Conference spotlight: Images of the Black Madonna

At our annual Conference this year in Memphis, organizer, speaker and writer Onlielove Alston will present a workshop called "The Black Madonna's Magnificat: Poor Women, Faith and Resistance." Onlielove has Master's degrees in divinity and social work. She is part of the Emerging Voices Project of Sojourners and is a community organizer in New York.  She describes her workshop this way:

"Through examining images of the Black Madonna and undertaking an interactive textual reflection on the Magnificat we will explore the social implications of these powerful images and their inspiration to women and marginalized communities. We will conclude with practical suggestions for how we can answer the Biblical Call to justice as inspired by the model provided to us by Miriam Mother of Yahshua. This workshop will include photos, video and lively discussion."

Onlielove has a passion for creating materials to aid in holistic sanctification that leads to spiritual maturity, emotional health and prophetic justice and believes that the Bible really is "good news for the poor."  She says that her own life has shown her that "God doesn’t just care for the poor, but that God wants the poor to play an active role in building the kingdom."