500-year-old slave revolt of 1526 redefines freedom as U.S. turns 250
Before 1776 or 1619, enslaved Africans seized freedom in 1526 on land that would become the United States.
Opinion
My experience at a Chicago justice conference showed me the power of Christian witness.
Daryl Grigsby recounts his time at an ecumenical gathering centered on "holy resistance" and its outworking in the current American moment.
Why the way we understand the South matters, especially in criminal justice.
by Jamiles Lartey, Louisiana Illuminator June 15, 2026 This commentary was published in partnership with The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system. Sign up for The Marshall Project’s newsletters and follow them on Instagram, TikTok, Reddit and Facebook. Last month, members of
What can White pro-lifers learn from the Black community (and Black history)?
Briana Jansky writes that despite shared goals among pro-lifers, there are still large gaps in communication and an undercurrent of anti-Blackness.
The new prayer service from the U.S. Catholic bishops doesn't honor the enslaved. It erases them.
Nate Tinner-Williams says the new text is a cheapened catch-all intended for immigrants—with African Americans as a throwaway half-mention.
'Tuner' review: 'Whiplash' meets 'Save the Last Dance', with the music to make it dance
The new music/heist hybrid film takes viewers on a journey of moral quandary without asking for much in return—other than a listening ear.
The Sacred Heart of Jesus bleeds for the Queer
Tulio Huggins responds to a podcast episode from Catholic priests on Pride Month, writing that a myopic view of LGBTQ+ people has no place.
The poor we love in theory: Do we treat them like theirs is the Kingdom of God?
Fabian Adderley probes the question of how the Church lives out (or sidesteps) the preferential option for the poor in its institutional life.
Sojourner Truth, Sister Thea, and the preaching of Black Catholic women
Tamika Royes suggests that Black Catholic women can help revive the Catholic Church—if only they are permitted to make full use of their gifts.
Review: W. Ralph Eubanks' 'When It's Darkness on the Delta' gives context to a national heartland
Rana Irby reviews a new work from a Black Catholic author on his experiences in and understanding of a complicated, misunderstood region.
Being Church means taking a radical stand for the work of Jesus (An Ascension reflection)
Dcn Tim Tilghman relates the Sunday readings to a historic moment in the Washington Archdiocese, linked to the history of Black Catholic activism.
In the fight for the soul of America, which side are Catholics on?
Daryl Grigsby opines on the moral failings of Trumpism and the peculiar Catholic attachment to it that persists despite all manner of wickedness.
A moral call to defend Black voting rights: How Catholics should respond
Efran Menny surveys the history of African-American disenfranchisement and urges faithful Catholic witness to stem the tide of injustice.
On pilgrimage to Pierre: New York's holy hairdresser and the quiet revolution
Tulio Huggins reflects on a trip to the tomb of Venerable Pierre Toussaint, one of the nation's seven Black Catholics on the road to sainthood.
St. Joseph the Worker, 'Rerum Novarum,' and ‘Dilexi Te’: On the Black Catholic apostolate and faithful witness
Christian Bentley reflects on the papal witness to the dignity of work, and how it relates to the Black Catholic experience in the United States.
The Golden Rule is not optional: A Black Catholic call to belonging
Dr. Antoinette Reaves on the complications of Black Catholic identity and how a recommitment to a central teaching of Jesus can encourage renewal.