The Justice Briefing with Dr. Jemar Tisby

In this episode, Dr. Jemar Tisby emphasize the importance of understanding Martin Luther King Jr. beyond his most famous quotes, especially as MLLK Day approaches. Dr. Tisby argue that King has too often been reduced to a symbol rather than remembered as a complex, challenging figure—and that this reduction has led to widespread misunderstandings of what he actually believed. In particular, he pus...

ICE is what happens when Americans refuse to learn from Black history. In this episode, I respond to the killing of Renee Good , a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and mother of three, shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. I draw on the Black history, specifically the example of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. Finally, I turn to Venezuela. I connect domestic repression to international aggression...

On January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect, but it did not “free the slaves.” In truth, the Emancipation Proclamation was extremely limited, provisional, and conditional. That does not mean it was not important, meaningful, or didn't matter. Historical accuracy is important, and by the end of this episode you will be able to name precisely what the Emancipation Proclama...

Cultural Artifacts is our version of a Top Ten list for the year. My former podcast co-host G. Tyler Burns and I are back for part two. This time we’ve got a few albums, some books, and a variety of movies and television shows you’ll want to check out right away! As always, the rules remain the same: these artifacts don’t have to be new. They just have to be consumed this year. The things that ste...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! No. I’m not talking about Christmas (that’s wonderful, too). But if you know me and my former podcast, Pass The Mic, you already know what I mean. Cultural Artifacts!!! This is the first Cultural Artifacts episode since PTM ended, so it is only right and fitting that my very first official guest on The Justice Briefing is none other than Rev. G. Tyler Burn...

After countless hours studying Klan documents, rituals, speeches, and theology—and comparing them with what we see today—I am prepared to make this claim clearly: There is a direct ideological line from the Ku Klux Klan to modern white Christian nationalism. This is not a clickbait claim. It is a historically grounded conclusion. Join Me for What Comes Next Join me this Sunday, December 7 at 4 p.m...

There are moments in a democracy when the choice becomes stark, the stakes undeniable, and the moral line unmistakable. Recent events in our nation have made a simple fact painfully clear: There is no redeeming this presidency. And now it’s time to say what millions are thinking but too few are willing to say out loud. Trump has to go. Legally. Immediately. Without equivocation. 🚨 I’m hosting a V...

The truth is not valuable only when it produces political fallout. The truth matters because it is the truth. If nothing else, we owe the survivors honesty. Truth is liberation. Truth is light. Truth is how people wounded in the dark find their way back toward hope.  The Justice Briefing Today, I’m officially announcing that the podcast is becoming  The Justice Briefing Welcome to the first episod...

What can a Star Wars series teach us about authoritarianism, resistance, and the state of democracy in America?  In this episode of  Footnotes , Jemar Tisby sits down with his friend and producer, Beau York, a man steeped in Star Wars lore. Together they explore how  Andor —a show set in a galaxy far, far away—becomes an urgent mirror for our political present. T hey discuss the rise of empire, th...

Dr. Beth Allison Barris the James Vardaman Professor of History at Baylor University. She earned her PhD in Medieval History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is the bestselling author of  The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth. In this episode we talk about her latest book,  Becoming the Pastor's Wife: How Marriage Replaced Or...

In this episode of  Footnotes , I sit down with investigative journalist Katherine Stewart to discuss her latest book,  Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy .  Katherine’s work, including her previous book  The Power Worshipers , which inspired the documentary  God & Country , exposes the hidden networks of money, power, and religious extremism shaping our po...

In this episode, I take a closer look at  Homestead , the post-apocalyptic drama from Angel Studios based on the novel  Black Autumn . I explore its themes of faith, anti-government sentiment, and personal property rights, plus its connection to real-world trends like doomsday prepping and Christian nationalism. Join me as I unpack how this film reflects the intersection of faith, politics, and cu...

On this episode I speak with Amanda Tyler, head of the BJC, a Baptist group that works for religious freedom for all, about her new book "How to End Christian Nationalism." We talk: Defining Christian nationalism How to talk to your family member, neighbor, friend who is in the sunken place of Christian nationalism Why women subscribe to this ideology when it is so anti-women And more... P...

Fuller Texas and the Pannell Center for Black Church Studies welcome author, speaker, and public historian,  Dr. Jemar Tisby , author of  The Color of Compromise , in celebrating the release of his most recent book  The Spirit of Justice: Faith, Race, and Resistance . In this chat recorded live at Fuller Texas, Dr. Tisby will share the heart behind his new work which features bold stories of indiv...

Joel Edward Goza dismantles the deep-seated myths that perpetuate white supremacy—and makes the case that reparations are necessary to heal America’s racial wounds and live up to our democratic ideals.    Like many well-intentioned white people, Goza once believed that he could support Black America’s struggle for equality without supporting reparations. Reparations, he thought, were altogether ir...

Dive into the pages of  The Spirit of Justice  and uncover the enduring power of faith and resistance in the fight for racial equality. Here are key themes and takeaways you'll explore: Historical Resistance:  Learn about the brave individuals who stood against racial injustice throughout American history. Faith in Action:  See how deeply faith influenced major movements and led to significant...

We are nearing 100 episodes! Let me know what you'd like to hear or see more of on the Footnotes podcast. Email:  info@jemartisby.com   Please leave me a review! The last new review was July 2023! I'd be glad to read yours on the next episode.  You're hearing from Rev. Dr. Jennifer Harvey about her latest book "Antiracism as Daily Practice: Refuse Shame, Change White Communities, a...

Author interview!!! Caleb Cambpell has written a book you've probably been waiting for... It's called "Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor."  At one point in his young life, Caleb Campbell was an avowed white supremacist. Then through a series of experiences he followed Jesus and has turned his energies toward discipling his white Christian nationalist n...

We often frame the white Christian nationalism as a problem exclusively of far-right, fundamentalist evangelicalism. What we talk much less about is mainline Protestants and how they have contributed to the rise of Christian nationalism from the 1940s to the present. I talk with Rev. Dr. Brian Kaylor about the book he co-authored called,  Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Ch...

Juneteenth became a national holiday in 2021. While many African Americans have celebrated the holiday for decades, many other people know little about it. In this teach-in Dr. Jemar Tisby--a historian, professor, and bestselling author--talks about the history of Juneteenth and describes its importance in the life of the nation.  In this video you will learn about:  --The announcement on June 19,...

Dr. Jemar interviews Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter-McNeil about her latest book "Empowered to Repair: Becoming People Who Mend Broken Systems and Heal Our Communities."  Dr. Brenda is a professor of Reconciliation Studies, a program she founded, at Seattle Pacific University. She is also a pastor and has been doing racial reconciliation work for decades.  We talk about her journey from Trenton, N...

In my second book,  How to Fight Racism , I wrote a section called "Create a Pipeline of Mental Health Therapists of Color." In it I suggested that "you or your church could contribute to scholarship funds for people of color interested in getting trained in mental health and therapy."  Well, a group actually did this and formed the Black Mental Health Counselors Reparations Founda...

There is a movement of people who grew up in evangelical Christianity out of those circles. These are ex-evangelicals or "exvangelicals."  Now Sarah McCammon, a politics reporter for NPR, has given us the first book-length treatment of this movement and the individuals within it.  In this interview we talk about her very evangelical upbringing (and wax nostalgic about growing up in the 90s...

I have often said, "White Christian nationalism is the greatest threat to democracy and the witness of the church in the United States today." Now there's a documentary showing and telling why this is true.  I talk to Dan Partland, the director of "God & Country" a feature-length documentary film that "takes a closer look at the dangerous implications and explores how a...

Michael Wear is the author of The Spirit of Our Politics. It's a book that takes a fresh approach to how faith and politics should interact. Instead of beginning with policies, pundits, or politicians, Wear encourages us to begin with our own spiritual formation.  We talk about everything from our similar conversion stories in evangelical contexts to how to engage people with radically differe...