A veteran and mother of an 8-year-old, Nikalie Monroe launched a TikTok experiment during the government shutdown, posing as an impoverished mom seeking infant formula after SNAP benefits ran out. Her recordings of how various churches responded went viral — and after one compassionate Appalachian church stepped up, it received more than $90,000 in donations from around the world.
Category: Religion
Posted inMusic
Maurette Brown Clark reflects on faith, music and finding her true calling
Gospel singer Maurette Brown Clark opens up about her journey from a traditional career path to answering God’s call through music. From her early doubts to a Stellar Award-winning career and a bold new season of freedom, Clark shares how faith shaped her voice and vision for the future.
Posted inWord In Black
As SNAP benefits stall, Black churches step up to feed America
As the government shutdown halts SNAP benefits for millions of Americans, Black churches across the country are stepping up to fill the gap. Congregations like New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Georgia and Open Altar Ministries in Virginia are expanding food programs, feeding thousands, and demonstrating the Black Church’s long tradition of community care. With food insecurity disproportionately affecting Black households, faith leaders are mobilizing resources, donations, and volunteers to ensure no family goes hungry.
Posted inBUSINESS
Pastor Jamal Bryant launches digital protest of Dollar General
Pastor Jamal Bryant has launched an electronic protest of Dollar General, calling attention to the company’s practices in Black communities. Bryant says the chain contributes to health disparities and food insecurity. Rather than call for a full boycott, he is urging a digital protest to demand change without harming those who rely on the store.
Posted inBlack History
Beyond the myths: Exploring Hoodoo with Mama Koko
Hoodoo is often misunderstood as dark magic, but it is actually a spiritual tradition rooted in African practices, developed by enslaved people to maintain connection, healing and empowerment. Dr. Kokahvah “Mama Koko” Zaditu-Selassie explains how Hoodoo continues to guide Black spirituality and everyday life, alongside organized religions like Christianity.
Posted inMusic
Faith, harmony and surprise moments mark 2025 Dove Awards
Brandon Lake emerged as the night’s top winner at the 56th Annual GMA Dove Awards, taking home five honors including Song of the Year for “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” performed alongside Jelly Roll and surprise guest Jon Batiste. The star-studded event at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena featured powerful performances from CeCe Winans, Carrie Underwood, and Tamela Mann, as well as a historic Opry 100 medley by Steven Curtis Chapman, Lady A, and Vince Gill.
Posted inReligion
‘A Master Teacher’: Remembering Dr. W. James “Jimmie” Abbington
Dr. W. James “Jimmie” Abbington, a renowned musician, scholar, and educator known as the “dean of Black church music,” died Sept. 27 at age 65. Recently appointed as Duke University Divinity School’s first professor of Black sacred music, Abbington’s lifelong mission was to preserve and elevate African American sacred music as both art and theology.
Posted inClimate Change
From pews to policy: Faith leaders step up in the climate change fight
In response to intensifying climate threats, the Baltimore Office of Sustainability is partnering with community organizations like Allen AME Church to provide neighborhood-based climate solutions. From cooling centers and weather tracking to equitable policy and education, the city is building a more resilient and sustainable Baltimore through collaboration and community engagement.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Bridging the ‘Black-Blue Divide’ — one congregation at a time
Faith and Blue, a national initiative launched in 2020 by MovementForward, invites police officers into houses of worship to foster trust and dialogue with communities that have often viewed law enforcement with skepticism. At Set the Captives Free Outreach Center in Maryland and hundreds of churches nationwide, congregations are bridging the “Black-Blue divide” through worship, conversation, and shared activities with local officers.
Posted inReligion
Soul Shop for Black Churches equips faith leaders to address suicide in their congregations
Soul Shop for Black Churches is equipping faith leaders to address suicide and trauma in Black communities, providing training that combines mental health expertise with pastoral care. The program empowers congregations to have open conversations, reduce stigma and offer hope to those in desperate situations
Posted inReligion
Metropolitan United Methodist Church celebrates 200 years
Metropolitan United Methodist Church, a historically Black institution in Baltimore, celebrated its 200th anniversary on September 13, marking two centuries of faith, resilience, and purpose.
Posted inPolitics
Reality check: How Black ministers took on Charlie Kirk’s killing
Charlie Kirk, 31, an avowed Christian, White nationalist, and White House insider, had a history of bigoted, racist remarks. Since his assassination, conservatives have compared him to Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., but Black ministers pushed back on that comparison in sermons the Sunday after the murder.
