Assata Shakur wrote to the pope 25 years ago. Her letter still resonates.
Efran Menny resurfaces an oft-forgotten letter from a famed Black activist (and lapsed Catholic) to John Paul II, urging him to act for Black liberation.
Efran Menny
Husband, father, regular BCM contributor. His work is informed by experience as an educator and studies in social work. Has a passion for elevating topics on justice and theology for Black Catholics.
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Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
On Diddy and Keke: the Catholic Church and domestic violence
Efran Menny on how recent high-profile allegations of partner abuse reveal a need for deeper conversations in the Black Catholic community.
Ending the death sentence: Black maternal health and the Catholic Church
Efran Menny breaks down the ongoing crisis of medical racism and the Catholic call to support Black mothers in need.
A saint in 60 minutes: Sr Thea and the beauty of Blackness
Efran Menny on the significance of Servant of God Thea Bowman's landmark interview on "60 Minutes", which cemented her profile on the national stage.
After 50 years of hip-hop, is it time for a revolution?
Efran Menny floats through the history of the globally popular genre, incisively pushing for an understanding of its ills and iridescence.
Review: 'Remarkable' book on Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine chronicles Black Catholic education
Efran Menny reviews a timely text elucidating post-Civil War Catholic history in the nation's oldest city.
Why hasn't a Catholic-heavy Supreme Court bent toward justice?
Efran Menny explains the history of Supreme Court rulings on African Americans and how the new bench makeup has failed to help right the ship.
We must protect our Black Catholic saints—and saints-to-be.
Efran Menny explains why simply accepting new Black Catholic saints is not enough to fully honor their legacies.
On this Africa Day, remember how the motherland built the Church.
Efran Menny deftly explains why Africa cannot be forgotten in the story of ancient Christianity—and the mission of Black pride in the Church today.
Science denialism is a national emergency in the Catholic Church
As the Biden administration lifts declarations, Efran Menny opines on Church leaders' often heinous response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fair housing is a human right—and a Catholic imperative
Efran Menny explains how discrimination lives on in America and how the right to a roof is a matter of justice.
'Antwone Fisher' and the call of Black healing in America
20 years after its release, a classic Black biopic gets a second look and analysis from Efran Menny.
Remembering Deacon Leonard Lockett, 'powerhouse' of Houston Black Catholics
Efran Menny reflects on his time knowing and learning from one of Houston's finest clergymen, who died in 2020.
The global Black community must unite. The Catholic Church can help.
Efran Menny describes a vision of Pan-Africanism infused with the ancient faith.
Seeing Mariology in the Mothers of the Movement
Efran Menny connects the recent tragedy in Memphis to the suffering Mother of God, seen in the mothers of Black men murdered in an unjust America.
Keenan Anderson and King's 'Other America'
Efran Menny reflects on the tragedy of Keenan Anderson's death at the hands of LA police in early January.