Pass The Mic

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”“Life is too short for Black Christians not to breathe…”After announcing the exciting news of the expansion of The Witness, CEO Jemar Tisby and newly-appointed President Tyler Burns hopped on IG Live to explain more about the changes and…God showed UP! This conversation turned into a cyber sanctuary! Jemar and Tyler shared about what it means to expand under duress, fearlessly clinging to our whole identity, and most importantly telling the RIGHT story. (And they clowned a bit too…y’all know). And you might be asking “Changes?? What changes?!” Say no more, fam: ----The Witness is expanding! We love to see it! Introducing: The Witness Incorporated (The Witness, Inc)The Witness: A Black Christian Collective is expanding to form The Witness Incorporated as a launching pad for multiple new endeavors. The newly minted philanthropic division is The Witness Foundation, which fills the gap of equipping Black Christian leaders to make a greater social impact. Each will have direction under Mr. Blue Check Verified himself, Jemar Tisby, who founded and led the collective for nearly a decade!Jemar Tisby, author of The Color of Compromise will serve as CEO of The Witness Inc., the parent company that will house both the foundation and the Black Christian Collective. The Witness Black Christian Collective is excited to announce that Tyler Burns will assume the role of President of the Collective. Burns, a Florida-based pastor and co-host of the Pass the Mic podcast, has served as Vice President of the Collective since its launch in 2017. His appointment as president of the Collective is the beginning of a new era in the history of The Witness. As President of The Witness BCC, Tyler hopes to continue the organization’s long tradition of amplifying the diverse voices of Black Christians. He hopes that The Witness BCC will continue to engage its core audience by encouraging, educating, and empowering Black Christians to be stewards of the Black prophetic tradition. -----Read about this news on our website: https://thewitnessbcc.com/the-witness-bcc-expands-to-form-the-witness-inc/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Witness is expanding! We LOVE to see it! Introducing: The Witness Incorporated (The Witness, Inc)The Witness: A Black Christian Collective is expanding to form The Witness Incorporated as a launching pad for multiple new endeavors. The newly minted philanthropic division is The Witness Foundation, which fills the gap of equipping Black Christian leaders to make a greater social impact. Each will have direction under Mr. Blue Check Verified himself, Jemar Tisby, who founded and led the collective for nearly a decade!Jemar Tisby, author of The Color of Compromise will serve as CEO of The Witness Inc., the parent company that will house both the foundation and the Black Christian Collective. The Witness Black Christian Collective is excited to announce that Tyler Burns will assume the role of President of the Collective. Burns, a Florida-based pastor and co-host of the Pass the Mic podcast, has served as Vice President of the Collective since its launch in 2017. His appointment as president of the Collective is the beginning of a new era in the history of The Witness. As President of The Witness BCC, Tyler hopes to continue the organization’s long tradition of amplifying the diverse voices of Black Christians. He hopes that The Witness BCC will continue to engage its core audience by encouraging, educating, and empowering Black Christians to be stewards of the Black prophetic tradition. -----Read about this news on our website: https://thewitnessbcc.com/the-witness-bcc-expands-to-form-the-witness-inc/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two-time GRAMMY winning hip-hop artist and bestselling author Lecrae joins the podcast today to talk about his very busy 2020. He released his album Restoration earlier this year and also recently released his second book I Am Restored just last week, a story of chaos and hope.The artist “had inspired millions with his redemptive and gut-honest art. But when his personal life spun into chaos, he was forced to face the buried impact of the unhealed wounds--sexual abuse, physical trauma, addiction, and depression--that threatened to tear it all apart. Along the way, he realized the wounds we all carry have the potential to be unlikely guides to healing and freedom for ourselves, and others.”“I Am Restored is an inspiring charge to embrace the lasting healing and restoration available now, and that we all desperately long for, because no matter what you've experienced, God is near, He hears, and He's not done with you yet.”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

...today’s episode is fire. Tyler has the honor of interviewing powerhouse theologian and author, Dr. Willie Jennings. This episode is filled with powerful insights that will strike uncomfortably close to home. For the uninitiated, Dr. Willie Jennings is an Associate Professor of Systematic Theology and Africana Studies at Yale Divinity School. Writing in the areas of liberation theologies, cultural identities, and anthropology, Jennings has authored more than 40 scholarly essays and nearly two-dozen reviews. He is in high demand as a speaker and is widely recognized as a major figure in theological education across North America.He is the author of the book The Christian Imagination: Theology and the Origins of Race (Yale 2010), which won the American Academy of Religion Award of Excellence in the Study of Religion in the Constructive-Reflective category the year after it appeared and, is considered by many to be a “theological masterpiece.” His commentary on the Book of Acts, titled Acts: A Commentary, The Revolution of the Intimate (for the Belief Series, Westminster/John Knox) received the Reference Book of the Year Award from The Academy of Parish Clergy in 2018.His latest book and the subject of our interview today is entitled After Whiteness: An Education in BelongingFrom the book’s description: “Theological education has always been about formation: first of people, then of communities, then of the world. If we continue to promote whiteness and its related ideas of masculinity and individualism in our educational work, it will remain diseased and thwart our efforts to heal the church and the world. But if theological education aims to form people who can gather others together through border-crossing pluralism and God-drenched communion, we can begin to cultivate the radical belonging that is at the heart of God’s transformative work.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recently the Barna Research Group released a study about “How the summer of 2020 changed perceptions of racial justice-and what it means for Christian leaders”. The discovery revealed what many Black Christians already knew: In the area of racial justice, “progress” is elusive.  Jemar and Tyler are back this week to talk about their frustrations with the ideas of progress, what encourages them about these reports, and how our ideas of progress must change as we continue this work. SN: Get ready for the next few episodes. We have some surprises for you! #StayTuned https://www.barna.com/research/american-christians-race-problem/#.X2JLefBWIA5.twitterhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/national/hurricane-sally-west-pensacola/2020/09/17/4ef58c0e-f904-11ea-be57-d00bb9bc632d_story.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special crossover of Pass The Mic and Once Upon A Time in Wakanda, Tyler, Earon, and Beau discuss the passing of Chadwick Boseman whose portrayals of heroic figures from Jackie Robinson to Thurgood Marshall and the iconic Black Panther had such an impact on the culture and left a legacy of excellence. We can't imagine anything more heroic and representative of picking up your cross and following your calling more than producing cultural artifacts while fighting a silent battle bravely. To a king who never yielded, rest well.“Sometimes you need to feel the pain and sting of defeat to activate the real passion and purpose that God predestined inside of you.” – Chadwick Boseman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On July 3rd, Pastor John Onwuchekwa surprised many by telling his followers that his church, Cornerstone Church in Atlanta, had made the decision to leave the Southern Baptist Church denomination.Jemar and Tyler sit down with Pastor John to ask all the questions: What led to this decision? Why did it take so long? What is your hope in this decision? And so much more...Many of us have struggled with being Black and Christian in white evangelical spaces. This podcast will help encourage and inspire you in your journey.-----“4 Reasons We Left the SBC”https://thefrontporch.org/2020/07/4-reasons-we-left-the-sbc/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jemar and Tyler are back to discuss what everyone is talking about: the appointment of Senator Kamala Harris as the Vice Presidential nominee of the Democratic Party.They discuss the inevitable reality of racism and misogynoir that has already risen up against her, the concerns about her policies, and how voters interpret her progressive record.But most importantly, they discuss what it means to be in the tension of symbolism and structural change. How do we balance our desire to see “firsts” and the imperative of actually changing the systems that we live in? This is an important conversation, fam! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Almost 1 year later we are throwing back to Joy and Justice featuring Rev. Dr. Nicole Martin's keynote on Joy in the face of injustice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Message of Lament, Hope, and Action for Black Life from Pastor Tyler Burns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices