By Rev. Dr. Heber Brown III In any conversation about healing from the horrific legacy of slavery, there lingers the question of what comes next. We all know that slavery created devastating harms. Particularly with current threats to the true telling of history, it is significant when our government recognizes and acknowledges this. But what […]
Author Archives: Rev. Heber Brown III
Posted inOPINION
In memory of George Briscoe: Another victim of a Maryland lynching
By Rev. Dr. Heber Brown III To the family of George Briscoe, I come to you with reflection, humility and intention. I’ve recently learned of your family’s story and now that I know it, I cannot forget it. On Nov. 26, 1884, an armed group of White men lynched 40-year-old George Briscoe by the Magothy […]
Posted inOpinion
A letter to Howard Cooper’s family: His legacy demands repair
The Rev. Dr. Heber Brown III is a community organizer, clergy-activist and executive director of the Black Church Food Security Network. Over the next several months, he will write letters to the descendants of formerly enslaved and formerly lynched loved ones. This is the first series in that installment.
Posted inOPINION
The time is now. The need is great: The Black family reunion must focus on family-owned land
Black family reunions provide a unique opportunity to preserve and leverage family-owned land, which can be used for food security, economic opportunity, and collective power.
Posted in#FaithWorks
#FaithWorks: Churches can fix food insecurity in Black Baltimore
By Rev. Dr. Heber Brown IIISpecial to the AFRO Feeding the hungry has been a cornerstone of the Christian church since the very beginning. In fact, long before nonprofit organizations and government agencies showed up on the scene to address hunger, churches had been in the fight for food security for many generations. From soup […]
Posted inCommentary
Wearing Out Their Welcome: Is It Time To Disinvite Police From Our Neighborhoods?
Earlier this month, I was informed that one of my neighbors who happens to be a pastor was assaulted by Baltimore City Police Officers just steps from his home and church. The officers came to my clergy neighbor’s house at 2 a.m. claiming that someone called 911. When my neighbor informed him that he was […]
Posted inCommentary
O’Malley’s March Backwards: Governor Refuses to Lead on Youth Jail
During the recent Democratic National Convention before a raucous crowd and a national audience, Maryland Governor and Democratic Governors Association President, Martin O’Malley stood to deliver his best argument as to why President Barack Obama deserved a second presidential term. As O’Malley touted the president’s activities and accomplishments, his speech took on a cadence that […]
Posted inCommentary
It’s Not McDonough’s Mind I’m Worried About
Much has been said about Maryland State Delegate Pat McDonough’s inflammatory statements about Black youth in Baltimore. Last month, he characterized African American youth at the Inner Harbor as “Black Youth Mobs.” He cited an alleged incident where he and his wife were driving in downtown Baltimore and supposedly 50 to 100 Black youth began […]
Posted inCommentary
The Murder of Troy Davis Sends A Spark for Social Justice to the Souls of College Students
A little more than a week after the murder of Troy Davis I am admittedly still reeling and healing from this latest barrage of barbaric brutality on Black people from the United States “Justice” System. “Troy Davis” is the latest chapter of terrorism in the collective memory of American Africans. If Carl Jung’s theories on […]