Black Catholic Messenger
| Type of business | Nonprofit |
|---|---|
Type of site | Online newspaper |
| Available in | English |
| Founded | October 2020 |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Founder(s) | Nate Tinner-Williams, Preslaysa Williams, Alessandra Harris |
| Editor | Nate Tinner-Williams |
| Parent | Black Catholic Messenger Foundation |
| URL | blackcatholicmessenger |
| Current status | Active |
Black Catholic Messenger (BCM) is a nonprofit media publication covering stories of interest to African-American Catholics.[1][2][3][4] Its coverage has been featured in The Philadelphia Inquirer, La Croix, The New Yorker, Black Enterprise and The Root. BCM established a republishing partnership with National Catholic Reporter in 2022.
History
The publication was founded in New Orleans, Louisiana, in late 2020. Nate Tinner-Williams—inspired by the model of Daniel Rudd, the 19th- and 20th-century Black Catholic journalist from Ohio—formed a group of young African-American Catholics to create a publication that could possibly revive Rudd's journalistic legacy.[1][2][5]
The group, consisting of Tinner-Williams and authors Alessandra Harris and Preslaysa Williams, began their work in October of that year.[6][7][8][9]
The publication reports on various issues in the Catholic Church and the Black community, to include politics, education, episcopal governance, racism, vocations, abuse, and notable deaths.[10][11][12] The Messenger also publishes interviews and art, including photography and poetry.[13][14] BCM established a republishing partnership with National Catholic Reporter in 2022.[15]
BCM's general coverage has been featured in The Philadelphia Inquirer, La Croix, Aleteia, Black Enterprise, The Christian Post, National Catholic Register, the New Pittsburgh Courier, the Rockford Register Star, WIFR-LD, the Catholic Worker and the Baltimore Afro-American.[1][12][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] In 2025, the publication was among the first to report on the Black ancestry of Pope Leo XIV, resulting in citations from The New Yorker, The Root, and other outlets.[25][26][27][28] The fifth anniversary of BCM was covered by the National Press Foundation and Word in Black.[29][30]
Editor
Nate Tinner-Williams serves as editor of the publication and in that capacity has been featured in NPR, CBC News, America, National Catholic Reporter, and The Philadelphia Inquirer, among other outlets.[16][17][7][31][32][33][34][35]
See also
- Black Catholicism – African-American religious group
- List of Catholic newspapers and magazines in the United States
- Daniel Rudd – Black Catholic journalist and activist
References
- ^ a b c Bailey, Deborah (February 19, 2022). "Black Catholic Messenger brings young, Black Catholic voices and perspectives". AFRO American Newspapers. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ a b "History & Vision". Black Catholic Messenger. November 1, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
- ^ "Conversion begins with healing - Our Sunday Visitor". Our Sunday Visitor. March 5, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ "Mapping Black Media". City University of New York. November 30, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ Daniels, Josiah R. (May 28, 2024). "Black Catholic Hope in the Shadow of America". Sojourners. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ^ Muller, Madison (November 11, 2021). "Catholic Leaders Say Social Justice Isn't In Conflict With Faith". Sojourners. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ a b Rasmussen, Erika (February 24, 2021). "Should the Catholic Church have an African-American rite? This Black Catholic convert thinks so". America Magazine. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ "10 Black Catholic Women You Should Follow on Social Media • FemCatholic". www.femcatholic.com. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ "The Vision and Mission of the Black Catholic Messenger: An Interview with Nate Tinner-Williams". Millennial Journal. September 15, 2021. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
- ^ "Michael Howard Named Inaugural Fellow in New Black Catholic Program at Loyola Marymount University". LMU Newsroom. March 22, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ "Black sisters group takes archbishop to task for comments on social justice". Global Sisters Report. November 16, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ a b "Black Catholics in US dismayed after archbishop calls protests pseudo-religions". international.la-croix.com. November 9, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ "President Garibaldi featured in interview with Black Catholic Messenger". Detroit Mercy Campus Connection. April 29, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ "Black Catholic poet shares experience in verse". Today's Catholic. March 30, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ "Black Catholic Messenger, NCR announce partnership". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
- ^ a b Days, Michael (February 25, 2021). "Black Catholics deserved recognition in PBS doc on Black churches". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
- ^ a b Mauro, JP (September 1, 2021). "Stage production on life of Venerable Augustus Tolton soon to be a movie". Aleteia. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
- ^ Abdur-Rahman, Nahlah (December 22, 2024). "New Orleans Archdiocese To Sell Historic Black Catholic School To Fund Abuse Settlements". Black Enterprise. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ^ Blair, Leonardo; Reporter, Senior (October 6, 2024). "Black Catholics lament as Archdiocese of Baltimore plans to cut parishes by half". www.christianpost.com. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ^ "Black Catholic Leader Condemns Threats, 'Loss of Civility' After Kirk's Assassination | National Catholic Register". www.ncregister.com. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ^ Kolkey, Jeff. "Late Rockford Diocese priest added to list of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse". Rockford Register Star. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ^ "The Catholic Worker, Volume 88, Number 1, 1 January 2021: The Catholic Worker". Catholic Worker. January 1, 2021.
- ^ Stoffregen, Sydni (July 16, 2025). "Former Rockford priest added to list of those with 'credible allegations' of child sex abuse". WIFR. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ^ Conversation, The (February 4, 2026). "The pioneering path of Augustus Tolton, the first Black Catholic priest in the US – born into slavery, he's now a candidate for sainthood". New Pittsburgh Courier. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ^ "Pope Leo XIV Has Creole, Black Family Lineage to New Orleans". www.theroot.com. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ^ Elie, Paul (May 9, 2025). "Will the First American Pope Be a Pontiff of Peace?". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ^ Adams, David (October 26, 2025). "Pope Leo's first six months: Unity, migrants, AI and a US style without the fireworks". Sight Magazine. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ^ Brown, Stacy M. (May 9, 2025). "Barrier-Breaking Pope Leo XIV: The First American Pontiff Has Black Roots". The Washington Informer. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ^ "How the Black Catholic Messenger Tells the Full Story". National Press Foundation. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ^ Boulware, Rev Dorothy S. (November 6, 2025). "The Black Catholic Messenger Turns Five". Word In Black. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ^ McCormick, Bill (April 29, 2021). "Was Joe Biden preaching Catholic social teaching to the Congress last night? Supporters think so". America Magazine. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
- ^ Fraga, Brian (August 16, 2021). "As Southern states restrict voting rights, local bishops remain largely silent". National Catholic Reporter. Archived from the original on May 6, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
- ^ Westwood, Rosemary (June 3, 2025). "Why Black Catholics in New Orleans feel a special connection to Pope Leo XIV". NPR. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ^ Armstrong, Jenice (April 24, 2025). "It's time for a Black pope for the Catholic Church. Actually, it's way past time. | Jenice Armstrong". Inquirer.com. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ^ Wong, Aloysius (January 5, 2023). "Pope Benedict XVI's legacy will 'continue to reverberate,' says Catholic journalist". CBC. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
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