Drick Boyd's Blog
Jesus and the Disinherited
Several years ago my good friend Mary Wade introduced me to the writings of Howard Thurman. Mary is an expert on Dr. Howard Thurman, having earned her PhD (1) after a long career with the American Friends Service Committee as well as serving as a Baptist pastor. Now...
Spiritual Formation Starts with Jesus
In my introduction to this series on “Antiracism as Spiritual Formation” I shared a definition of spiritual formation offered by Dr. Robert Mulholland in his book Invitation to a Journey: A Road Map for Spiritual Formation. In the preface to that book Mulholland...
Antiracist Spirituality – Take Two
Been in the Struggle In my previous posting “Seeking to Develop an Antiracist Spirituality,” I began to explore what a spirituality rooted in an antiracist perspective and lifestyle entails. I reflected on a presentation by the Anglican priest Rev. Kenneth Leech to...
Seeking to Develop an Antiracist Spirituality
The Episcopal Urban Caucus 1994 In 1994 The Episcopal Urban Caucus (EUC) met in Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in 1975 the EUC is a group within Episcopal Church in the United States that seeks to raise up issues of social justice for the wider church. Their...
Antiracism as Engaged Spirituality
Discovering Engaged Spirituality During the summer I turned 17, I made a conscious decision to become a follower of Jesus. In the language of the evangelical context in which this happened I “gave my life to Christ.” While for me, the decision was not particularly...
Antiracism as Spiritual Formation: An Invitation
Spirituality and the Battle Against Racism Several months ago I was invited to give an address at a Christian college related to my 2021 book, Disrupting Whiteness: Talking with White People About Race. My presentation was part of an ongoing effort of the institution...
An Open Letter in Defense of AP African American Studies
A couple of weeks ago I posted a response to Florida Governor Desantis' action forbidding the teaching of an AP course in African American Studies in public high schools. At this Ink is a more detailed and critical response to the action by Gov. Desantis signed by...
Shame on You Governor DeSantis!
On Monday, January 23, just one week after commemorating the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that his administration would not allow public schools in his state to offer the Advanced Placement course in African...
Against the Grain: Talking with White People about Racism in a Time of Polarization
On January 9, I spoke at the First Monday program of Pendle Hill Quaker Study Center on the topic of "Against the Grain: Talking with White People About Racism in a time of Polarization." A YouTube recording of that presentation and the discussion that followed can be...
Did We Save Democracy?
According to many of the political ads put forth by Democrats in the recent midterm elections “democracy was on the ballot.” There were legitimate concerns on the part of many Americans, Democrat and otherwise, that if extreme conservative Republicans came to power,...
Doug Mastriano and Me
Who is Doug Mastriano? Doug Mastriano is the Republican candidate for governor in my state of Pennsylvania. The local and national media, plus the two major political parties, see the elections in Pennsylvania for governor and the U.S Senate as keys to the MAGA...
The Law-and-Order Hypocrisy
Across the country, Republicans have decided to make “Law-and-Order” an issue they are pushing in the upcoming mid-term elections. In Pennsylvania and states across the country, Republican candidates are making the claim that their Democratic opponents are “soft and...
Three Types of Justice
There are different types of justice that are practiced in the United States: one justice for the super-wealthy and power, another justice for the average American citizen, and finally, a justice for the poor and racially marginalized.
Victor Orban, Christian Racism, and Jesus
Victor Orban at the CPAC Meeting Earlier this month, Hungarian President Victor Orban was the featured speaker at a meeting of CPAC – The Conservative Political Action Coalition – whose website claims to be “the largest and most influential gathering of conservatives...
Joni and the Piano Man
As I sat in the Chicago O’Hare Airport awaiting my flight back to Philadelphia, I heard a faint lyrical sound over the din and chaos of the crowded terminal. I picked up my bags and I walked toward the sound. As I got closer, I could tell it was the sound of a piano,...