Brandon Williams

Ever since I became a Christian in high school, I was always one of the few Black kids in primarily White congregations. Though outside of the church I faced overt racism, inside the church I always found love and acceptance. Growing up there was always this unspoken rule that church and politics were to remain separated, but in my eyes that rule seemed to be arbitrarily applied. If the subject was something like abortion then we should hold prayer protests and vote for the Prolife...

Director of Student Ministries for Galveston Urban Ministries I moved to Texas in 8th grade as an african american kid in a mostly white neighborhood. Early on I learned how to carry myself in a way that was “culturally appropriate,” which meant not being “too black”. I would slick back my hair with way too much gel and do my best to speak as politely as I could. Everyone seemed to accept me and would comment on how well I carried myself, usually with a hint of surprise. But no matter how...