About Tonya Rivens
Tonya Rivens is an award winning Journalist with close to 30 years in Radio, ten years in television and is a feature writer for a monthly publication. Tonya received the 2021 Chan Zuckerberg Grant from the National Association of Black Journalists and is a 2021-2022 North Carolina Equity Fellow. She has a BA in Journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with her family.
'After a lengthy career in Airline Management Tonya developed a passion for all things radio. As a radio veteran, Rivens has worn the titles of Program Director, Music Director and Community Affairs Director. Her current show, Sounds of Inspiration With Tonya Rivens, is featured on Praise 100.9 FM and she works as a television freelance reporter. Her radio career also includes stints at WPEG (Power 98 FM), WBAV (V101.9) and WPZS (100.9) and Streetz Charlotte.
Tonya is a member of Hunters Chapel UMC, where she is a Lay Leader.
Bishop Carlton D’Metrius Pearson transitioned on November 19th. According to his obituary, Pearson, who was 70, passed away following a brief battle with cancer. Here are the arrangements posted at biglowfunerals.com: Public visitation is Wednesday, 4:00 PM until 8:00 PM, at All Souls Unitarian Church, and on Thursday morning, 9:00 AM until 10:30 AM, at […]
October 29th will mark the one-year anniversary of the death of Shanquella Robinson. Although no one has been charged in Shanquella’s homicide, Robinson’s father, Bernard Robinson, says he knows that justice will be served. On October 28, 2022 Shanquella Robinson traveled to the luxury Fundadores Beach Club in San José del Cabo, Mexico with six […]
The National Organization of Black County Officials (NOBCO) wrapped up their 37th annual economic development conference on Sunday with a gospel and prayer breakfast led by author, film & television producer Devon Franklin. (The conference was held at The Westin on October 18th-22nd.) Three trailblazers from the community were honored during NOBCO’s awards luncheon on […]
A recent article by The Washington Post says that physicians and public health experts say Americans are dying from stress. And stress is causing us to live shorter lives than others living in other countries with similar resources. Wikipedia defines stress as a “physiological, biological or psychological reaction to a stressor.” According to the experts, a […]
It’s the last Sunday in September and a big applause for the Wesleyan Church. For the entire month, the Church encouraged their membership to ask a woman to preach at least one Sunday. The Church denomination declares that both men and women: are bearers of God’s image are blessed to preach the good news are […]
Hickman Temple AME, an African American Church in West Philadelphia, had two rare Tiffany rose windows that were sold to an antiques collector in November 2022 for $6,000. The windows were auctioned at a Philadelphia based auction house on May 18th for $200,000. The church was built by Presbyterians in 1898. In 2017, Philadelphia’s Department […]
In 2019, the United Methodist Church (UMC) approved an exit plan for churches who disapproved of the denomination’s beliefs about sexuality. The mass exit has resulted in about six percent of its members, mostly in the south, leaving, according to a recent report in Christianity Today. The General Council on Finance and Administration of the […]
Tyrone Porter, one of the founders of the award-winning group, The Christianaires, died on February 14th after a lengthy illness. Porter also served as the President of the Quartet division of the Gospel Music Workshop of America. Porter was known as a champion of quartet music and was known for assisting record labels. A Facebook […]
More than 300 Black female minsters attended the first Black Women in Ministry International Awards Gala at the National Press Club in Washington, DC last month. Twenty outstanding She-roes were recognized in an attempt to mentor Black female clergy, who will lead the future of a predominantly male led profession. Some of the honorees: Dr. […]
In 1922, six black families planted a church in Kearnes, Utah. At the time of the church plant of New Pilgrim Baptist, US Census data shows African Americans were less than .5% of Utah’s population. Pastor Corey J. Hodges says the ministry was inspired by the traditional Southern Baptist style of worship. New Pilgrim Baptist […]
The National Institutes of Health has partnered with Tulane University and forty-two churches in the New Orleans area to start a five-year study to address hypertension in the black community. A grant of $7.6 million has been donated to train church wellness coordinators to work with church members to start early conversations about disparities in […]
Watch the story: https://youtu.be/4M2dMAVmmQc (https://youtu.be/4M2dMAVmmQc) Bernard Robinson, the father of Shanquella Robinson, says he is leaning on his faith and his family as he seeks justice for his daughter. I asked Robinson and their family pastor, what justice looks like. Bishop John Walker, of Macedonia Baptist Church, says he believes that all of the individuals […]