2025 has been a productive year for the journal. Creatives stepped up to make their voices heard in various forms of prose and art. To date, the Emerge was gifted by the work and presence of respected artists and writers who gave of their personal time to uphold Black liberation.
Dr. Jabari Pierre kicked off the inaugural issue of Emerge: The Journal of Black Liberation. The journal's purpose, vision, and mission, as well as the current state of Black liberation, were discussed in this first issue. Dr. Pierre stated:
“Emerge: The Journal of Black Liberation does not aim to resolve all the challenges Black people face in the pursuit of freedom. Instead, through the voices of Black authors, their pens, keyboards, and mics, we will:
For the February issue, Professor Qadry Harris, M.Div. allowed us to share his article, Bridging Civilizations: The Black Church as a Continuation of African Spiritual Agency. In this essay, Professor Qadry contended that “the Black Church bridges African civilization and African American identity, preserving collective memory, cultural resilience, and philosophical depth across generations.”
We learned from Professor Qadry that elevating the Afrocentric perspective in Black Church studies isn’t just about scholarship—it’s about reclaiming African identity and building unity among people of African descent around the world. Using ideas like Asante’s Location Theory, Diop’s work on African origins, and Karenga’s Kawaida philosophy, we can push past European-centered views and see the Black Church for what it truly is: a source of spiritual strength and a force for social and political power in African communities.
For the March issue, Sabrina Roberson, a staunch advocate for social justice, political awareness, and Black empowerment, gave us a poignant reflection on the Black experience. Using her life story and experiences, Sabrina highlights how systemic racism, microaggressions, and exclusionary practices continue to shape Black experiences, particularly in education and professional spaces.
In centering her daughter’s upbringing around Black history, political awakening, and economic independence, she reaffirms that liberation begins at home. Her work echoes the ancestral call of educators, organizers, and visionaries who poured into the next generation so they might rise - rooted in truth, resourced with tools, and ready to challenge the world that seeks to limit them.
In the April issue, we heard from our first entrepreneur, writer, social worker, and bookstore owner, Tayler Simon. Tayler is passionate about promoting social liberation through the power of transformative stories. You can find her work here on Radical Vulnerability.
April is a month dedicated to sexual assault, and Tayler, using the power of her writing and her voice, took readers on a deeply personal journey and shared the story of her own sexual assault to bring into focus that “sexual assault was used as a tool to control Black people during slavery. Black women were considered sexual objects for the labor and pleasure of the overseers and enslavers.