Black Catholic Round-up (1/29/2021)

Sophronia Williams worked as the first Black nurse at multiple hospitals

The people we choose to honor in public spaces matter. As such, thousands rejoiced on Jan. 1, 2021, when New Orleans’ Jefferson Davis Parkway officially became the Norman C. Francis Parkway. Calls to rename the Crescent City’s popular thoroughfare, which was itself renamed to “honor” the Confederacy…

New Orleans and Xavier University officials on Thursday formally celebrated the renaming of the road in front of the university in honor of Norman Francis.

This report was produced as part of ivoh’s Restorative Narrative Fellowship.

LOS ANGELES (RNS) — Poet Amanda Gorman sang in the youth choir, did her sacraments and recited her poetry at an Afrocentric Catholic church in South Central Los Angeles.

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Long before she burst into the public spotlight delivering her inauguration poem, Amanda Gorman got a standing ovation from fellow parishioners of St. Brigid Church in Los Angeles for reciting a poem […]

Jazz singer Billie Holiday continues to fascinate. Her life and work — the way she moved through the world — embodied myriad contradictions.

Williams came to write “Mary Lou’s Mass” to capture her feeling of suffering—and its apotheosis.

Angela Jackson, Illinois’ new poet laureate, wrote her first poem when she was in third grade at St. Anne School, located at Garfield Boulevard and Wentworth Avenue.

Editor’s note: In celebration of Joseph Vaughn Day at Furman University, we are recognizing the experiences of other African American alumni who enrolled soon after the university integrated in 1965. The secret treat was sometimes grits, sometimes salmon croquettes. Whatever the special offering, …

Young Black Catholics share their Catholic faith and what needs to change

Kendi sees the effect of the pandemic on Black people as but just one example of how systemic racism is a threat to a whole people. It’s another reason the nation must dismantle racist policies.

Maj. Gen. William Walker, the commanding general of the D.C. National Guard overseeing the military mobilization for Joe Biden’s inauguration, graduated from St. Sabina, Leo, UIC and Chicago State.

It has been three weeks since the Rev. Michael Pfleger’s removal from St. Sabina’s parish, pending an investigation into allegations of past sexual abuse. CBS 2 has learned two people now claim Pfleger abused them.

Officials say the archdiocese was informed of a lawsuit against Fr. John Asare-Dankwah alleging that he abused a minor.