Prophetic Justice

About the Book

In this prophetic collection of seminal essays and articles, the public intellectual, theologian, and social justice scholar Reverend Professor Keith Magee provides a thoughtful, sharp, and critical analysis of how questions of race, religion, and politics have an impact on society today. The book explores the historical context of American democracy and how it has long failed to deliver true justice to all of the nation’s citizens. Prophetic Justice exposes the social construct of race and the myriad ways in which this false idea – along with the sometimes wilful misinterpretations of sacred texts – have been used to justify the subjugating of one people by another, simply because of the color of their skin. Written between 2016 and 2023, these essays and articles touch on some painful subjects, but also give us reason to hope. Keith Magee describes how, with empathy, courage, and faith, we can come together to face up to the injustices of the past and celebrate our common humanity, thus creating a new world in which every life truly matters.

About the Author

Keith Magee is a public intellectual, theologian, and social justice scholar. He is Senior Fellow in Culture and Justice and Visiting Professor of Practice in Cultural Justice, University College London Institute of Innovation and Public Purpose, where he leads for Black Britain and Beyond. He is Chair and Professor of Practice in Social Justice at Newcastle Law School, Newcastle University. In 2014, while in post at Boston University, he founded the Social Justice Institute, which remains the hub for his independent work and research. He is also the lead pastor at The Berachah Church, which has a virtual global presence. Having trained as an economist and in theology, at Grace Bible College and Harvard, Magee’s work reflects on the Ten Commandments as ‘public policies,’ thereby exploring how they inform society through belief, culture, and economic and social justice. One of his greatest accomplishments was serving for five years as the founding director of the National Public Housing Museum in Chicago, Illinois. He successfully initiated and led a $13 million capital campaign for the museum, which is committed to being a living cultural experience on social justice and human rights, illuminating the power of place. Having served as an advisor on faith and racial equality for the Biden 2020 Presidential Campaign, Magee has been appointed to the U.S.–U.K. Fulbright Commission by the Biden-Harris Administration’s U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St James. Magee is also the Chair of the Board of Trustees for The Guardian Foundation, Trustee of The Gallery of Living History, and Trustee of Facing History and Ourselves. The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan appointed him as a Commissioner on Diversity in the Public Realm. He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He was inducted into the Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collegium of Scholars. He is a life member of Kappa Alpha Psi and a member of Sigma Pi Phi. He previously also served as Senior Religious Affairs Advisor with the Obama for America 2008 and 2012 campaigns, subsequently working alongside the Obama administration’s Faith Based Initiative. He was also the Co-Chair of the Massachusetts Council of Chaplains in State Institutions for Governor Deval Patrick. Additionally, he served as the Co-Chair of the Endowment Committee on the Board of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation ($50 million). As a dyslexic, he has secured more than $15 million to develop programs and initiatives that advocate for and support dyslexic people globally. His efforts have led him to co-create the Multicultural Initiative at Yale University Center for Dyslexia and Creativity, and to co-found the Urban Teachers Masters of Education Residency Training Program at Saint Joseph’s University. Reverend Professor Magee’s body of work has seen him awarded with distinctions and the support of the MacArthur, Ford, and Seedlings foundations. He is an internationally sought-after speaker and frequently features as a columnist and op-ed opinion contributor with CNN, TIME, The Guardian, and LSE on issues of social justice, politics, race, and religion. He and his son, Zayden, live in the United Kingdom.