Authors
Alessandra Harris
Novelist, wife, mother, and BCM co-founder. Degrees in Comparative Religious studies and Middle East Studies and currently studying in the Diocese of San Jose's Institute for Leadership in Ministry.
Ali Mumbach
Houston, Texas native in first year of graduate school at Howard University, studying to get her master’s degree in sociology. She is the graduate assistant for the HU Bison Catholic campus ministry.
Ansel Augustine
New Orleans Area Director for Vagabond Missions. Has served on the board of directors for the National Catholic Young Adult Ministry Association and the National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry.
Ashley Paul
Student at Colorado College. Passionate about diversity and activism, and focuses on representation from many perspectives, including religion.
BCM Staff
Founded in October 2020. Amplifying Black Catholic voices.
Br Herman Johnson, OP
Dominican religious brother in the Province of St. Martin de Porres. Teacher of Spanish at Xavier University of Louisiana. Master's degrees in theology and counseling and a doctorate in Spanish.
Briana Jansky
Freelance Writer, Author, Blogger, and host of podcast Geeks For Jesus. Diocese of Tyler, TX.
Cory Frontin
Lay Catholic who hails from the Washington, DC area but is currently stranded in Boston.
Daryl Grigsby
Author of “In Their Footsteps: Inspirational Reflections on Black History For Every Day of the Year.” On the board of directors for Color Me Human and has a Master’s in Pastoral Studies from Seattle U
Dorothy Dempsey
A senior citizen who loves to write. Published in The St. Louis American, St. Louis Post Dispatch, Belleville News, St. Louis Catholic Review, and in various books.
Douglas M. Stringer
Business, Political, and Government Relations Consultant in DC and proud member of St Augustine Catholic Church. Currently serving as the Candidate Outreach Director for Democrats for Life of America.
Dr. Alice Prince
God-fearing Black mother, wife, and proud Catholic. Founder of Catholic and Diverse, a consultancy dedicated to assisting Catholic schools in matters of diversity, inclusion, and belonging.
Dr. Valerie Lewis-Mosley
Pastoral theologian, master catechist, and social justice advocate. DRE at Christ the King in Jersey City, a Lay Dominican, and an adjunct professor at Caldwell University.
Efran Menny
Husband, father, regular BCM contributor. His work is informed by experience as an educator and studies in social work. Has a passion for elevating topics on justice and theology for Black Catholics.
Eugene Harper
Director of music at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Alexandria, Virginia. Serves on boards for Lyke Foundation and the Arlington Chapter of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians.
Fr Anthony Bozeman, SSJ
Pastor of the Church of the Transfiguration in Los Angeles, host of the "Turned Up on the Word!" podcast, as well as a revivalist and liturgist.
Fr Jeffery Ott, OP
Fr. Jeffery Ott, OP, is a Dominican friar of the Province of St. Martin de Porres (opsouth.org) and pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Atlanta, Georgia (lourdesatlanta.org).
Fr John McKenzie
Priest in solidum, serving the Archdiocese of Detroit within the D4 Mission Family of Parishes. Primarily serves at Christ the King Catholic Church and School. Former Benedictine monk in Italy.
Fr Joseph Brown, SJ
Joseph A. Brown, SJ, Ph.D. is a native of East St. Louis, Illinois and a Catholic priest. He currently teaches Africana studies at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.
Fr Nnaemeka Ali, OMI
Born and raised in Eastern Nigeria and serving at the Innu First Nation communities of Ekuanitshit (Mingan) and Matimekush-Lac John (Schefferville) at the Coastal Shores of Quebec in Canada.
Guest Writer
Black Catholic writer? Submit your pitch to BCM today! write@blackcatholicmessenger.com
Isaiah Brickus
Graduate in public policy and African American studies from the University of Maryland at College Park, a Lay Dominican, FOCUS missionary at Temple University, and prison ministry volunteer.
Jack Champagne
Jack Champagne is a jurist, educator, writer, and father.
Jari C. Honora
Jari C. Honora is a New Orleans native with Black Catholic roots dating back more than two centuries in Louisiana. He works in the Williams Research Center of the Historic New Orleans Collection.
Jenario D. Morgan
Native Detroiter, resident of South Bend and father of two. For 12 years, I taught theology in Detroit, where I was the first diversity director for the local KoC. (Also a former Grand Knight.)
Joseph Peach
Catholic author, freelance writer, and speaker. Works for Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Cleveland and has published six books.
Kiratiana Freelon
Independent journalist based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her reporting focuses on social injustice, Afro-Brazilian communities, religion, and Brazil's dynamic economic and political landscape.
Louis Damani Jones
Graduate student at Washington University in St. Louis and co-host of the Living Communion podcast. He is also the recipient of the 2020 Cardinal Bernardin New Leadership Award from the USCCB.
Lydia Ocasio-Stoutenberg
Black and Latina Catholic, wife to her husband of 25 years, mother to 5 children, and an Assistant Professor of Special Education. Family, disability and community researcher, and advocate for justice
Melissa Menny
An author with a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Journalism. She is a poet and a writer in all aspects. When she is not working, she enjoys painting, music, and spending time with her husband and sons.
Nancy Sangwa Saro
Neonatal ICU Nurse and student of Bioethics. Rwandan-American and member of the Emmanuel Community, an association of the faithful of pontifical right. Enjoy scribbling poems when the mood strikes me.
Nate Tinner-Williams
Co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger. ThM student w/ the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University of Louisiana.
National Association of Black Catholic Administrators
Providing a forum for diocesan Black Catholic ministry directors to gather and share their collective resources to address the spiritual needs, issues and concerns facing the Black Catholic community.
National Black Sisters' Conference
The National Black Sisters' Conference (NBSC) was established in 1968 to educate, support, and communicate to African American women religious.
Patrick Saint-Jean, SJ
Teaching in the psychology department at Creighton University, where I am also a psychotherapist. I enjoy jazz, traveling, and learning new languages; and I play the guitar, harmonica, and drums.
Preslaysa Williams
Catholic campus minister at Hampton University and Norfolk State University. In addition to her ministry work, she’s a multi-published author and a college writing instructor.
ProPublica
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.
Ralph Moore
Lifelong Catholic who has served on various committees on race, racism, and poverty for the Baltimore Archdiocese. Member of the St. Ann Social Justice Committee.
Rana Irby
Freelance writer from Detroit, Michigan focused on the intersections of faith and culture
Ronald E. Smith
Lifelong Catholic who enjoys writing. Parishioner at St. Edward the Confessor Church in Dana Point, CA. He and his wife Sandy recently founded Friends of St. Kizito Rubuguri Primary School in Uganda.
Samantha Smith
Copy and content writer based in Atlanta. Worked for the Archdiocese of Atlanta in various roles, including as a staff writer for The Georgia Bulletin, where she won numerous Catholic Press Awards.
Sara Chinakwe
Wife, mother, educator, and award-winning author of "You Come From Greatness." Encourages women and children to pursue God’s purpose and embrace their God-given identity. Cal State Stanislaus alum.
Stephen Staten
BCM co-founder. Black Catholic in the San Francisco Bay Area, Knight of Peter Claver, and active in local Catholic music ministry and action for racial justice. Also Claudio Monteverdi's #1 fan.
Tamika Royes
Fifteen years of experience in the social services sector. Tireless advocate for justice causes, beginning in high school. Currently pursuing a post-graduate certificate at Assumption University.
Tevin Williams
A young Black Catholic who resides in New York City. His writing focuses on his own lived experiences and his perspective as a recent convert to Catholicism.
Tim Tilghman
Permanent deacon of the Archdiocese of Washington, currently assigned to St Teresa of Avila Catholic Church. The author of “Going to the Well to Build Community: A Pastor’s Guide to Evangelization.”
Zuri Davis
Criminal justice reform activist and a former journalist. Covered police misconduct, wrongful incarceration, the drug war, and the death penalty. Currently residing in Jacksonville, Florida.