Tag Archives: African American

Apple tree in the backyard

Strange Fruit

While listening to music recently, my mp3 player on “shuffle” and me in a state of relaxation, the 1956 version of Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” began to play. As the sounds of piano and trumpet filled the air, I was transported by my imagination to

Man talking in crowd of people

The Black Insult

Sissy. Punk. Faggot. Queer. Gay. All of these are names used to describe black same gender loving men. They are names by which we are defined. Now come on, tell the truth – if you REALLY want to hurt someone’s feelings, or insult them, degrade

Black man playing with a magnifying glass

The Political Future of Black Churches

Last October I wrote a column for Sightings presenting evidence that African American political participation is directly influenced by the content of black religious beliefs (“Black Churches: Liberation or Prosperity?”). Specifically, my piece suggested that black liberation theology and the prosperity gospel offer radically different