Today marks the beginning of #BlackHistoryMonth. Why might non-black Christians observe/celebrate Black History Month at non-black churches?

1. To deepen fellowship with our black Christian sisters/brothers by honoring their family stories, learning about the historical and cultural contexts that shape who they are.

2. To cultivate cross-cultural skills in order to love our black local neighbors more genuinely and more effectively; after all, we cannnot love our neighbors well without knowing their stories and without sharing a “common memory” of the past.

3. To learn more of the all too neglected history of the Black Church, recognizing that Black Church History is Church History.

4. To model the gospel ethic of mutuality/interdependency by esteeming a subdominant culture—historically, one devalued/subjugated even in/by the Church—celebrating its people and achievements and witnessing its vast potential to fortify the ministry and mission of the Church.

5. To grow in repentance for corporate sins committed against Black people, often in the name of Christ—sins past and present, of commission and omission—as a necessary step toward true reconciliation and interethnic unity in the Church.

Check out these Black History Month opportunities in DC.

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