News – John Thomas III

January 17, 2024

Biden, the Black Church and Mother Emanuel

“At Church, Biden denounces poison of Supremacy” “Gaza Protest Erupted During Biden Speech at Mother Emanuel” “Biden’s Appeal to Black Voters Needs an Overhaul” One could be forgiven for wondering exactly what happened at Mother Emanuel on Monday when US President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. visited in his first campaign swing of the 2024 Presidential cycle. As an affiliate member of Mother Emanuel, a journalist, and a collegiate Political Science professor, I confess that I needed a few days to sit with the variety of emotions and perspectives that I felt after Monday’s program. We know that the Black Church…

November 20, 2023

Black voters saved him last time – now more are failing Joe Biden

Biden kunne blåst ut 81 lys på bursdagskaken denne mandagen. Men det blir ingen stor feiring i Det hvite hus. For det å bli eldre er ikke alltid lett – særlig ikke når du er USAs president. I bursdagsgave får han blant annet en nedslående nyhet fra NBC: Han har aldri vært mer upopulær. Bidens høye alder, dårlig økonomi og krigen i Gaza gjør rekordmange skeptiske til ham... READ ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE

October 16, 2023

Black History Talks

Black History Talks with Professor John Thomas Today on Black History Talks, Dr. Bernard Powers sits down with College of Charleston Political Science Professor John Thomas.

May 26, 2023

CofC Faces to Know: John Thomas III

Name: John Thomas III Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Education: B.A., Morehouse College; M.P.A., Princeton University; M.A. and Ph.D., University of Chicago Job title: Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science How long have you worked at the College? Since August 2022 What are your job responsibilities? I teach two to three classes a semester in the political science department ranging from general introductory courses to upper-level electives for majors. I also collaborate with colleagues in the women’s and gender studies, Latin American and Caribbean studies and African American studies programs. Recently, the Program in the Carolina Lowcountry and the Atlantic World invited me to join their…

February 11, 2023

Amid larger push toward diversity, College of Charleston quietly makes key hire

By Rickey Ciapha Dennis Jr. rdennis@postandcourier.com As does the city in which it resides, the College of Charleston has a long, complex and troubled history. Given the city of Charleston’s prominent role in the international slave trade and the magnitude of which enslaved labor shaped and influenced nearly every facet and institution in the Holy City, it is no surprise that slavery also helped form the city’s 250-year old institution, an uncomfortable truth the college has increasingly recognized. The school’s ongoing struggle over racial tensions bubbled up over the years, noticeably in 2014 amid the hiring of former Lt. Gov.…

October 25, 2022

John Thomas III inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. College of Ministers and Laity at Morehouse College

John Thomas III, @cofc_polisci , was inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. College of Ministers and Laity at Morehouse College, which honors individuals whose lives and work exemplify the ethical ideals promoted by Dr. King. Congratulations, Dr. Thomas, and welcome to @CofC! Read original Tweet

October 4, 2022

It’s the Ethics for Me

By Dr. John Thomas III, Editor The Black Church as an institution has been such a pivotal part of the African American community because of the respect and trust accorded to its leaders. One AME pastor who is also a lawyer commented in an interview , “Being a pastor has benefited me in the law for several reasons. [One way is that it] has heightened my sense of integrity.” This response is not surprising because those who are set apart and charged to serve God’s flock take on additional responsibility for the spiritual and temporal well-being of those in their…

August 14, 2021

Will the AME Church be Healed? Reflections on the 2021 General Conference

By John Thomas III, Editor, The Christian Recorder When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” John 5: 6 From July 6-10, the family of the African Methodist Episcopal Church gathered in Orlando, Florida and through Zoom conferencing to conduct the business of the denomination in the best way we knew how. It seemed as if Murphy’s Law was in full effect: a global pandemic, a looming hurricane, poorly functioning sound, international connectivity issues and to top it all off a…

April 2, 2021

On this Good Friday, let us reflect on the 7 last words of George Floyd

(RNS) — The commemoration of Good Friday is a solemn and holy event for Christians. We cannot get to the resurrection of Jesus Christ without traversing through the crucifixion, death and burial of God’s only begotten son. One of the dividing lines among Christian traditions is the context of Jesus’ Passion and death. When we separate Jesus from his worldly environment and circumstances — being persecuted as a Jewish teacher by a foreign empire and betrayed by compatriots who were threatened by his message and witness — we lose sight that Jesus, both fully God and man, was gruesomely murdered.…

November 29, 2016

John Thomas III: Making the AME’s voice heard

Tuesday, November 29, 2016 In the midst of a changing world for both the church and media, The Christian Recorder -- the AME Church’s official newspaper -- must be a faith-based space, sharing the church’s perspective and bringing other perspectives to the denomination, says John Thomas III. Elected in July as the 21st editor of The Christian Recorder, Thomas, 34, is the youngest editor in the paper’s history. As editor, he plans to increase the amount of news coverage about the AME Church, including its involvement in social justice issues... READ FULL ARTICLE HERE