
The day of global Prayer on Oct. 31 will be followed by a two-day conversation inspired by “The Blueprint,” an Afro-Beat song by UyiosaEl, to write our new blueprint that supports solidarity and action in the Black community.
“Our elders have, for many generations, known the power of prayer, ritual and breath,” the council said in a statement.
It was and is their intention, then, to use the cultural wisdom, the gift of prayer “and the most sacred thing we have, our breath, to send energy into the world that invokes and honors our ancestors,” the council statement continued.
“Doing this creates a vibration that protects us and employs their ancient wisdom for the well-being of our communities,” the elders said.
The councilmembers, all over the age of 60, recognize that what is now history for so many was once their lived experience. And that history, those joys and sorrows, are now in their bodies.
To them, the uttered prayer and the sacred breath are oaths to an unfolding future that people can still shape.
The council members are Dr. Iyabeji Cathy Royal, Iyalocha Jennifer Dillard, Manbo Charlene Desir (Florida), Nana Sula Spirit (Louisiana), Baba Obafemi Feyemi, Ohen Nedra T. Williams, and Iyalocha Wanda Ravernell-Stewart Emeritus (Oakland).
This year, they also encourage everyone within their reach to VOTE because it is not only a secular and political act, but a sacred one. Remember, the ancestors were denied that right and died for it.
For tickets, go to:
Black History
COMMENTARY: BIG MAMA SAID: Don’t Throw Away the Gift Just Because It Came Wrapped Wrong
TEXAS METRO NEWS — Journalist and mentor Terry Allen reflects on the profound wisdom of his grandmother, Lucille “Big Mama” Allen, who believed that a person’s mistakes do not represent their total identity. Allen argues that many behavioral issues seen in young men are actually symptoms of undeveloped gifts that have been applied to the wrong environments.
Big Mama had a way of seeing something in you before you could see it in yourself.
My grandmother, Lucille “Big Mama” Allen, came from a generation that believed in correction. I grew up in a household where somebody might tell you, “Go get me a switch.” You knew what that meant.
But age has taught me something: correction without direction can stop behavior, but it doesn’t always develop the person.
Sometimes what we call a young man’s problem is really an undeveloped gift.
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I learned that through mentoring.
I once worked with a young man who was gambling and running numbers. Now, I wasn’t going to celebrate the behavior. Wrong is wrong. But I also refused to believe his mistakes represented the totality of who he was.
I looked underneath the behavior.
This young brother understood numbers. He understood money, calculation and risk. His gift wasn’t gambling. His gift was his mind. So I introduced him to another image: Mansa Musa, the legendary African ruler whose name became synonymous with extraordinary wealth, commerce and economic power. to The message was simple: You already have something inside you. Now what are you going to do with it? That young man redirected his abilities. What had been operating in the wrong environment found purpose through education, accounting and legitimate business. Today, he has built a leading Bookkeeping firm in California’s East Bay.
That is what mentoring can do. It is also why I created programs like City MenTor and why, for 25 years, City Men Cook has celebrated fathers, mentors and men who show up. Mentoring isn’t creating somebody in our image. It is helping somebody recognize what God already placed inside them. I thnaks GOd for allys ike Pastor Keith Lofton who helpe me keep the programs grunded in Faith.
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Scripture tells us to “fan into flame the gift of God.” — 2 Timothy 1:6.
Somebody reading this has a gift that survived mistakes, disappointment, rejection, bad decisions and maybe even your own attempts to bury it.
But it survived.Now comes the question Big Mama might ask
Baby, if God restored your gift, who are you using it to restore?
Don’t just celebrate your comeback. Reach back. Find somebody whose gift came wrapped wrong—and help them unwrap it.
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Big Mama said: Don’t throw away the gift. Redirect it. Develop it. Then give it away.
Terry Allen is an NABJ award-winning Journalist, DEI expert, PR professional, and – Vice President at FocusPR, founder of the charity City Men Cook, and Dallas Chapter President of NBPRS.org
Based on reporting by Texas Metro News.
Black History
Columbus’s Oldest Businesses Still Open: 10 That Have Lasted 75+ Years
COLUMBUS TIMES — Columbus, Georgia, traces its commercial roots to the early 19th century, when the Chattahoochee River and local cotton mills fueled a burgeoning regional economy. While the city has transformed into a modern hub for banking and manufacturing, a select group of businesses and institutions have managed to survive for more than 75 years.
The historic Springer Opera House in downtown Columbus, Georgia, opened in 1871 and stands as one of the city’s oldest surviving cultural institutions.
Some Columbus businesses have been around longer than the automobiles, shopping centers and neighborhoods that now surround them. A handful date back to the 1800s, when cotton mills powered the local economy and the Chattahoochee River carried goods between communities. Others survived the Great Depression, two world wars, economic downturns and decades of changing consumer habits.
While hundreds of businesses have opened and closed across Columbus over the generations, these 10 have histories stretching back at least 75 years. Some remain family-owned, while others have survived mergers, ownership changes or major transformations. Together, their histories tell the story of how Columbus grew from a riverfront trading town into a regional center for banking, manufacturing, commerce and culture.
This list includes businesses, commercial institutions and their surviving successors with documented Columbus roots before 1951. It is not a definitive ranking of every surviving business, and several entries have changed ownership, names or operating models over time.
1. Columbus Ledger-Enquirer — 1828 (198 Years)
One of Columbus’s oldest surviving commercial institutions is its longtime newspaper, the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. Its history began in 1828 with the founding of the Columbus Enquirer, the same year Columbus was established. The Columbus Ledger followed in 1886, and the two newspapers eventually became a single publication in 1988.
Over nearly two centuries, the newspaper has documented wars, elections, industrial expansion, economic downturns and major changes throughout the Chattahoochee Valley. Its ownership changed again in July 2026, when the Georgia Trust for Local News purchased the Ledger-Enquirer from McClatchy. The newspaper continues operating, although the modern publication is the product of mergers and transformations rather than an unchanged business established in 1828.
2. Willcox-Lumpkin Co. — 1848 (178 Years)
Insurance agency Willcox-Lumpkin traces its history to 1848, making it one of Columbus’s oldest documented commercial enterprises. Historical city directories identify the business as an insurance agency that protected homes, businesses and property long before automobiles became common. The company remained associated with generations of the Willcox and Lumpkin families.
Its history is supported by advertisements appearing in Columbus directories more than a century ago. Georgia Secretary of State records currently list Willcox-Lumpkin Co. as active and in compliance, with its corporate registration dating to December 1923. That distinction matters because the business’s claimed operating history is considerably older than its present corporate registration.
3. Springer Opera House — 1871 (155 Years)
The Springer Opera House opened in 1871 and became one of the city’s most important entertainment destinations. Built by businessman Francis Joseph Springer, the theater attracted nationally recognized performers and helped establish Columbus as a cultural center. Its ornate Victorian architecture remains one of downtown’s most recognizable landmarks.
The Springer nearly disappeared during the 1960s after declining attendance and years of deterioration. Preservationists rescued the building, and theatrical performances returned in 1965. Although it has not operated continuously in the same form, the Springer remains an active performing arts institution and an example of how historic properties can find new economic life.
4. Schomburg’s Jewelers — 1872 (154 Years)
Few Columbus retailers can claim a family history as long as Schomburg’s Jewelers. Carl Frederick Schomburg established the jewelry business in 1872 after working as a clockmaker, and the company gradually expanded into watches, jewelry and other luxury goods. Five generations of the family have been associated with the business.
Today, Schomburg’s operates on Rollins Way and identifies itself as Georgia’s oldest fifth-generation jeweler. Its longevity reflects a business model built around specialized craftsmanship, customer relationships and family continuity. While many traditional jewelry stores have disappeared or become part of national chains, Schomburg’s has maintained a recognizable local identity.
5. Goldens’ Foundry & Machine Co. — 1882 (144 Years)
Two brothers, Theodore and J. Poitevent Golden, established Goldens’ Foundry & Machine Co. in 1882. The company began as a small foundry and machine shop during an era when Columbus was expanding rapidly as a manufacturing center. Its products helped supply the machinery and industrial equipment needed by businesses throughout the region.
More than 140 years later, the business remains associated with descendants of its founders. Goldens’ continues manufacturing industrial castings while also developing consumer products through its Goldens’ Cast Iron brand. Its survival is especially significant because many of the textile mills and industrial operations that helped create its original market have long since closed.
6. W.C. Bradley Co. — 1885 (141 Years)
The W.C. Bradley Co. traces its origins to 1885, when William Clark Bradley entered the cotton business in Columbus. Over time, his growing enterprise expanded into groceries, fertilizer, transportation, manufacturing and financial services. The company eventually became one of the most influential business organizations in the Chattahoochee Valley.
Its business interests helped shape the development of modern Columbus, including the city’s banking and manufacturing sectors. The company also became closely associated with Char-Broil, the nationally recognized outdoor cooking brand. Today, W.C. Bradley Co. maintains its corporate headquarters near the Chattahoochee River, continuing a business legacy that began when cotton dominated the regional economy.
7. Synovus Banking Legacy — 1888 (138 Years)
The banking institution that became Synovus began in 1888 with the establishment of two Columbus banks. According to company history, the idea developed partly from the need to provide textile workers with a safe place to keep their earnings. Those early banking operations eventually evolved into Columbus Bank and Trust and later Synovus Financial Corporation.
A major change occurred in January 2026 when Synovus merged with Pinnacle Financial Partners, ending its existence as an independent corporation. The combined organization continues serving Columbus customers under the Synovus name during the transition to Pinnacle branding, which is scheduled for 2027. Pinnacle also announced plans in June to expand its downtown Columbus workspace, reinforcing the city’s continued importance to the banking operation.
8. Dinglewood Pharmacy — 1918 (108 Years)
Dinglewood Pharmacy opened on November 13, 1918, and became one of Columbus’s most recognizable neighborhood businesses. While generations of customers have visited for prescriptions and pharmacy services, the business is equally famous for its traditional lunch counter. Its signature scrambled dog has become closely associated with Columbus food culture.
The pharmacy celebrated its centennial in 2018, an achievement relatively few independent neighborhood businesses reach. Its ability to combine traditional pharmacy services with a popular local dining experience has helped preserve its reputation across generations. Dinglewood remains an especially visible example of a business whose appeal extends well beyond the original service it was established to provide.
9. Striffler-Hamby Mortuary — 1923 (103 Years)
Striffler-Hamby Mortuary traces its business history to 1923, when David Abraham Striffler opened his own funeral establishment in downtown Columbus. Striffler had entered the local funeral industry in 1908 before eventually establishing an independent operation. In 1930, he moved the business into a building constructed specifically for funeral services.
The mortuary became an established name as generations of Columbus families turned to it for funeral arrangements. Today, the business operates as part of the Dignity Memorial network, showing how a longstanding local institution can continue under different corporate ownership. Its history also offers a look at how funeral services evolved from small undertaking establishments into modern funeral homes.
10. WRCG Radio, Originally WRBL — 1928 (98 Years)
Columbus entered the broadcasting era on May 10, 1928, when WRBL began transmitting radio programs to local listeners. The station was established through the efforts of early radio pioneer Bill Lewis and became the city’s first radio broadcasting operation. Its original programming helped bring news, entertainment and live events into Columbus homes.
The station eventually changed ownership, frequencies and call letters, becoming WRCG in 1977. Historical research by Columbus State University and Historic Columbus confirms the connection between the original WRBL radio operation and its later identity. Today, WRCG represents a surviving broadcasting legacy that predates television’s arrival in Columbus by approximately 25 years.
What These Businesses Reveal About Columbus
The survival of these institutions reflects the major industries that shaped Columbus over nearly two centuries. Banking, manufacturing, retail, insurance, entertainment and communications all played important roles in the city’s economic development. Several businesses adapted to changing markets, while others survived by maintaining relationships with generations of local customers.
Their histories also demonstrate that longevity does not necessarily mean remaining unchanged. Some businesses were acquired by larger corporations, others moved into new industries, and several preserved their names despite major changes in ownership. For Columbus residents, these institutions provide a tangible connection to the city’s past while continuing to influence its economic and cultural identity.
Source: Historic Columbus Foundation; Columbus State University Archives and Special Collections; Georgia Historical Society; New Georgia Encyclopedia;
Based on reporting by Columbus Times.
Black History
OP-ED: The Black Church Writes AI’s Next Chapter
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — I implore my fellow faith leaders to use these tools. Start now and use them with wisdom. We count on each and every one of you to make sure our communities help write the next chapter of this story. This rapid change is not as unfamiliar as it may sound. My first understanding of AI came from using a calculator for the first time in grade school. We did not call it AI, but it was a tool that helped me work through mathematical equations hours more efficiently.
For generations, the Black church has stood strong in our communities through every historical change this country has experienced. During the civil rights movement and in recent times, faith leaders have helped uplift Black sanctuaries to register voters, keep food pantries open for people in need, and sit with families in hospital rooms in their most desperate moments. When our people faced new trials, they could always look to our faith leaders and the church to lean in to help us be included in these transformative changes.
Artificial intelligence is the latest revolutionary change to impact our society, and much like other transformations before us, underserved communities often get left behind.
I was recently featured in a report entitled “Faith, Community & AI” and it found that people send ChatGPT more than 70 million messages a week about religion. Nearly 22 million involve studying sacred texts, and 16 million ask about religious practices and holy days. Our members make up part of those numbers. They bring questions of faith to these tools every day.
Pastors have noticed, and according to a September 2025 Lifeway Research survey of 1,003 Protestant pastors, 42 percent said they use or experiment with AI in ministry. I count myself among them.
I write my sermons by hand, through prayer and study. When I finish a draft, I ask ChatGPT this question: “Where might this sermon become unclear or difficult to follow for someone early in their walk of faith?” It shows me gaps in my preparation, like where I incorrectly assumed everyone would know the context of who the Pharisees were. Then, change comes from my own pen, not the robot. The tool helps me reach the person in the back pew while the message still comes from me.
If I could have my wish, our whole community would take a similar posture. We must use these tools, understand them, and most importantly be present to help shape them if we want to be included in the coming change.
I implore my fellow faith leaders to use these tools. Start now and use them with wisdom. We count on each and every one of you to make sure our communities help write the next chapter of this story. This rapid change is not as unfamiliar as it may sound. My first understanding of AI came from using a calculator for the first time in grade school. We did not call it AI, but it was a tool that helped me work through mathematical equations hours more efficiently.
It starts with training; there is no involvement without understanding. Free AI trainings have begun in our churches and community centers across the nation. Every faith leader should sign up and, when possible, encourage members of your congregations to join you. By learning how to use AI, we can better understand what it can do, make up our own minds about its impact, and have a say in how it shapes our communities.”
Next, we must be at the tables where the builders of these tools make decisions. Presence is the first step toward understanding, and that gap is only bridged through a coordinated effort. How can any tool serve a community well if that community is not part of the conversation? Our traditions, needs, and concerns must be accounted for, and Black faith leaders are already making that happen. OpenAI’s recent Faith report states plainly that AI should never become an arbiter of religious truth. I fully intend to hold the company to its word, and the most effective way I can do that is from inside.
I will close with this––we must diligently protect what only the church can give. A believer in Seoul, Korea quoted in the report warned, “if you pour every struggle into a private chat, your pastor and your friends may never learn you need help.” A chatbot will not sit with a grieving family or pray with you at two in the morning. As we adopt this technology, it is up to us to ensure it keeps people connected to each other and to their church.
Rev. Dr. Adolphus Lacey is senior pastor of Bethany Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York.
Black History
Federal Agents Search Ilhan Omar’s Home Just 22 Days Before Election
WASHINGTON INFORMER — Federal agents searched the D.C.-area home of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) on Monday, 22 days before Election Day. This extraordinary step involved executing a criminal search warrant against a sitting member of Congress.
Federal agents searched the D.C.-area home of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) on Monday, taking the extraordinary step of executing a criminal search warrant against a sitting member of Congress just 22 days before Election Day, as the Trump administration investigates allegations involving her family’s immigration records.
The search immediately drew accusations of political intimidation from Omar’s supporters, who pointed to President Donald Trump’s repeated attacks on the Minnesota congresswoman and questioned the timing of an investigation targeting one of his most outspoken critics.
“Representative Omar is a dedicated public servant and a true ally for working families, and Donald Trump has done nothing but use racist tropes and stereotypes to attack her,” said Joel Payne, MoveOn’s chief communications officer. “Now, he’s abusing his power to physically intimidate and harass her.”
A Justice Department spokeswoman acknowledged that Homeland Security Investigations agents, part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, searched a District residence as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation.
The spokeswoman declined to provide additional information or publicly identify the person under investigation.
According to published reports, the warrant identified possible violations involving false statements, immigration document fraud and conspiracy. Federal investigators have also examined questions concerning Omar’s finances, campaign funds and interactions with foreign citizens.
No criminal charges against the congresswoman were identified, but Monday’s search occurred less than four weeks before voters decided whether to return Omar to Congress.
The investigation follows months of public accusations from senior Trump administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance, who previously claimed that Omar committed immigration fraud.
In an interview with conservative commentator Benny Johnson, Vance asserted, without publicly presenting evidence, that the administration believed Omar had broken immigration laws. He also said he and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller had discussed how to pursue the allegations.
“What are the legal remedies now that we know that she’s committed immigration fraud?” Vance asked during the interview. “How do you go after her? How do you investigate her?”
Omar has repeatedly rejected the accusations, including claims that she married her brother to facilitate immigration fraud. Her office dismissed Vance’s allegations in March as fabricated and defamatory.
Questions about the investigation intensified in August when Immigration and Customs Enforcement refused to release records sought under the Freedom of Information Act concerning allegations surrounding Omar’s 2009 marriage to Ahmed Nur Said Elmi.
The agency cited an exemption allowing law enforcement authorities to withhold records when disclosure could interfere with enforcement proceedings. The refusal did not establish that Omar committed fraud or, at the time, confirmed that she was personally under investigation.
Omar, who came to the United States as a refugee from Somalia, was elected to Congress in 2018 and became one of the first two Muslim women to serve in the House. She represents Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, which includes Minneapolis, and has frequently challenged Trump over immigration enforcement, civil rights, and his administration’s treatment of immigrant communities.
Her confrontations with the administration have made her a recurring target of the president’s political attacks. The criminal investigation also follows a frightening incident earlier this year in which Omar was physically attacked during a public appearance.
On Jan. 27, a man attacked Omar during a town hall meeting at the National Urban League’s Twin Cities headquarters in Minneapolis. The incident prompted condemnation from the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and its Black Women’s Roundtable, which demanded accountability and warned against political violence.
“We are shocked and extremely disturbed by the attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar yesterday while she attempted to address the critical issues and chaos swirling around in Minneapolis,” Melanie L. Campbell, president and CEO of the coalition and national convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable, said in a Jan. 28 statement.
Campbell praised Omar for continuing to speak out despite threats against her.
“We believe that NO public official should be threatened or physically attacked, especially when they are serving in the best interests of their constituents,” Campbell said. “Political violence and intimidation have no place in our democracy.”
MoveOn, the progressive advocacy organization, accused Trump of using federal law enforcement to intimidate a political opponent and urged voters to respond at the ballot box.
“On Nov. 3rd, we get our chance to fight back and hold him and his corrupt administration accountable,” Payne said.
Based on reporting by Washington Informer.
Black History
‘We Are Ready’: NAACP Launches Voter Protection Hub Ahead of Midterms
ATLANTA DAILY WORLD — The NAACP is launching a voter protection hub to protect voting rights ahead of the midterm elections. Voters can report intimidation and suppression via phone and online, with NAACP attorneys and legal volunteers investigating complaints and seeking emergency court intervention.
The NAACP is launching a voter protection hub ahead of the 2026 midterm elections as voting rights groups prepare for potential challenges at the polls.
Voters will be able to report allegations of intimidation and suppression by phone and through online submissions, while NAACP attorneys and legal volunteers investigate complaints and seek emergency court intervention when necessary.
According to The Washington Post, the hub is scheduled to launch October 24.
“We are ready,” NAACP General Counsel Kristen Clarke told The Washington Post. “We have an army of legal volunteers across the country and are prepared to activate and seek emergency relief on Election Day where necessary.”
The effort comes as organizations are also working to increase Black voter participation ahead of the midterms. BIN reported in September that the Congressional Black Caucus Institute launched its “SO VOTE” campaign, which plans to spend at least $4.5 million registering and mobilizing Black voters, young voters and rural voters.
The Associated Press reported that the campaign is targeting Georgia and Mississippi statewide, along with 16 congressional districts.
The NAACP is particularly focused on voter intimidation, changes to election rules and the impact of redistricting on Black voting power.
The organization filed a lawsuit against Justice Department Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon on Friday (October 2), seeking records about the department’s plans to deploy election monitors at polling places during the midterm elections.
“To be clear, there is no federal statute that gives the U.S. Department of Justice the right to send their so-called ‘election monitors’ to polling sites across the country,” Clarke said in a statement.
The NAACP’s voter protection hub will give voters a centralized way to report problems and connect with the organization’s legal team during the election.
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Based on reporting by Atlanta Daily World.
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