This week, my heart is heavy as I think about the state of our nation. We have all seen the news and felt the weight of racism that still runs rampant across America. From the heartbreaking stories of Black and brown families being dehumanized to the systemic barriers in our health and justice systems, it can feel like a “low-grade depression” is settling over us. But I want to remind you that even when it feels like “tragic midnight,” God is still in control.
What Has Been Done
We must remember the path we’ve traveled. Since the Civil Rights Movement, we have seen unprecedented wealth and education in the Black community. We have more Black leaders in positions of power today than at any other time in our history. Yet, despite this progress, we are still facing the highest rates of poverty and deep-seated racial disparities in every major system, from policing to healthcare. The “sin of racism” is not just about individuals; it is woven into the very fabric of our culture, and removing it requires us to look deep within ourselves and our institutions.
A Heritage That Predates Slavery
Before we look to the future, we must acknowledge a truth that has been buried. Our story did not begin in chains on a plantation. There is evidence that millions of people of African descent were present in the Americas long before 1619, arriving as explorers, kings and masters of the sea.
When I was project director of the African American Civil War Memorial during the period of construction, I heard about the millions of free Blacks here in the United States during the American Civil War. I would often ask D.C. Council members about these 4 million Blacks. I really didn’t understand how those Black people were considered free Black people — how they remained free, never having been enslaved. Millions of today’s Blacks in America are descendants of those who were always free, yet right now, we all get thrown into one group.
These “Aboriginal Americans” built wealthy cultures and vast empires, like the Mali Empire under Mansa Musa, whose influence reached across the Atlantic centuries before Columbus. Many historians are not even sure if the slave ship story is true. I am not here to argue that fact, but I did watch a documentary that said it was impossible to bring a ship across the oceans and travel that far and live. Something to think about!
Just because it is being taught in history books does not mean it is true! Find out our own, true history!
We are the descendants of kings and queens who possessed high intellect and deep spiritual wisdom long before the first white settlers arrived. This land is part of your birthright; you were here first, not just as laborers, but as architects of civilization.
What’s Coming in the Future
As we look toward the next six to seven months of 2026, the landscape is shifting. While many Americans are building meaningful relationships across racial lines, we are also seeing a dismantling of federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Economic challenges, including the rapid expansion of AI automation, are hitting Black and brown workers particularly hard. But we must not let fear be our guide. As 1 Corinthians 15:51 reminds us, “we shall all be changed.” Change is coming, and while it may be painful, God sustains us through these circumstances.
Things You Can Do (Especially in the Black Community)
Faith without works is dead. We cannot just wish for a better world; we must move with “decision” and “persistence” to create it.
• Educate and Diversify: Read books by theologians from diverse backgrounds to better understand the systems at play.
• Invest in Our Future: Support Black-led church plants, bi-vocational pastors and help Black students with tuition.
• Be a “Repairer of the Breach”: Take up the mantle from Isaiah 58:12 and work to restore the foundations of our community.
• Vocalize and Vote: Speak to candidates about their positions and vote for those with a track record of pursuing justice.
• Practice Love and Forgiveness: Do not fight racism with more racism. Follow the biblical principle of love from 1 Corinthians 13:4-6.
• Claim Your Identity: Research your lineage; you may find roots that connect you to the very “aboriginals” found here centuries ago.
Don’t let negativity win. Keep your mind on Jesus, pray without ceasing, and remember that “everything is OK” even when it’s not OK. God has a plan for our lives, and it is a plan filled with hope.
Lyndia Grant is a speaker/writer living in the D.C. area. Her radio show, “Think on These Things,” airs Fridays at 6 p.m. on 1340 AM (WYCB), a Radio One station. To reach Grant, go to her website, www.lyndiagrant.com, email lyndiagrantshowdc@gmail.com or call 240-602-6295. Follow her on X @LyndiaGrant and on Facebook.
