By Valerie Elverton Dixon
August 4, 2010
It wasn't very presidential for President Obama to appear on a daytime talk show like The View, cried his critics. But when Barbara Walters and the other hosts asked him about race in America, his honest response pointed a divided nation in the direction it needs to go.
Walter Hawkins' pioneering music always reflected the heart of a man who was looking forward to leaving this world for a better one, and his songs still offer a blueprint for what authentic gospel music is all about. A tribute to the late legend.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks uncovers the heartbreaking story of the woman behind one of the most important discoveries in modern medicine. But it's also a book about the intersection of race, science, and a family's faith.
Mary Lou Williams inspired Duke Ellington and a generation of future jazz legends. But it's her sacred jazz, and journey of faith, that captivated my spirit. This year marks the centennial of her birth.
Kathryn Stockett's novel of race, class, and friendship during the Jim Crow era has become a phenomenon on the best-seller lists, despite dealing with a potentially volatile subject matter. Here's why everyone's reading The Help.
Dave and Neta Jackson's unique chronicle of black history showcases both the human and spiritual dimensions of African American achievement.
Haiti does have a long history of "dealings with the Devil." But not in the way the televangelist suggested.
Remembering the life, work, and message of Martin Luther King Jr. -- preacher, peacemaker, prophet.
When black and white church leaders from this deceptively pleasant Nebraska city recognized the need for racial healing in their community, they got on a bus together and traveled south to visit landmarks of the civil rights movement. On their "Justice Journey," they explored the complex emotions that still divide us as a nation -- and the divine grace needed for true reconciliation.
The state of Mississippi has a new civil and human rights curriculum for its public school students. It's the first of its kind in the nation. Not bad for a state that Martin Luther King Jr. once famously said was "sweltering with the heat of injustice."
This week marked the centennial celebration of the nation's oldest and most respected civil rights organization, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Hundreds gathered in New York City, the birthplace of the organization, to reflect on history and cast a vision for the future.
