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

november-articles-2016

Hello World,

As of today, we’re one week into December so before any more of the month gets away from me, below is my Top 10 monthly roundup of blog posts and or articles for black Christian women ( 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. “In the Wake of Trump’s Election, A Meeting in the Ladies’ Room” by Amy Butler and Leslie Copeland-Tune

Excerpt: Four percent of black women voted for Donald Trump to be president of the United States. While others didn’t like Hillary Clinton or didn’t trust her, we understood that there was really no other choice for us. We have lived the tension between racism and sexism our whole lives. We know that as a black woman you have to be even more than 10 times better, more educated, more prepared than a man to just be considered minimally qualified. We knew that we could not give the office of president of the United States to someone who used racism and misogyny to win, someone who belittled women and sexualized his own daughter. No, not on our watch. Amy, what we don’t understand is why our white sisters, who as women share at least a part of our struggle, came out and voted to support him? How can this be? What in the world happened? See more at: baptistnews.com.

2. “U Name It: Viral Star Shirley Caesar”

3. “Keepin’ It Locked ‘Til She Gets A Rock: What We Can Learn From Insecure’s Yvonne Orji” by Stephanie Caudle

Excerpt: Yvonne, despite her character Molly’s sex life, is a 32-year-old virgin. Charlamagne jokingly told her that she played her character a little too well to be a virgin but Yvonne persisted that this was in fact her truth. “Personally, I had plans to have sex when I turned 18,” she said. “I was dating [dude] and I had it figured out. But, I got to college at 17 in D.C and then I got saved.” See more at: xonecole.com.

4. “Pastors Tell Black Women to be Passive and Wait for Love. I Don’t Believe in That” b

Excerpt: Because the statistical odds are not in our favor, many of us are so desperate to understand why we’re not married and what we need to do to get married that we will listen to whoever seems as though they have the answers. Most often that boils down to two categories of folks: men and ministers, because as far as we know, they have an inside connection. It’s a situation ripe for exploitation: best-selling books, sold-out conferences, some of them birthed from a genuine desire to help, some of them preying on the vulnerabilities of good, Christian women trying to figure out why, despite faith and diligent prayer, their spouse’s arrival has been indefinitely postponed. See more at: washingtonpost.com.

5. “7 Women Besides Susan B. Anthony Whose Graves Deserve ‘I Voted’ Stickers” by Maddy Foley

Excerpt: Every election, a pilgrimage to Rochester, New York takes place. People from all over the United States, a large number of them women, place their “I Voted” stickers on suffragette Susan B. Anthony’s grave, an homage to her fight for the 19th Amendment. But there are a number of women besides Susan B. Anthony whose graves deserve “I Voted” stickers — and today, let’s honor them…Born into slavery, Sojourner Truth escaped with her baby daughter in 1826. In 1828, she sued her former owner for custody of her son and won, becoming the first black woman to win such a case against a white man. Truth is perhaps most famous for her extemporaneous speech “Ain’t I A Woman?” delivered in 1851 at the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio. The speech argued for the equal rights of women as well as African-Americans. Truth is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Battle Creek, Michigan. See more at: bustle.com.

6. “Off-Duty Buffalo Officer Saves a Life on Plane to Las Vegas” by

Excerpt: Buffalo Police Officer Jennifer D. Whitaker arrived at a 911 call for a woman who had collapsed last year. She panicked and froze. Other first responders soon arrived and revived the woman. “I made a vow to God that I would act immediately if given the opportunity again,” Whitaker said. She kept her vow on a recent flight to a friend’s wedding in Las Vegas. “I was listening to Gospel music on my headphones when I heard somebody saying, ‘Help this lady, help this lady.’ It must have been loud. I could hear it over my music.” Whitaker jumped up and looked behind her. A woman was lying unconscious in the aisle. See more at: buffalonews.com.

7.  “Sasha and Chuck Fenda Collaborate”

Excerpt:  Born Karen Chin, Sasha is no newcomer to the music industry. In 2004, while still a secular artiste, she enjoyed international success with “I’m Still In Love With You,” a duet which she recorded with Sean Paul for his Dutty Rock album on Atlantic Records. The song topped reggae charts globally and peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Although she has walked away from the secular stage since she became a Christian, she is not afraid of being judged on this project as it is reminiscent of her earlier recordings. See more at: jamaica-star.com.

8. “‘The Girls’ Gatherings are Great Assets for Black Women” by Alonzo Kittrels

Excerpt: A few Sundays ago, I overheard several female members at church discussing plans to attend a gathering at the home of a church member. I must admit that I did not pay much attention to the conversation until I learned that the gathering, only involving females, was a luncheon for “the girls” to come together as a way to show appreciation for those that provided kindnesses and support to this member during a recent medical challenge. The get-together was also an opportunity for friends and family to bond. See more at: phillytrib.com.

9. “New Music Center at Evanston Seminary to Focus on Black Church Experience” by Genevieve Bookwalter

Excerpt: The Center for Music and Worship in the Black Church Experience will begin educating students Jan. 22 with four-day classes of intense study, designed for church musicians who want to advance their skills but don’t always have the time or finances to enroll for a full semester, officials said. The Rev. Cynthia Wilson, assistant vice president of student life and dean of students at Garrett-Evangelical, said she expects the inaugural class to come from the Chicago area and throughout the Midwest. Students can choose from a variety of disciplines, including dance, choral development, liturgy and “worship and holy hip-hop,” among other courses. See more at: chicagotribune.com.

10. “BET’s ‘Love & Happiness: An Obama Celebration’ Brought Us Some Much-Needed Joy” by Shamika Sanders

Excerpt: As the last days of the Obama administration fade into yesterday, we are reminded of their love story with programs like BET’s ‘Love & Happiness: An Obama Celebration’ special that aired last night. Hosted by Terrence J. and Regina Hall, the celebratory event featured star-studded performances by Jill Scott, Janelle Monaé, Common, Usher, Bell Biv DeVoe, The Roots, De La Soul, Yolanda Adams, Michelle Williams, Kierra Sheard, and former Hamilton star Leslie Odom, Jr. See more at: elev8.hellobeautiful.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?

*Tune In Alert* Cece Winans joins Cyndi Lauper, Gavin DeGraw & More This Weekend to Benefit the Military!

cece

Hello World,

I hope you and your family and friends had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday! I did (God has been so good to us!), and my husband like, many of you, are getting your Black Friday on today. But this weekend, after the turkey and the “beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes…” (You name it! Shout out to Pastor Shirley Caesar!)  have digested and your wallet is empty, turn on your TV to see another gospel icon, Cece Winans, this weekend!

In lieu of ramping up for her first solo album in nearly a decade — ‘Let Them Fall in Love,’ out Feb. 3 — the best selling and most-awarded female gospel artist of all time, Cece Winans, will join various artists on this weekend’s broadcast of “America Salutes You” benefiting the military community. Other performers include Cyndi Lauper (I should have performed her song “Girls Wanna Have Fun” at the family karaoke yesterday), Gavin DeGraw, Wanda Jackson, Hoodie Allen, Anthony Kearns, Ricky Skaggs and more. Check your local listings here americasalutesyou.org.

In addition to the show itself, AT&T is sponsoring a Text to Donate campaign. Text FREEDOM to 80077 to donate $10 to America Salutes You Campaign, a McCormick Foundation Fund.

For more on Cece Winans, please visit shorefire.com.

Any thoughts?

 

 

 

 

 

‘Greenleaf’ Star Deborah Joy Winans Shares About New ‘Greenleaf’ Gospel Album, Her TV Husband & Her Aunt CeCe: My Interview (With Audio)

Charity Greenleaf

Hello World,

So my favorite new show is OWN’s Greenleaf which I’ve been faithfully recapping each week! I’m especially excited about tonight’s episode because it looks like Charity is finally going to confront Kevin about why he is on that dang phone so much! But I’m even more excited that I recently had the opportunity to interview Deborah Joy Winans (yes, of the dynamic Winans family) about release of Greenleaf – The Gospel Companion Soundtrack Volume 1 in conjunction with Lionsgate (the full 14-track album will be released on CD and digital on August 26), having a TV husband and a real life husband, controversy in the church, playing her Aunt CeCe in the stage play Born for This: The BeBe Winans Story and more! Read and or take a listen below!

greenleaf soundtrack

1. I know that you are primarily an actress, but I wanted to find out with this new gospel album coming out, is this your first album?

Absolutely. It is absolutely my first album. I’ve never even recorded a song before I did Greenleaf.

So what was it like to make this album considering that you’ve never sung on an album before and yet you have this powerhouse musical family?

It was very daunting. It was very challenging. It was exciting. It was definitely fun to find another way to give Charity a voice as a character, you know, not just in different scenes speaking, but she could actually show you who she was through her music. So that was fun to kind of uncover that and see where that could lead. So it’s been a lot of things – challenging but amazing.

Did you get any advice for your family members about singing?

Oh absolutely! BeBe actually Uncle BeBe was executive music producer on the show so the first time I had to record it was with him. And he gave me quite a few pointers and was just really helpful and really boosted my confidence and taught me how to work the studio so it was really great.

Did you get a chance to meet anyone else on the album?

No, I did not. I know Melinda Doolittle, and we are pretty cool. And Desiree Ross who sings one song that’s on the record she sings it in the show. I think it was last week’s episode where she sang. You know we’re cast mates and so I know her very well. But nobody else I think that worked on the record.

2. What is it like to play Charity Greenleaf-Satterlee, a minister of music?

It’s very exciting! It’s not extremely far from my own life where I was surrounded by music. I grew up in church. I love the Lord. My dad was an elder in the church so it’s not too, too far from my own life but with Charity, it’s been fun to not just watch other people sing but for that to be more of the core of who she is. I’ve been able to learn a lot about that. Praise and worship is my favorite part of service anyway. And so being able to be the leader of our worship was really, really cool. And just bringing her to life in all aspects. She’s married on the show. I’m married in real life. So it was really exciting to see the similarities and also the differences and how to make it work. It’s been incredible.

Did you even have to audition considering you come from such a powerhouse musical family?

Oh, absolutely because it wasn’t necessarily about the singing, and I think that’s just been a really, really cool by-product of working on the show and being able to sing. I’ve been able to sing a lot of things through the course of the show so it’s been really cool. But I definitely had to audition you know because Charity is more than singing.

3. Obviously, Kevin, your TV husband, has a big secret that has yet to be revealed. What can we expect from Kevin and Charity in future episodes? I know you probably don’t want to give everything away but just kind of give us a little teaser.

I can’t give everything away, but I think through all of the little things that are kind of being shown to the audience, I think the bigger picture is that he really loves her. And she really loves him. So I think you will continue to see their love story but also the trying…He’s complicated. He’s very complicated and so you’ll see that unfold but you’ll also see the love they share unfold and how that’s going to work. Will it work? Will it not work? We’ll see.

4. You mentioned that you are you married in real life. What is it like to have a TV husband and a real husband?

(Laughter) Well, you know the real husband always wins! My husband is amazing. He’s so supportive and just incredible. He’s smart. I definitely feel I have the best husband in the world. But it’s been fun because we talk about being married for three years on the show, and I’ve actually been married for just a little over three years in real life and so I’ve learned quite a bit. I’m sure that there is quite a bit more to learn but being able to have that background and bring it into the show where I’m working with Tye who plays Kevin was just really fun. When we did our research and our homework, I was able to tell him some things about how married life works. It’s really a great parallel to have for working on this specific character.

And now you’re pregnant on the show, do you have any children in real life?

I do not. I’ve got two nieces and three nephews so that’s about all of the kids I have right now. I spoil them rotten and send them back home. Hopefully, in the future if the Lord blesses us to have kids of our own, that would be awesome.

5. Considering all of the drama on the show, do you think the show is casting a negative light on megachurches, the church in general or even faith and Christianity? I’ve heard some feedback regarding those issues so what do you think about it?

I don’t think so. First, I think we have to recognize is that it is a show written for TV. So it’s drama. And it’s not based on any real life scenario. It’s a show about family, but church is really the backdrop. It’s a show about a family and all of their flaws. I think that people relate to the show. And I think that they like it because they see real people and they see real people dealing with real problems. And they see how they deal with it. Sometimes, they deal with it the right way and sometimes they deal with it the wrong way. But that’s life. And I think that’s the attraction to the show. It’s real life. You see this beautiful family and all of their flaws and how they handle it. It’s about them. It’s about their family. They just happen to run a church.

6. And you mentioned that it’s entertainment and so with all of the issues the show has already addressed from greed, child molestation, the Black Lives Matter movement, what do you feel or what has been communicated to you is the intent of the show beyond entertainment? Is it supposed to be an exposé type of thing or what do you think?

I don’t think so. I just think that it hits on certain things that touch people whether it be bad or good. If we were all in a room and we had to show every flaw that we had, who would want to do that? What human would want to do that? I think it sheds a light on human life whether that is the good stuff that we go through or the bad stuff because we go through it all. And we have to figure it all out. And sometimes we don’t always make the right choice. And sometimes we don’t have the right motivation. And then sometimes we do. And I think that ultimately, it shows you that love wins. It doesn’t promote anything crazy. It’s just a show. It’s a well-written show. And I think it’s a show that shows people that you can make a mistake and get back up.

7. I know you’re currently starring in Born For This: The Bebe Winans Story.What is like to play your Aunt CeCe in the stage play? And you do look a lot like her.

I know. It’s crazy. It’s been such a wonderful and humbling experience. I think she’s incredible. Clearly nobody can be her but her, but it’s been really beautiful to try to fill those shoes every night and give people this person that they’ve loved for so long. Just touch a little bit on some of the music and a little bit of who she is. I think she is one of the most incredible people in the world. I call her Mama C because she’s been like a mother to me. And it’s a real honor. And for her to tell me that if anyone was going to play her, she hoped that it would be me. That just made it all the more exciting to do.

 

 

For more information about Greenleaf – The Gospel Companion Soundtrack Volume 1, see below…

Malaco Records, the legendary Jackson, Mississippi-based soul/blues/gospel label, has announced the release of Greenleaf – The Gospel Companion Soundtrack Volume 1 in conjunction with Lionsgate, a premier next generation global content leader. The album is a musical reflection of the hit OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network original drama series Greenleaf.  Malaco’s dominant role in the gospel music field led the series’ producers to join forces for the creation and release of this very special album. The album’s tracks, produced by Tim Lauer, Russell Ziecker and BeBe Winans, are rolling out digitally on a track-by-track basis. 

Greenleaf – The Gospel Companion Soundtrack Vol. 1 track listing is as follows:

1)    The Root (feat. Mavis Staples) (Greenleaf Main title)

2)    Ring Them Bells (feat. McCrary Sisters)

3)    (God Bless the) Broken Road (feat. Deborah Joy Winans)

4)    Testimony (feat. Deborah Joy Winans)

5)    Say Something (feat. Melinda Doolittle)

6)    Satan, We’re Gonna Tear Your Kingdom Down (feat. Shirley Caesar)

7)    Let Love Find a Way (feat. Deborah Joy Winans)

8)    The Master’s Calling (feat. Deborah Joy Winans)

9)    Battle Hymn of the Republic (feat. Deborah Joy Winans)

10) Get Your House In Order (feat. Dottie Peoples & The Peoples

 Choice Chorale)

11) Take Me To the Water (feat. Deborah Joy Winans)

12) Blessed (feat. Deborah Joy Winans)

13) River (feat. Deborah Joy Winans)

14) (We’ll Understand It Better) By and By (feat. Desiree Ross)

Click HERE to hear The Master’s Calling (which is beautiful) featuring the voice of Deborah Joy Winans who portrays Charity Greenleaf-Satterlee in the series.

Greenleaf – The Gospel Companion Soundtrack Volume 1 is executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, Craig Wright and Russell Ziecker. Ziecker and Tim Lauer are soundtrack producers.

Any thoughts?