Urban Faith » UMI TV

Evangelicalism in Black and White

UrbanFaith Staff — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:50:11 +0000

We sat down with Fuller Theological Seminary’s senior professor, Dr. William Pannell, for a discussion on the origins of the black evangelical movement. He also shared his wisdom on current theological and political affairs.

We Interview The Ambassador, Da′ T.R.U.T.H., Mali Music and More!

Stephanie Imani LaFlora — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:06:41 +0000

Late last month, The Misfit Tour, featuring Christian Hip-Hop′s biggest artists stopped in
Chicago. We caught up with heavyweights like The Ambassador, Da′ T.R.U.T.H.,
Mali Music and more, backstage for exclusive interviews. The term “misfit” isn′t just for
show. Several artists have raw stories of scandal that have been made quite public recently,
but they are back with a battle cry of redemption and they are recruiting soldiers left on the
field. Watch the video below!

Music video featuring Ambassador, Sean Simmonds, Da′ Truth, Mali Music and more below!

Forgiveness in a Hopeless Place (Part 2)

UrbanFaith.com — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:43:52 +0000

Click HERE for Part 1!

Forgiveness in a Hopeless Place (Part 1)

UrbanFaith.com — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:27:39 +0000

Click HERE for Part 2!

When Joyce Villeneuve was just a young girl, she witnessed horrific violence between the Ugandan government and the civilian resistance. On August 4, 1972, Idi Amin, the President of Uganda, ordered Indians to leave the country. Joyce and her family fled for their lives and landed in Seychelles.

Their new life was vastly different from their old life. They went from living a comfortable life in Uganda to living in poverty as refugees. Shortly after their escape, Joyce’s mother developed a dependency on alcohol, which led to physical abuse. Meanwhile, Joyce’s father struggled to take care of his family and work them out of the poverty they suffered.

Joyce’s mother continued to spiral downward despite her father’s attempts to provide care for her. The turning point came when her mother’s rage threatened Joyce’s life. Shortly after, she began to slowly seek help and open up about her depression and repressed anger of when she was abused as a child.

Through seeking God with fervor Joyce began the long humble road towards forgiveness, which she admits was not easy. In Courage to Forgive, she shares the four steps to forgiveness. Watch Part 2 of the video series to learn more!

Top 10 Nerds of Color

Jelani Greenidge — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:42:51 +0000

It’s cool to be an intelligent, slightly geeky person of color. But that’s not usually the impression one gets from pop culture, where Steve Urkel and Carlton Banks are still the prevailing images of African American nerds. So, where are all the cool nerds of color? UrbanFaith columnist Jelani Greenidge shares his list of some of the most positive nerdy role models from TV and film. And, don’t worry, Urkel and Carlton are not included.

Top 10 Geeks and Nerds of Color

10. Jamal Wallace (Rob Brown) from Finding Forrester

9. Smart Brother (Gary Anthony Williams) from Undercover Brother

8. Kevin Blake (Trevor Jackson) from Eureka

7. Betty Suarez (America Ferrera) from Ugly Betty

6. Moss (Richard Ayoade) from The IT Crowd

5. Leo Prince (Baron Vaughn) from Fairly Legal

4. Huey Freeman (voiced by Regina King) from The Boondocks

3. Troy Barnes (Donald Glover) and Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi) from Community

2. Burton Guster (Dulé Hill) and Shawn Spencer (James Roday) from Psych

1. Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge) from Leverage

People of ‘Occupy Wall Street’

Various Contributors — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:59:31 +0000

Brought to you by Iva Radivojevic & Martyna Starosta. Radivojevic frequently explores sociology in her poignant works. Check out more here.

DeVon Franklin: The Center of Sony

UrbanFaith Staff — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 15:26:24 +0000

What Kids Wanna Know About God

Edward Gilbreath — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 23:20:42 +0000

After hearing young people ask the same questions about God and the Bible over and over again, mom and children’s ministry leader Tina Bryson wrote 10 Things Every Kid Should Know About God: Life Application’s to Build Your Child’s Confidence in Salvation. She hopes it will provide kids and their parents with a resource for understanding how a child can have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Find out more about Tina and her book at her website, www.tinavbryson.com.

Confessions of a Black Conservative

Edward Gilbreath — Sun, 22 May 2011 19:34:05 +0000

Family Time @ Kids’ Choice Awards

Danai Maraire — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:42:53 +0000

AIR WILLOW: Rising young star Willow Smith sang and flew (literally) at the 2011 Kids' Choice Awards.

It was a family affair at Nickelodeon’s 2011 Kids’ Choice Awards, as Willow Smith and other young stars took the spotlight — while the adults hoped to avoid getting slimed.

Earlier this month, Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards brought families together in Hollywood, and front of the small screen, for a “sliming” good time! The event drew not only the young, but also the young at heart. So, I hit the orange carpet — yes, the orange carpet — in hopes of catching one of the hottest rising stars, Willow Smith (see my video report below).

This year’s orange carpet featured a slew of celebrities toting kids as their accessory of choice. There were star sightings from everyone from Eddie Murphy, Jim Carey, Johnny Depp, and kid-friendly bands like The Black Eye’d Peas, who opened the show with a cameo, from host Jack Black. The best part of the show seemed to be watching favorite stars get slimed. Russell Brand who was slated to announce the award for “Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie” and ended up receiving a residual and unscripted slime from the peanut gallery just beyond the stage. The night’s big winners included Selena Gomez, Johnny Depp, and Miley Cyrus.

Initially, I figured there was no way Willow would stop (her handlers are usually very protective). But to my surprise, the young singer walked straight up to me and began answering questions. She was poised, professional, and already preening about her upcoming performance. Could anyone expect anything less? Let’s face it, this kid was born to entertain. And with parents, Will and Jada Smith, we all know the talent, grooming, and opportunities for her are endless.

Willow has more than great genes; she has the discipline, work ethic, and talent to make things happen. As another member of Hollywood royalty once said, “Having a famous name may open the doors to get you in the room, but if you don’t have the talent and the discipline to back it up, they will escort you right back out.”