In 2025, Bishop T.D. Jakes was involved in a high-profile legal battle regarding allegations of sexual misconduct, which ultimately concluded with the dismissal of his defamation lawsuit against his accuser on October 16, 2025. The allegations were made by a Pennsylvania pastor, Duane Youngblood, and supported by a second individual, leading to significant scrutiny of … [Read more…]
Black survivors are nearly invisible in the U.S. Catholic clergy sexual abuse crisis Black survivors are nearly invisible in the U.S. Catholic clergy sexual abuse crisis Cases of clergy abuse among Black Americans are especially underreported, but data from dioceses that include Black Catholic churches shows the problem might be quite widespread. Nov. 29, 2023, … [Read more…]
Black Church was one of R. Kelly’s enablers Rev. Irene Monroe https://baystatebanner.com/2021/10/14/black-church-was-one-of-r-kellys-enablers/ The long-awaited justice for R. Kelly’s survivors finally came last month when a New York federal jury found him guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking. For nearly 30 years, underage Black girls and their families have tried to bring Kelly to justice. Now … [Read more…]
Bishop Eddie Long (1953–2017) was the senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia, who gained national prominence as a charismatic leader of a 25,000-member megachurch before becoming embroiled in a major sex scandal in 2010. The controversy, involving allegations of sexual coercion by young men in his congregation, significantly tarnished his … [Read more…]
Sexual Abuse of Power in the Black Church: Sexual Misconduct in the African American Churches Paperback – May 9, 2012by PhD Donald H. Matthews (Author) This book deals specifically with the topic of the sexual abuse of power in black churches. This problem has been estimated to be three times as prevalent in the black … [Read more…]
Following the death of the “King of Gospel,” James Cleveland, in 1991, several scandals and legal battles emerged regarding his estate, personal life, and medical history. Sexual Abuse and HIV Allegations The most significant scandal involved a $9 million lawsuit filed in February 1992 by Cleveland’s former foster son, Christopher Harris. Estate and Paternity Disputes Upon his death, Cleveland’s estate … [Read more…]