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A reflection on how historic segregation in sacred spaces may be resurfacing today through silence, hierarchy, and the marginalization of the very builders who sustained the Black church. During Black History Month, I want to talk about something many people have never been taught. In many white churches in the 18th and 19th centuries, the upper balcony was not just extra seating. It was often a forced separation. Enslaved people and free Black worshippers were pushed into lo

Thank you for standing on the record. Tonight, 181 individuals registered to listen to the reading of the Official Transcript from the December 12th Evidentiary Hearing. One hundred and eighty one people chose documentation over rumor. Record over rhetoric. Facts over noise. The transcript is the transcript. You heard it for yourselves. No summaries. No spin. No interpretation. Just sworn testimony entered into the record. Truth does not require embellishment. It requires the

Hi Reader, Tomorrow night, 2.19.26, from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM, CAI will be hosting a Zoom call that is open to everyone. During this hour, I will personally read the transcript of Bishop Lucas and Bishop Martha Thomas’ testimony so that we are all aligned on what was actually said. No summaries. No interpretations. Just the words as they were spoken. There will be no additional discussion during this call. No questions and no responses will be taken regarding the transcript. T

Thesis Elder financial exploitation within religious institutions is a critical public health issue because it (1) inflicts profound psychological and financial harm on vulnerable older adults, (2) constitutes a serious breach of ethical and fiduciary duty by trusted leaders, and (3) exposes significant gaps in elder protection laws and reporting systems that leave victims without adequate safeguards. This Matters for Public Health Financial exploitation is the illegal or imp

“Without Their Sacrifice: Aging and Accountability in the Black Church” The aging population within the Black Church represents a generation that constructed, financed, and sustained religious institutions during Jim Crow, World War I, World War II, and the pre-Civil Rights era. These churches were not simply houses of worship. They were centers of education, political organizing, economic cooperation, and physical protection at a time when broader American systems excluded B

How a 122-Year-Old Black Church Is Being Used to Dismantle the Communities It Was Built to Protect - The House of God Church and Its Historical Significance The House of God Church, formally known as The Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Ground of the Truth, Without Controversy, Keith Dominion, is one of the most historically significant Black Pentecostal denominations in the United States. Founded in 1903 by Mother Mary Magdalena Lewis Tate, the church was revolutiona

Reflections, context, and conversations about elders, community, sacred space, and governance. This space exists for honest conversation. Let’s Talk is where we share reflections, observations, and context around the issues facing elders, congregations, and communities when sacred spaces are removed from community stewardship. These pieces are written to inform, invite dialogue, and encourage thoughtful engagement especially for those who want to understand what is happening