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.
The University of Houston has released the results of a study that indicates Black men in their 50s and older, who attend religious services on a regular basis, may have lower mortality rates. The information was recently published in the PLOS One Journal in an article, ‘Religious Attendance and Mortality Among Older Black Men.’ Marino […]
The African Methodist Episcopal Church has partnered with Black Voters Matter to support church led ‘Get Out the Vote’ efforts in thirteen states. The states are considered battle ground states and include Arizona, Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin. The partnership includes $600 thousand dollars in grants […]
Bishop Grace, Pastor of First Baptist Hilltop Church in Frostproof, Florida, says the 100-year-old church was almost completed under water because of Hurricane Ian. Grace says the flooding is the third time the church has been submerged in water because of natural disasters even though the building is not in a flood zone. In 2016, […]
Black Church leaders from some of the largest Protestant denominations and state Baptist conventions are encouraging the National Park Service (NPS) to develop more memorials and historical markers that recognize the history of their community. The clergy say that “memorializing such history is healing for the black community.” In 1991, a `burial ground with more […]
Homeowners have a greater chance of building generational wealth. The National Black Church Initiative (NBCI) says they have a ten year goal that will assist the Black community. The plan increases Black homeownership to fifty-one percent. NBCI says they will assist potential Black homeowners and will provide resources. Reverend Anthony Evans, President of NBCI, says […]
The National Trust for Historic Preservation says that their program, the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund (AACHAF), distributed more than $3 million in grants to fund the protection and preservation of forty African American historic sites this year. According to AACHAF, the fund is the largest U.S. resource dedicated to this effort. Since being […]
According to Newsweek, the number of religious groups implementing reparations programs for Black Americans are increasing. Rev. Ryan Marsh of the Salt House, a Lutheran Church located in a suburb of Seattle, says his church designates one percent of their budget, approximately $6000, to reparations efforts. Members are also asked to donate to the fund. […]
A recent study conducted by The Black to the Futures Action Fund shows that the community is concerned bout the nation’s economy. The group conducted a year-long study of 6000 Black Americans from July 2021 to May 2022. Alicia Garza, of The Black to the Futures Action Fund, said in a recent interview that “we have the […]
Heart, an online journal, says a new review of studies shows that salt substitutes could lower the risk of heart attack, stroke and death. Researchers are reporting that Black Americans have remained at higher risk for heart disease than whites for the past 20 years. About 30,000 people from Western Europe, the Western Pacific, the […]
Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU) recently announced that it is now administering Valley State’s Prison Educational Partnership Program (PEPP). Currently, seven colleges and nonprofits offer the program in Mississippi however Mississippi Valley State University is the first Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to offer the program. The initiative is a part of the Second Chance Pell […]
The HOMES (Helping Out Mecklenburg’s homeowners with Economic Support) program is accepting applications. Mecklenburg County residents who qualify can receive economic assistance benefits up to $340. The grant is provided to assist in reducing the total amount of taxes due for the recipient’s primary residence. Real Estate taxes are due and payable on September […]
Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion in St. Louis decided that they had too many stained glass white images of Jesus for their multicultural church. According to Pastor Mike Angell, the membership is 40% black. They hired Emil Frei and Associates, a 124 year old stained glass company that has served more than 7000 churches […]