As a congressman and pastor Powell spearheaded government reform projects that fought poverty and injustice. Born to a middle-class family in 1908, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. was educated in the New York City public school systems, and later attended Colgate University. As a young man, he was concerned about… Read More

Throughout its history, the mission of American Bible Society has benefited from the work of many African Americans. Read more about this history. The Bible has played a significant role in African-American religious experience. It has been a foundation for devotion and spirituality and, for many, a primary… Read More

King’s legacy of non-violent protest has influenced generations of Americans. Use these meditations to further engage with King’s message. The following meditations recall the dream and vision of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His was a dream embedded in his faith in God and in Jesus’… Read More

Harriet Tubman is most famous for helping over 300 people escape from slavery. But she also spied for the Union army, spoke for women’s rights and accepted a medal from Queen Victoria of England. Read more about Tubman’s accomplishments here. Harriet Ross Tubman was often referred to in African American… Read More

Douglass was a powerful advocate for freedom and equality before and after the Civil War. Read more about his life and legacy here. Frederick Douglass was born in 1817 in Maryland. As a young boy, he was taught to read by his mistress who kept him as a house… Read More

Read more about African Americans who have shaped society and Christianity in America. Over the past hundred and more years, incredible changes have occurred in American society that have generally improved the lives and increased the options for African Americans. Many of those changes came about as… Read More

Genesis is a book of beginnings. It chronicles the creation of the world, the entrance of sin and the first covenant God makes with man. Throughout these “firsts” God demonstrates his love and faithfulness to his creation. What makes Genesis special? The word Genesis comes from a Greek word… Read More

Marriage. Money. Children. Proverbs, a collection of instructions about how to live a happy life that honors God, has something to say about each of these topics. What makes Proverbs special? Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings, much like a modern anthology of poetry. It was originally included… Read More

Made famous by the Ten Commandments, a burning bush and the inspiring story of a nation escaping from slavery, Exodus tells the account of the Israelites as they leave Egypt and begin life in a new land. What makes Exodus special? The name “Exodus” comes from the Greek… Read More

This book didn’t make it into the New Testament canon. Find out why. The Epistle of Barnabas is sometimes found in the canonical listing of New Testament books. Origen even quotes it as Scripture in his Commentary on Romans (1.18). Subsequent history demonstrates that it ultimately was not considered… Read More