In this episode of The Justice Briefing, Dr. Jemar Tisby breaks down the Southern Baptist Convention's recent vote to amend its constitution—by a 77 percent margin—banning women from preaching to assembled congregations.

Dr. Tisby draws on his own history with the SBC to offer an insider's analysis of what the Truth and Unity Amendment actually says, why Al Mohler pushed for it, and what the election of new SBC president Willy Rice signals about the denomination's continued rightward turn.

But Dr. Tisby goes deeper than the headlines.

Tracing the SBC's origins back to 1844 and the case of James Reeve—an enslaver whose deliberate nomination as a missionary candidate was the spark that led to the denomination's founding—Dr. Tisby makes the case that the SBC's patriarchy and its racism are not two separate problems that happen to coexist.

They share a common theological architecture: the divine sanctioning of hierarchy, the use of Scripture to compel submission, and the punishment of those who resist.

From the household codes that justified chattel slavery to the amendment that just passed, the logic is the same, and understanding that connection, Dr. Tisby argues, is essential to understanding what faithful resistance must look like today.

• The Truth and Unity Amendment, what it says, and why Al Mohler pushed for it even though the restriction on women pastors was already denominational policy
• The case of James Reeve—the 1844 missionary nomination that was a deliberate pro-slavery provocation and led directly to the founding of the SBC
• How the biblical defense of racial hierarchy and the biblical defense of gender hierarchy draw from the same New Testament household codes
• The “purity of white womanhood” trope—how white women were simultaneously subordinated to white men and weaponized against Black people
• Saddleback Church, Beth Moore, and the enforcement mechanisms the SBC already had in place before this amendment
• The parallel between the SBC’s centralizing of authority and unitary executive theory in the Trump administration
• The election of Willie Rice as SBC president and what it signals about the denomination’s further rightward turn
• Why you cannot address patriarchy in the SBC without also addressing its racism and why the denomination is case in point

I believe women are called and qualified to preach and pastor. And I name the links between racism and patriarchy. If that’s the kind of insight you value, become a paid subscriber. JemarTisby.Substack.com

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In this urgent episode of The Justice Briefing, Dr. Jemar Tisby breaks down the Supreme Court's latest ruling in Allen v. Milligan--a decision that allows Alabama to eliminate one of its only two majority-Black congressional districts just months before the 2026 midterm elections and while primaries are already underway.

Drawing on his training as a historian and his recent trip to Selma to march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, Dr. Tisby explains how the Court's selective application of the Purcell Principle exposes a legal system being weaponized to dilute Black political power rather than protect it.

He traces the historical roots of Black voting patterns from Reconstruction through the Civil Rights Movement to make the case that Black voters aren't loyal to a party--they're loyal to their survival.

Dr. Tisby also examines the Congressional Black Caucus's pointed letter to Corporate America, holding hundreds of major corporations accountable to voting rights commitments they made publicly in 2021--and demanding they prove those words still mean something before a June 9th deadline.

From the courtroom to the boardroom, Dr. Tisby asks the question that drives the entire episode: do you care?

In This Episode

• The Supreme Court's ruling in Allen v. Milligan and what it means for Black congressional representation in Alabama
• What the Purcell Principle is, where it comes from, and why the Court is applying it selectively
• How the Louisiana v. Callais decision gutted the Voting Rights Act and opened the door to rapid redistricting across the South
• Why Republicans stand to gain up to 15 additional House seats through redistricting — and what's at stake in the 2026 midterms
• The historical roots of Black voting patterns, from Reconstruction and the New Deal to LBJ's Civil Rights Act
• Governor Kay Ivey's response to the ruling — and what the language of "states' rights" has always meant in the context of Black political power
• The Congressional Black Caucus's letter to Corporate America and its June 9th deadline for action
• Justice Sotomayor's dissent — and why Dr. Tisby says every justice-minded person should be reading it

We have a lack of voices raising the alarm about voting rights in the church. If you think that work is important, you can help make it possible. Become a paid subscriber today. JemarTisby.Substack.com

A news report just revealed that children are still being separated from their parents in the immigration crackdown. We must speak up. This film will help you. Host a screening of Jesus Was a Migrant: jesuswasamigrant.com

In this episode of The Justice Briefing, Dr. Jemar Tisby examines the stunning victory of Ken Paxton in the Texas Republican Senate primary and asks what it reveals about the moral state of American politics. Despite years of scandals, impeachment, felony indictments, and allegations of corruption, Paxton not only survived politically—he won decisively. Dr. Tisby explores why voters embraced a candidate with such a record, how loyalty to Donald Trump has eclipsed character as a political qualification, and why this race represents a larger battle over the meaning of Christianity in public life. Contrasting Paxton's vision of faith with that of Democratic nominee James Talarico, Dr. Tisby argues that Texas is becoming a testing ground for two competing religious and political visions: domination versus care, power versus conscience, and white Christian nationalism versus a faith rooted in justice and love.

• Why Ken Paxton's primary victory shocked even seasoned observers of American politics
• The corruption allegations, impeachment, and legal controversies surrounding Paxton
• How loyalty to Donald Trump became more important than character or experience
• Why Paxton's victory signals a deeper shift within the modern Republican Party
• The contrast between Paxton's and James Talarico's competing visions of Christianity
• How white Christian nationalism shapes contemporary political debates
• Why Black Christian political traditions are often overlooked as authentic expressions of faith
• What the Texas Senate race reveals about power, religion, and democracy in America

When corruption becomes normal, context becomes essential. To support independent analysis at the intersection of faith, history, and justice that helps make sense of this political moment, become a paid subscriber: JemarTisby.Substack.com

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In this episode of The Justice Briefing, Jemar Tisby confronts a pressing question facing the American church: Why are so many pastors silent about voting rights in this moment? Drawing from his firsthand experience at the “All Roads Lead to the South” march and rally in Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, Tisby connects today’s attacks on voting rights to the long struggle for Black political power during the Civil Rights Movement. He reflects on the spiritual weight of marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the legacy of Bloody Sunday, and the urgent need for moral courage from clergy and congregations alike.

Tisby also examines the Supreme Court’s recent Voting Rights Act ruling, critiques pastoral silence through the lens of God's Long Summer and Letter from Birmingham Jail, and challenges churches to move beyond “deracinated piety” toward the concrete application of Christian ethics in public life. This episode is both a prophetic critique and a pastoral plea for believers to speak up, organize, and act courageously in what Tisby calls “the civil rights movement of our day.”

• The “All Roads Lead to the South” march and rally in Selma and Montgomery
• Why voting rights are deeply personal in the Black freedom struggle
• The Supreme Court ruling that further weakened the Voting Rights Act
• How racial gerrymandering operates under the language of “colorblindness”
• The silence of many pastors and churches around voting rights
• Martin Luther King Jr.’s warning about the “white moderate” from Letter from Birmingham Jail
• The example of Reverend Douglas Hudgins and church complicity during segregation
• Biblical models of courage, prophetic witness, and justice in times of crisis

• God's Long Summer by Charles Marsh
• "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr.

The next cohort of The Justice Journey begins June 2nd. This eight-week online course explores the biblical, historical, and practical foundations of justice and faithful public witness. Join a community committed to truth-telling, courage, and action in this critical moment.

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The Trump Administration has released a massive new report from its “Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias,” arguing that conservative Christians were targeted by the federal government under President Biden.

The report frames conflicts over abortion, LGBTQ rights, education, COVID policies, and workplace protections as evidence of anti-Christian discrimination.

In this episode of The Justice Briefing, Dr. Jemar Tisby examines the report’s arguments, historical claims, and political implications. He explores how white Christian nationalism uses grievance politics, why some Christians conflate losing cultural dominance with losing religious freedom, and what happens when Christianity becomes closely aligned with state power.

This episode also asks a deeper question: What kind of faith are we cultivating if Christianity requires political dominance to feel secure?

• Trump’s “Anti-Christian Bias Task Force” and Executive Order 14202
• Why the report focuses heavily on abortion, gender, and sexuality
• The difference between religious freedom and religious privilege
• How grievance politics fuels white Christian nationalism
• Why “Christian America” rhetoric pushes certain groups to the margins
• The relationship between Christianity and state power throughout history
• How pluralism gets reframed as hostility toward Christianity
• Why true faith does not depend on cultural dominance to survive

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If you value historically grounded analysis on faith, politics, and justice, support The Justice Briefing by becoming a paid subscriber at JemarTisby.Substack.com.

Conservatives on the Supreme Court dealt what amounts to a “death blow” to the Voting Rights Act.

But you don’t have to be a legal scholar to understand what really matters here.

The effect is to dilute the voting power of Black people and other people of color who tend to vote Democratic.

But the entire decision rests on a faulty understanding of racism and how to address it.

This assumption has a name: colorblindness. It is not a virtue.

If race caused the inequality, then race must be named in order to create equity.

• What the Supreme Court just did to the Voting Rights Act and why some are calling it a “death blow”
• How shifting from discriminatory impact to intent makes voting rights cases nearly impossible to win
• Why this decision could dilute Black voting power while appearing race-neutral
• The long history of voting rights—from Dred Scott v. Sandford to the Fifteenth Amendment to the Voting Rights Act of 1965
• How racism adapts over time and why “race-neutral” laws can still produce unequal outcomes
• The flawed logic of colorblindness and why ignoring race doesn’t solve racial inequality
• Why many churches are ill-equipped to respond to this moment—and how that happened
• Practical ways to mobilize, dissent, and take action—from local engagement to national advocacy

The best way to support The Justice Briefing is to become a paid subscriber: JemarTisby.Substack.com

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In this episode of The Justice Briefing, Jemar Tisby examines the recent spotlight on Douglas Wilson—and why his influence is not new, just newly visible.

For years, Black Christians and other truth-tellers warned about Wilson’s theology, his views on race and gender, and his vision for a theocratic society. Those warnings were largely ignored. Now, as his ideas gain wider attention, the consequences are becoming harder to dismiss.

Tisby explores who Douglas Wilson is, how his influence spread through evangelical institutions, and what this moment reveals about the church’s failure to heed earlier warnings. This episode is a call to discernment, accountability, and a renewed commitment to protecting the vulnerable.

Summary article on Church Leaders

Sons of Patriarchy

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In this episode of The Justice Briefing, Dr. Jemar Tisby makes a clear and urgent case: stop trying to persuade white Christian nationalists. After nearly a decade of hardened political and theological divisions, the question is no longer who is confused—it’s what we do with the clarity we now have.

Drawing on history, current events, and a powerful re-reading of Mark 6, this episode reframes faithfulness not as endless argument, but as discernment, boundaries, and strategic action. If you’ve felt drained by unproductive debates, this conversation will help you reclaim your time—and your mission.

In this episode:

• Why this is a moment of moral clarity, not confusion
• The limits of persuasion in polarized media ecosystems
• The anatomy of white Christian nationalism
• How the church has weaponized “unity”
• A biblical case for setting boundaries (Mark 6)
• Why Jesus instructs his followers to move on
• Where to invest your energy for real impact

Study cited in episode: "When Fox News viewers flip to CNN, their opinions shift too, study finds" https://news.berkeley.edu/2022/04/07/when-fox-news-viewers-flip-to-cnn-their-opinions-shift-too-study-finds/

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The best way to support The Justice Briefing and our indie film studio, Tisby Studios, is by becoming a paid subscriber: JemarTisby.Substack.com