John Blake - Senior Writer, CNN Digital
John Blake
Senior Writer, CNN Digital
John Blake is a native of Baltimore, Maryland. He writes about race, religion, politics and other assorted topics.
Latest
O.J. Simpson gave us a preview of today’s America
Apr 12, 2024
O.J. Simpson’s 1995 murder trial offered a prelude to the political and social climate of today’s US, where many White and non-White people inhabit different worlds and Americans across the political spectrum can’t agree on a simple set of facts.
Was Jesus a man of color? Why this question matters more than ever
Mar 31, 2024
The debate over the color of Jesus’ skin is one of the oldest running arguments in religion. But this Easter, the question is a serious one — for several reasons.
A controversial Supreme Court decision could hurt Biden in November
Mar 26, 2024
The racial turnout gap between White and non-White voters has grown since a controversial 2013 Supreme Court decision gutted part of the Voting Rights Act, a new study finds. Experts say this could hurt Democrats in November’s election.
The ‘subversive spirituality’ of Bob Marley is still being overlooked
Mar 4, 2024
A hit movie has cast reggae superstar Bob Marley back into the spotlight. But it also overlooks his subversive faith. The Bible was as important as the guitar to him.
How Rick Beato struck YouTube gold with his ‘Everything Music’ channel
Feb 25, 2024
Rick Beato has amassed nearly 4 million followers and talked to musical titans like Sting and Seal on his YouTube channel. A former college music professor, Beato stumbled onto his second career by accident. He’s now called the internet’s “pre-eminent musical sage.”
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Evangelicals explain differences between some White and non-White evangelicals
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Feb 4, 2024
The relentless coverage of White Christian nationalism is spreading a racist myth: that Whiteness is the default setting for evangelical Christianity. CNN’s Victor Blackwell speaks to CNN’s digital senior writer John Blake and reverend John Onwuchekwa about the changing demographic within the church.
The relentless focus on White Christian nationalism is spreading a racist myth
Feb 3, 2024
The coverage of White Christian nationalism is spreading a dangerous myth that all evangelical Christians are White. There are millions of overlooked, non-White evangelicals in the US who will transform the nation’s politics and likely save the American church.
Obama told a story about America at his first inauguration 15 years ago. These people were there, and they still believe
Jan 20, 2024
This weekend marks the 15th anniversary of Obama’s first inauguration. Racial and political divisions in the US have since deepened. We asked those who attended Obama’s first inaugural: Do they still believe in his vision of America? Or will the future of the country look less like January 20 and more like January 6?
5 big stories about race to watch for in 2024
Dec 28, 2023
From the 2024 election to affirmative action to casting changes in Hollywood, race will be a big topic next year. Here are five storylines to watch.
A group of political ‘assassins’ is quietly threatening American democracy, a new book says
Dec 8, 2023
A new book, “Tyranny of the Minority,” by Steve Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, argues that America’s Founding Fathers created a now-outdated system that allows a partisan minority in the US to thwart the popular will.
This ‘American Gandhi’ never got the attention he deserved because he was gay. A new film may change that
Nov 18, 2023
He was a mentor to Martin Luther King Jr. and organized the March on Washington. But Bayard Rustin was largely forgotten by history because he was an openly gay Black man during an era when homosexuality was seen as a perversion. A new Netflix film rescues Rustin from obscurity while offering lessons for the next generation of activists.
There’s another Christian movement that’s changing our politics. It has nothing to do with whiteness or nationalism
Nov 13, 2023
The UAW’s recent deal with the Big Three automakers wasn’t just a victory for labor. It also marked the revival of an overlooked Christian movement that’s changing our politics.
He left his White evangelical bubble. Here’s what he says it would take for others to do the same
Nov 6, 2023
Author Jon Ward details how he left his evangelical church, his growing alarm over how some Christian conservatives have attacked truth, and what it would take for White evangelicals to abandon Donald Trump.
A century ago, W.E.B. Du Bois published a short-lived magazine for Black families. Now it has been reborn as a book
Oct 28, 2023
W.E.B. Du Bois published the The Brownies’ Book for Black kids in the 1920s. Now, Karida L. Brown and Charly Palmer have written an updated version in book form.
About
John Blake has been honored by the Society of Professional Journalists, the Associated Press, and The American Academy of Religion. He is the author of “More Than I Imagined: What a Black Man Discovered About the White Mother He Never Knew.”
