Author Archives: mdbwell

About mdbwell

Pres., Project for the Beloved Community, Inc.; B.A.--Wesleyan University; M.Div.--Yale University; Ph.D.--Boston University; Summer Study--Harvard University; Social ethicist; Ordained minister; Advocate for the poor

Christian Nationalism? Nope!

Posted on July 26, 2022 by mdbwell

The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” It is irrefutable that the founders of the new republic respected an individual’s freedom in terms … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Social Ethics | Tagged Abrahamic faiths, antisemitism, apocalypticism, beloved community, Christian nationalism, commonwealth of God, Establishment Clause, interfaith hatred, Paul and Barabbas, Racism, theocracy | Leave a comment

A Tribute to Mother

Posted on May 7, 2022 by mdbwell

During spring break from the university in March 1996, I got in my car and took the long journey from Cedar Falls, IA, to Stratford, CT, primarily to see my mother, Ruth Blackwell (née Coleman), who was suffering from a … Continue reading →

Posted in Family Matters | Leave a comment

REFLECTING ON MLK JR.’S LEGACY: PASSING THE BATON

Posted on April 4, 2022 by mdbwell

As I reflect upon the life and legacy of Dr. King on the occasion of his mutilation some fifty-four years ago, I realize my celebration is bittersweet. The beloved community he had envisioned is far from fulfillment. Continue reading →

Posted in Race Relations, Social Ethics | Tagged assassination, beloved community, Boston University, economic exploitation, Great March to Freedom, I Have a Dream, love of neighbor, militarism, Morehouse School of Religion, next generation, Prince of Peace, Racism, Wesleyan University, Yale Divinity School | Leave a comment

The Father of Black History

Posted on February 1, 2022 by mdbwell

Carter Godwin Woodson (1875-1950), the son of enslaved parents, was unable to attend high school until he was a few months’ shy of his twentieth birthday in 1895. He was forced to work hard labor for many years prior to enrolment at … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Race Relations, Social Ethics | Tagged Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, Berea College, Black Health and Wellness, Black History Month, Carter G Woodson, Christian Churches, Coronavirus, Frederick Douglass, Harvard University, Howard University, Journal of Negro History, NAACP, Omega Psi Phi, The Mis-Education of the Negro, University of Chicago, W E B Du Bois | Leave a comment

Prince of Peace & Father of Mindfulness

Posted on January 27, 2022 by mdbwell

With the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Martin Luther King, Jr., had to determine what direction he was subsequently to pursue. After all, the previous year, he was able to celebrate the enactment of the accommodations bill; the … Continue reading →

Posted in International Affairs, Poverty, Race Relations, War & Peace | Tagged Bodhisattva, Buddhism, Fellowship of Reconciliaton, Gandhi, human-rights, Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), Mindfulness, nonviolence, Poverty, Pres. Lyndon Johnson, Racial discrimination, Ramparts magazine, Thich Nhat Hanh (1926-2022), Vietnam War, War on Poverty | Leave a comment

A WOMAN’S RIGHT TO CHOOSE

Posted on October 5, 2021 by mdbwell

Whether or not we like the decision each woman makes is one thing; however, removing the right to make the choice is unconscionable. Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Social Ethics | Tagged Abortion, Feminism, human-rights, Letty Russell, Male chauvinism, Margaret Farley, Rights, Womanism | Leave a comment

A CHANGE MUST COME!

Posted on September 22, 2021 by mdbwell

We must ask ourselves why people who are on or below the middle rungs of the economic ladder do not support social uplift processes that would help them become more financially solvent. Continue reading →