Dr. Barbara Ransby is a historian, writer, and longtime political activist. She is a Professor of History; Gender and Women's Studies; and African American Studies and Director of Social Justice Initiative at the University of Illinois in Chicago. In her newest book, Making All Black Lives Matter: Reimagining Freedom in the 21st Century, she examines the BLM movement, discussing its roots and motivations, its politics and its future as part of what she calls a new Black Freedom movement.

This last Sunday we heard about the prophet Isaiah’s life-changing encounter with God. Here’s the scoop: Isaiah had a vision of Israel’s God, enthroned in the Holy of Holies in the Jerusalem Temple. This radical experience causes Isaiah to immediately cry out, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I have unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. And my eyes have seen YHWH the Almighty” (Isa. 6:5). I imagine that moment must have been terrifying. To come into direct contact with the Holy God and consequently have your self-perception and the perception of your world so drastically altered... Probably not so fun.

Continuing our celebration of Black History Month, today I wish to lift up the name and story of Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler. At a  time when very few women worked outside of the home, Dr. Crumpler was saving lives. Earning her M.D. degree from New England Female Medical College in 1864, she was the only African-American person to earn a degree from the institution and the first African-American female physician in the United States.