Tag Archives: Ayesha Curry

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The Top 10 Blog Posts and or Articles for Black Christian Women in September 2017

See 'A Question of Faith' Which is Out NOW!

Hello World,

Just like that my birthday month is over, and I have to wait a whole year to celebrate all month long again but that’s alright. Although my birthday month is over, I have a gift of sorts for you! I’m back with my monthly roundup of blog posts and or articles for black Christian women! So below is my Top 10 monthly roundup of blog posts and or magazine/newspaper articles for black Christian women for September ( but you don’t have be a black Christian woman to to check them out 🙂  As usual, let me know if you like my list! Enjoy and share!

1. “Producer Angela White Makes History with A Question of Faith” by Chandra Sparks Splond

Excerpt:  Veteran producer Angela White is about to make history with the release of A Question of Faith. The film, which includes an all-star cast, is White’s first faith-based movie and the first of its kind to have been produced by an African-American woman. I recently spoke with White about A Question of Faith and the importance of pursuing your dreams.  Tell me about A Question of Faith. A Question of Faith is a beautiful story that follows three different families, who are struck by tragedy, which forces their destiny on a converging path to discover God’s love, grace, mercy and the power of forgiveness.  In “A Question of Faith,” all three families find themselves at a crossroads, questioning their faith and the higher power that guides their lives, as a result of their tragedies. As each family member deals with their issues, their worlds start to intertwine, which leads to a chain of events, which unknowingly brings the three families closer and closer together.  Further, the film deals with social issues, such as texting and driving, organ donation and the power of racial reconciliation. See more at: chandrasparkssplond.com

2.”The Subtle, Powerful Way Jordin Sparks Joined The NFL Protests” by Carol Kuruvilla

Excerpt:  Singer Jordin Sparks may not have taken the knee during Monday night’s NFL game in Arizona, but she managed to make a powerful statement nonetheless.  The “American Idol” winner was scheduled to sing the National Anthem during a game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals. The Dallas team knelt down before the anthem and stood while Sparks sang, and the Arizona players stood and linked arms.  Sparks, on the other hand, stood tall throughout her performance. But there was one small detail that could shed a light on what the 28-year-old singer was thinking. Scribbled in black on her hand were the words Prov. 31:8-9. It’s a reference from the book of Proverbs, in the Bible. See more at: huffingtonpost.com

3.”NASA Honors ‘Hidden Figures’ Heroine Katherine Johnson With a Research Building Named After Her” by Ashley Edwards Walker

Excerpt: It has been a big year for Katherine Johnson, the “human computer” who served as the brains behind NASA’s launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit. Hidden Figures, the movie based on her inspiring—though, until recently, largely unknown—career premiered in January 2017 (it sprang from the book by Margot Lee Shetterly). Taraji P. Henson portrayed Johnson onscreen, and the film won for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Even more important, the film and its portrayal of Johnson is being credited with galvanizing more young women to consider careers in science and technology. Now, in a very much overdue honor for the trailblazer, NASA has just dedicated a new facility to honor the mathematician: the Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility. See more at: glamour.com

4.”Ayesha Curry is CoverGirl’s Newest Brand Ambassador”

Excerpt: The cosmetics brand made the announcement on Instagram on Wednesday writing, “Told you we had something cookin’ COVERGIRLS… So happy we don’t have to keep our lids on it anymore! See more at: blavity.com

5.”Are Smart, Educated Women Still Called to the Church Nursery?” by Nana Dolce

Excerpt: Case in point: During a recent #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear Twitter conversation, many stressed their concerns over the treatment of women in Christian circles. Among the tweets were stories of restrictive gender roles—women confined to traditionally nurturing positions regardless of their gifts and abilities. “You speak five languages and have a doctoral degree? Children’s ministry is your calling!” wrote one woman in sarcasm. See more at: christianitytoday.com

6.”When The Parents Are White, The Child Is Black, And The Churches Are Segregated” by Leah Donnella

Excerpt: My husband and I are white and we have one biological child (a baby) who shares many of our physical features. We also have a 4-year-old daughter, whom we adopted, who is black. I am trying to surround our daughter with a multiracial community so she is less this one black person in a sea of white. That is a struggle in a city that is still pretty segregated, but my particular question is this: Where should we go to church? See more at: npr.org

7.”50-Year-Old Virgin Called ‘Crazy’ For Saving Sex for Marriage” by Asia Henderson

Excerpt: It’s not every day that you hear about a 50-year-old virgin, but one such woman self-identified as exactly that during a recent airing of The Wendy Williams Show. “I am a 50-year-old virgin and I’m proud of it,” said Evette, shocking the host and her entire studio audience. See more at: buzz.eewmagazine.com

8.”Fantasia Serenades A Paralyzed Man In The Hospital” 

Excerpt:  While visiting her brother in the hospital, soul singer Fantasia Barrino blessed another family with her incredible vocals. According to a fan page dedicated to Barrino, a woman approached the artist and asked if she would sing a song to her husband to soothe his spirits. The man was hospitalized for paralysis after suffering injuries from an undisclosed accident. See more at: elev8.hellobeautiful.com

9.”An Austin Congregation Struggles to Put a Confederate Icon in the Past” by Joy Diaz

Excerpt: At the time, the congregation was all white. Today it’s still mostly white, but it’s surrounded by a very diverse community. The church sits in the middle of the University of Texas campus. And yet, Denise Davis was one of only three black people at All Saints. But she was not the only one offended by the window. Father Adams has learned it is offensive to others too. See more at: texasstandard.org

10.”When the Gospel Isn’t Very Good News” by Tess Holgate

Except: “But still there was that part of me that thought, in order for me to belong, I had to erase the part of me that was black, the part of me that grew up Democrat, the part of me that thought Jimmy Carter was the good guy.” Harper says this is how it was to grow up an evangelical Christian in the 1980s, a time she describes as the “rise of the religious Right.” She says the subtext of the movement said that if you’re not Republican, you’re not Christian, and that to be Christian you have to be Republican. See more at: www.eternitynews.com.au

Check out the trailer for “A Question of Faith,” the first faith-based movie produced by an African-American woman, Angela White…My cousin and I saw this movie at the Atlanta premiere last Monday, and we both enjoyed it. I loved seeing some stars that I remember from when I was growing up like Kim Fields from “The Facts of Life” and “Living Single” and C. Thomas Howell from “The Outsiders!”Also, it was nice to see “Uncle Mac,” who was recently killed on “Greenleaf,” in the land of the living LOL. I interviewed GregAlan Williams, who stars in this movie as a pastor and was at the premiere, back in August!

If you know of any black Christian women bloggers and or writers, please e-mail me at jacqueline@afterthealtarcall.com as I’m always interested in expanding my community of black Christian women blogs and websites. As I noted before, while this is a roundup of interesting blog posts and or magazine and newspaper articles for black Christian women, you don’t have to be one to appreciate these pieces  🙂

Any thoughts?

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The Top 10 Blog Posts and or Articles for Black Christian Women in February 2016

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Hello World,

Well, Black History Month 2016 is a wrap, but I’m still doing my monthly post in which I list interesting blog posts and or articles for black Christian women from last month that intrigued me as a black Christian woman ( but you don’t have be a black Christian woman to to check them out:) ! ) As usual, let me know if you like my list! Enjoy and share!

1. “Dancing 106-year-old Describes the Day She Charmed the Obamas: ‘I Can Die Smiling Now’” by Colby Itkowitz

Excerpt: Deeply faithful, McLaurin attends a weekly Bible study, and she said it’s helped her stay upbeat and healthy. That, she said, and a diet of fried beans and peas. Other than a back surgery about 50 years ago, she hasn’t had any major health issues. See more at: washingtonpost.com.

2. “DeVon Franklin to Suggestion in Church That Wife Meagan Good Should Cover Up: ‘She’s Going to Wear What She Wants to Wear in the Name of Jesus’” by Yesha Callahan

Excerpt: “This is not offensive, but I was at the grocery store and I looked at a newsstand and I saw you, and you had your breast showing,” one woman in the audience said. “So, so, I wasn’t gonna come here, I wasn’t, but the Lord brought me here to see you. You’re beautiful. You are a beautiful young woman, and your testimony is awesome. It’s awesome. Amen. Amen! And the Lord let me come and push past the judgment … because you have to make sure what you say and what you do match up, you understand? So we gonna cover up, right?” See more at: theroot.com.

3. “Too Sexy for Church Appeal: When Does Cleavage Become Sinful?” by Charlene Aaron

Excerpt:  Ayesha Curry, wife of NBA player Stephen Curry, received a ton of backlash from people who said she was shaming women who dress less modestly. Actress Meagan Good, who is also a Christian, has often been criticized for wearing clothing viewed as too sexy. See more at: cbn.com.

4. “They Lost Trayvon, Eric, Sandra, Jordan, Dontre. Now These Mothers are With Hillary” by Juana Summers

Excerpt: As rain pelted the rooftop of Mount Zion Missionary Baptist church on Monday afternoon, five mothers — united both in their grief and their purpose — came to share their stories. The women, from five different cities, had each lost a child to a high-profile case of violence. And each had thrown her support behind Hillary Clinton in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. See more at: mashable.com.

5. “The Legacy of Women in the Black Church” by Pastor Tiffany Thomas

Excerpt: Black women have a long and intricate history with the church. Women, making up 70 to 90 percent of black congregations, have always found the institution of the church a place of refuge, of solace and hope. As far back as African American history begins, during a time when their bodies were bound by the violence of slavery, black women gathered to worship communally a God who gave freedom and liberation in the salvific power of Christ. See more  at: christianitytoday.com.

6. “Black Women and the Imago Dei” by Austin Channing Brown

Excerpt: In the late ’80s and early ’90s when I grew up attending a predominantly white private school, words like diversity and multiculturalism had not yet been popularized. So schools were still developing curriculum and experiences largely devoid of cultural depth. In my experience, all of my teachers were white, as were the principal, librarian, and other staff members. We regularly used illustrated Bibles, storybooks, and movies in which all the characters were also white. When teachers posted pictures of Jesus in the room, Jesus was always depicted as white. See more at: todayschristianwoman.com.

7. “Meet the Incredible Woman Chosen to Lead Mother Emanuel Church After Last Year’s Shooting” by Collier Meyerson

Excerpt: Clark is unabashed about being a woman at the pulpit. During a part of service where visitors to the church introduce themselves, one particular gentleman calls out, “I’m going to ask, like I do every year.” She begins to fan herself. “Will you be my valentine?” The church erupts into laughter and cheers. “The answer is yes,” she says to her husband. More laughter and clapping. See more at: fusion.net.

8. “Charleston Shooting Survivor Jennifer Pinckney: ‘I Want to Carry on (Clementa’s) Work’” by Jesse James DeConto

Excerpt: The first lady of Charleston’s Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church offered two enduring images: her late husband’s smiling face lying in a casket, and the bullet holes that riddled the church walls when she went to clean out his office a week later. See more at: religionnews.com.

9. “Professor Who Donned Hijab in Solidarity Announces Exit from Christian College” by Women in the World Staff

Excerpt: A college professor at a Christian college in Illinois has agreed to leave her position at the university after she posted a photo of herself wearing a hijab in solidarity with Muslims on social media. Larycia Hawkins drew ire from the administration at Wheaton College over the photo and her remarks on Facebook, where she wrote that Christians and Muslims “worship the same God.” See more at: nytlive.nytimes.com.

10. “First Female African-American General in the Army National Guard Visits Windsor Church” by Jenna DeAngelis

Excerpt: “I’ve had many people, both black and white, tell me that, ‘C’mon you can’t do that.  You’re never going any further than this.’ and to me that was always a challenge,” Cleckley said. Every challenge became an opportunity and every opportunity became another page in her book, A Promise Fulfilled. See more at: fox61.com.

Any thoughts?

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The Top 10 Blog Posts and or Articles for Black Christian Women in December 2015

december women

Hello World,

As always, December was a whirlwind of a month, but I did manage to curate another list of interesting blog posts and or articles for black Christian women from last month that intrigued me as a black Christian woman ( but you don’t have be a black Christian woman to to check them out:) ! ) As usual, let me know if you like my list! Enjoy and share!

1.”Wheaton College Suspends Hijab-Wearing Professor After ‘Same God’ Comment” by Bob Smietana

Excerpt: Larycia Alaine Hawkins, an associate professor who has taught at Wheaton since 2007, announced last week that she’d don the traditional headscarf as a sign of human, theological, and embodied solidarity. “I stand in religious solidarity with Muslims because they, like me, a Christian, are people of the book,” she wrote in a Facebook post on December 10. “And as Pope Francis stated last week, we worship the same God.” See more at: christianitytoday.com.

2. “Modesty Lets Our Light Shine” by Kim Cash Tate

Excerpt: Last Saturday evening, Ayesha Curry, wife of NBA star Stephen Curry, was flipping through a Style Weekly and shared her observations with Twitter: Everyone’s into barely wearing clothes these days huh? Not my style. I like to keep the good stuff covered up for the one who matters. Those thoughts sparked a Twitter debate on the virtues — or lack thereof — of showing off one’s figure with bare clothing. One reply asked, “What’s wrong with not being covered up?” With only a few characters, Ayesha Curry, a professed believer in Jesus Christ, injected modesty — and salt and light — into the social stream. See more at: desiringgod.org.

3. “Church of God Pastor Becomes City’s First Black, First Woman Mayor” by Carl Stagner

Excerpt: “Sixty years ago, Rosa Parks sat down so I could stand up today.” Pastor Rochelle Robinson’s words reflect a strong sense of both gratitude and accomplishment for her historic win. She never set out to make a name for herself or capture the attention of the national media. All she wanted to do was serve God and her community. But when the votes were tallied in the runoff election on December 1, Rochelle Robinson became the first African American and first female ever to be elected mayor of Douglasville, Georgia. See more at: chognews.org.

4. “10 Women in Politics in Africa You Didn’t Read About in 2015” by Omono Eremionkhale

Excerpt: Popularly called Mama Anambra, Virginia Ngozi Etiaba will go down in history as the very first democratically elected governor in Anambra state from November 2, 2006 to June 13, 2007. As governor, she flagged-off several road projects and invested heavily in the state’s Orient Petroleum Company. She was reluctant to take oath of office after her boss, Peter Obi had been impeached on grounds of gross misconduct. She however transferred power to Obi when the impeachment was annulled by the appeal court. In 2012, she released a book; My Life, My Story: Autobiography of Nigeria’s First Female Governor, which chronicles her life and her political journey. She once said; “If a woman is given the chance to rule Nigeria, the country will be corruption free, as only less than one percent of women are corrupt. Nigerians should pray for an era when a woman will come on board to rule this country.” See more at: venturesafrica.com.

5. “Babbie Mason, Steve Amerson at Mims Baptist This Sunday” by Sondra Hernandez
Excerpt: She tells this story of how she got her start. “It was the summer of 1980 and I’d just moved to Georgia,” she said. “There was a big church around the corner, Mount Paran Church. My husband said we’ve got to get you to do a concert there.” At the time she already had one album out. The head pastor was a very busy man, there was a 90-day wait to see him, she said. She called it a mega church back before there were mega churches. Being persistent they ask to see a music minister and others. Finally the singles minister saw them. “He took my album and I kind of had the feeling ‘don’t call us, we’ll call you,’” she said. “But I noticed there was a big piano in the hall and I asked him if I could play just one song for myself. He agreed. He came out of his office and said ‘What are you doing tomorrow night?”, I said ‘nothing’,” he said ‘Come play for the singles meeting.’” At that meeting she met a man who owned a coffeehouse, that man asked her to play at his coffeehouse. A pastor heard her play at the coffeehouse and ask her to play at his church. She says that’s how it has all happened for 32 years in ministry. See more at: yourhoustonnews.com.

6. “Mattiwilda Dobbs, Pathbreaking Operatic Soprano, Dies at 90” by Emily Langer

Excerpt: Like many African-American opera singers born in the early part of the 20th century, she was first fully recognized for her talent not in the United States, but rather in Europe — an ocean away from the Jim Crow South where she had grown up singing in her First Congregational Church choir in Atlanta and listening to the black contralto Marian Anderson. Ms. Dobbs’s father, an organizer of early voter-registration drives for blacks, saw to it that she and her five sisters attended college. A series of scholarships helped finance her musical training and took her to Europe, where, while singing as a concert recitalist, she won the International Music Competition in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1951. See more at: washingtonpost.com.

7. “Alva James-Johnson: Preserving Black Institutions”

Excerpt: The next day, I was even more inspired as I stood at the ribbon cutting for a brand new media center that was built for the communications department. The center is named after Leroy and Lois Peters, a black couple who donated $1.2 million for the project. When it was over, I spoke briefly with Lois, thanking her for her sacrifice. She told me it was something she and her husband never thought they could do. But they prayed for God to bless their Maryland-based home health care business, and it all came to pass. Prior to the Oakwood project, the couple also helped build a music education center at another university with a $1 million contribution. See more at: ledger-enquirer.com.

8. “God Is a 24/7 Personal Trainer” by Erin Beresini

Excerpt: “Amen!” say the women who just sat down in the front row. By the time Dan’s done introducing himself, keynote speaker Pastor Debra B. Morton of New Orleans’ Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church arrives with an entourage. Pastor D, a local celebrity looking trés on fleek in a grey dress, black pumps, and big gold hoops, ascends the stage and tells a story about how her 65-year-old husband runs an hour a day. Because he exercises, his cancer surgery (type unspecified) went much better than it would have otherwise, and now he’s seven years cancer-free. “God just kept saying to us how important health and fitness was,” she says. “I felt a commitment to the African American community—our church is 90 percent African American—and I just saw people who couldn’t walk to the altar for prayer.”  See more at: outsideonline.com.

9. “‘Stained-Glass Ceiling’ For Women Clergy” By Leoneda Inge

Excerpt: Chaves says only about 11% of congregations are led by women.  He’s been looking at this issue since his first study in 1998. “But I would have thought that the groups where there are more women, basically a mainline protestant groups, also black churches where there is an increase in women ministers, I would have thought those increases would be enough to move the needle in the national scene, but they’re not,” said Chaves. See more at: wunc.org.

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10. “Standing in Solidarity: A Faith-Rooted Call to Action With and for Black Women and Girls” by Andrew Wilkes

Excerpt: For communities of color and of faith, standing with black women and girls is more than a desirable ideal — it is a moral obligation and sacred opportunity. Last weekend, a national planning team launched a campaign to stand with black women and girls under the organizing hashtag of #StandwithBWG. This networked undertaking of public education is a month-long effort of using liturgy, advocacy for equitable public policy, and digital engagement to prioritize the well-being of women of color. It is an effort designed to support, not supplant, the existing leadership and advocacy of black women and girls on their own behalf.

The call to action is for black congregations of faith to move beyond special occasion advocacy — wherein Women’s Day, Mother’s Day, or a publicized crisis generate temporary support — to sustained advocacy for black women and girls that situates their health, happiness, and wholeness within the sediment and sinews, the pulpit and pews, of our sanctuaries. See more at: huffingtonpost.com.

If you know of any black Christian women bloggers and or writers, please e-mail me at jacqueline@afterthealtarcall.com as I’m always interested in expanding my community of black Christian women blogs and websites. As I noted before, while this is a roundup of interesting blog posts and or articles for black Christian women, you don’t have to be one to appreciate these pieces :).

Any thoughts?