Visual art, poetry, song, etc. have vital roles to play in the movement of changing unjust systems, in our understanding of God, and our relationship with the world. We are grateful for the role that artists play in communicating and inviting us forward.
Written and Performed by Destin Johnson and Brandon Hudson
For the past year, Urban Hope's Destin Johnson and Brandon Hudson have been bonding over the Bible, music, and making an impact on the next generation of Walltown youth. As lovers of hip hop, they knew making an album would be a powerful way to capture their journey together. So come and experience the heart, rhythm and vibe of On This Side of the Wall, Volume 1. "
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
-St Francis of Assisi
Written and performed By Andra Day; Cowritten with Jenn Decilveo
After its release in 2015, Andra Day's "Rise Up" became the battle cry of the Black Lives Matter movement. Day explains to Time magazine, " ...Black Lives Matter represents standing up to oppression and persecution [...] I want to tell the truth about the racial terror that’s happened and that’s still happening today in this country. Too often we change the narrative to make things more digestible, but the reality is, if we don’t address injustice honestly and openly, we’ll never heal." For more, read the whole interview here.
"Midwives of culture for grace and truth.”
With Michelle Higgins, Christina Edmondson, and Ekemini Uwan.
"We are Black Christian women who love truth and seek it out wherever it leads us. We will share our perspectives on race, politics, gender, current events, and pop culture that are filtered through our Christian faith. So pull up a chair and have a seat at the table with us. Learn more at TruthsTable.com"
Spoken work poetry by Daniel Beaty
"A child of an incarcerated parent himself, Daniel’s poem KNOCK KNOCK is an Internet sensation receiving millions of views and has been made into a children's book, also titled KNOCK KNOCK, published by Little Brown Books.
Raised in Dayton, Ohio, a child of a heroin addicted incarcerated father in and out prison 60 times and an older brother addicted to crack cocaine also in and out prison, Daniel Beaty is a passionate advocate for criminal justice reform as well as a voice for the impact of mass incarceration on children and families.
Daniel’s work [...] is deeply rooted in a desire to tell stories that illuminate our shared humanity by giving voice to the voiceless and often overlooked in our society. He believes story is at the heart of every challenge and every possibility, and we individually and collectively have the power to write a story that creates opportunity and access for all."
- Excerpts taken from Daniel Beaty's website, www.danielbeaty.com
Race Relations | Systemic Injustice | Transformational Living | Practices | Gospel Foundations
