Watch

"I Have a Dream" | Martin Luther King Jr.

• "I Have a Dream" is a public speech that was delivered by American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963, in which he called for civil and economic rights and an end to racism in the United States. Delivered to over 250,000 civil rights supporters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the speech was a defining moment of the civil rights movement and among the most iconic speeches in American history. 

"White Liberals and Conservatives" | Malcolm X

• Malcolm X talked in 1963 about the power of the vote to change the race problem, noting that only 3 million "Negro integration-seekers" in the "Black bourgeoisie" voted, but 8 million do not. He proposed that white liberals and conservatives use civil rights "in this crooked game of power politics" to garner power.

Letter from Birmingham Jail | Martin Luther King Jr. 

• The civil rights leader penned this speech in 1963 while jailed for continuing to protest the mistreatment of Black people. Martin Luther King Jr. talked about the interconnectedness of humanity, reminding us that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere—we are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly."

1963 Address on Civil Rights | John F. Kennedy 

• After National Guard assistance was required in 1963 to allow two Black students onto the University of Alabama campus, President John F. Kennedy reminded the nation that Americans of any color should be able to attend public schools, receive equal service, register to vote, and "enjoy the privileges of being American," framing those rights as a moral issue. The stats he quoted to prove that this was not the case have changed over time, but many show that equality has not yet been achieved.

1963 March on Washington Speech  | John Lewis 

• Before representing Georgia in Congress, John Lewis was chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, organizing with other civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr. Lewis drafted his "March on Washington" speech in response to the Civil Rights Bill of 1963, where, in addition to expressing urgency for jobs and freedom, he implored: "We are tired. We are tired of being beaten by policemen. We are tired of seeing our people locked up in jail over and over again."

"By Any Means Necessary" | Malcolm X 

• The Nation of Islam activist spoke in 1964 about the creation of a Black nationalist party based on the successes of African brothers in gaining "more independence, more recognition, more respect as human beings." His new Organization of African Unity would hasten the "complete independence of people of African descent … by any means necessary," starting in Harlem.

1964 Democratic National Convention Testimony | Fannie Lou Hamer 

• Former sharecropper and civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer talked in 1964 about traveling 26 miles to register to vote to become "first-class citizens," being met by police, and ultimately being evicted for her efforts. In her speech, she asked, "Is this America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, where we have to sleep with our telephones off of the hook?"

"Pin Drop" | James Baldwin 

• Writer and activist James Baldwin talked in 1965 about how it can seem to Black people that they "belong where white people have put you." He addressed how gentrification existed 55 years ago: "When someone says 'Urban Renewal,' that Negroes are simply going to be thrown out into the streets." He also warned how those excluded will rise up, cautioning, "The people who are denied participation in [the American Dream], by their very presence, will wreck it."

Theology & Ministry

Fr. Bryan Massingale: How the Church Can Combat Racism and White Privilege | Fr. Bryan Massingale 

• "Father Bryan Massingale, author of 'Racial Justice and the Catholic Church' and Professor of Theology at Fordham University, joins America's National Correspondent Michael O'Loughlin for a conversation on racism, white privilege, and what the church can do to address these issues moving forward."

What Can Catholics Do to Overcome Racism? | Fr. Mark-Mary & Fr. Pierre Toussaint 

• Fr. Mark-Mary asks Fr. Pierre Toussaint about his experience of racism and division in the Church. And Fr. Mark-Mary listens. "We really are listening. We really are suffering. Real tears have been shed. We’re not PR people. We’re priests. We’re spiritual fathers and our spiritual sons and daughters are suffering. If any of you suffers, we suffer with you. Ascension Presents has graciously agreed to host a live Q and A on their YouTube channel so that we can hear your stories, gain insight into your particular sufferings, and respond as best we can to your questions…If you are angry with us, we want to hear it. If you are confused by us, we want to hear it. If you want more guidance from us, we’re happy to offer it. Everything and anything is fair game. We’re here for you. We’re family." -Fr. Mark-Mary, CFR

Good Faith Forums on Racial Justice | Good Faith Media Organization 

• The first of three "Good Faith Forums" on racial justice in the United States was delivered via Facebook Live on Tuesday, July 14, 2020, at 2:00 pm (Eastern Time). 

Open Wide Our Hearts: The Catholic Church Confronts Racism | Minnesota Catholic Conference 

• The tragic death of George Floyd has ignited a public conversation about ongoing racial inequity and injustice in America. How can the Church uphold the dignity of all human persons and foster the common good during these contentious times? What issues do we need to address with our own Church that prevents an appropriate response? The Minnesota Catholic Conference, the public policy voice of the Catholic Church in Minnesota, hosted this forum on the memorial of St. Peter Claver (September 9th) to provide an opportunity for formation and reflection on these critical issues in our community, and how we as a Church can respond. This forum was primarily for priests, deacons, educators, and lay ecclesial ministers and was also open to the public.

Black Catholic Voices | Fr. Robert Boxie, Archdiocese of Washington, DC 

• Fr Robert Boxie is the Priest Chaplain of Howard University in Washington, DC.

Conversations on Race

A Conversation on Race and Privilege with Angela Davis and Jane Elliott | University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work 

• A Conversation on Race and Privilege with Angela Davis and Jane Elliott is the latest installment of the student-led Social Justice Solutions series. Each year, we invite activists, thought leaders, and the community to explore action-oriented strategies to affect social change. This year we are honored to host two luminaries who have long been on the front lines of pushing the national conversation on race and racial justice forward.

Interview at Berkley | Malcolm X (1963) 

• Malcolm X, being interviewed by Professor John Leggett and Herman Blake (graduate student) (Dept. of Sociology) at the University of California, Berkeley in October 1963, discusses being a Black Muslim, the conditions of Blacks in this country, their relation with white people, and states the case for Black separatism. Originally recorded on October 11, 1963, Presented for Historical reference.

James Baldwin v. William F. Buckley (1965) | Legendary Debate

• James Baldwin debates William F. Buckley at Cambridge University's Union Hall. Delivered February 18, 1965. 

Minister Louis Farrakhan on Donahue (1990) 

• The classic two-part broadcast featuring the Hon. Minister Louis Farrakhan on The Phil Donahue Show. Farrakhan takes on all comers as he explains to middle America the nature of institutionalized racism and the need for reparations.  Look for Reverend Al Sharpton and FOI's Khalid Muhammad during the second half.

Artists

Wynton Marsalis, Marcus Roberts, and Stanley Crouch Interview

• Writer Stanley Crouch and musicians Wynton Marsalis and Marcus Roberts explain the complexity of jazz music and the reason why it's experiencing a resurgence in popularity among young musicians.

Robert Glasper: "Jazz is the mother of hip-hop" | Jazz Night in America

• Why do hip-hop producers gravitate toward jazz samples? For a mood, for sonic timbre, for a unique rhythmic component. Swing is a precursor to the boom-bap. "If you're a hip-hop producer that wants a lot of melodic stuff happening," pianist Robert Glasper says, "you're probably going to go to jazz first." Glasper has lived in an area of overlap between jazz and hip-hop for more than two decades — and you can hear it in his piano playing, which often drifts into cyclical rhythms akin to a beat-makers loop. It's all one and the same to Glasper: recasting the music of Miles Davis for an R&B audience or rocking live shows with Q-Tip; playing acoustic jazz with his trio or streamlined soul with his Grammy-winning Robert Glasper Experiment. In this short doc, Glasper identifies three jazz samples, from tracks by Ahmad Jamal and Herbie Hancock, that have served as source material for famed hip-hop producers J Dilla and Pete Rock.

Bryan Stevenson: We Need to Talk About an Injustice | TED

• In an engaging and personal talk - with cameo appearances from his grandmother and Rosa Parks - human rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson shares some hard truths about America's justice system, starting with a massive imbalance along racial lines: a third of the country's black male population has been incarcerated at some point in their lives. 

Kimberlé Crenshaw: The Urgency of Intersectionality | TED

• Now more than ever, it's important to look boldly at the reality of race and gender bias - and understand how the two can combine to create even more harm. Kimberlé Crenshaw uses the term "intersectionality" to describe this phenomenon; as she says, "If you're standing in the path of multiple forms of exclusion, you're likely to get hit by both." In this moving talk, she calls on us to bear witness to this reality and speak up for victims of prejudice. 

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The Danger of a Single Story | TED

• Our lives and our cultures are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice - and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding. 

Canwen Xu: I am not Your Asian Stereotype | TEDx Boise

• Bad driver. Math wizard. Model Minority. In this hilarious and insightful talk, eighteen-year-old Canwen Xu shares her Asian-American story of breaking stereotypes, reaffirming stereotypes, and driving competently on her way to buy rice. 

Dr. Gail Christopher: Rx Racial Healing | TEDx Charlottesville 

• An award-winning social change agent, Dr. Gail Christopher, depicts how our collective and individual healing from centuries of believing in a false hierarchy of humanity is the prescription for the 21st century. 

Kayla August | Preaching from Sister Thea's Kitchen 

• "But where are the prophets of today? Who today is crying out for those in need? Who has the message to share, truths to reveal, and the courage today to move us into tomorrow? I think the answer is simple. I think the answer is the students right here on this campus," says Kayla August, doctoral student, and resident minister at Boston College. 

Régine Michelle Jean-Charles | Preaching from Sister Thea's Kitchen

• "To be a person of compassion is a person who cares about justice and understands that in order for justice to advance, we need action," says professor Régine Michelle Jean-Charles, Ph.D., in 'Preaching from Sr. Thea's Kitchen.'

Valerie Lewis-Mosley, '79 | Preaching from Sr. Thea's Kitchen 

• "[Sr. Thea] never let her heart become hardened, nor did she allow the experiences or the suffering of her people to make her bitter. She believed in love and forgiveness, but she believed in preaching the true truth," shares Dr. Valerie Lewis-Mosley, '79, co-founder of the AHANA acronym, in our latest 'Preaching from Sr. Thea's Kitchen.' 

Sharyl Thompson | Preaching from Sr. Thea's Kitchen 

• "In life, there are so many experiences, people, and places, that leave us feeling hungry or even malnourished. We have to make sure to be the source of food to keep us going," Sharyl Thompson, general manager of BC Dining Services, tells us in 'Preaching from Sr. Thea's Kitchen.'

Kwasi Sarkodie-Mensah, Ph.D. | Preaching from Sr. Thea's Kitchen 

• "We are all human, we are all children of God and have no choice but to accept respect and treasure all human beings," librarian Kwasi Sarkodie-Mensah shares in Preaching from Sr. Thea's Kitchen.

M. Shawn Copeland, Ph.D. | Preaching from Sr. Thea's Kitchen 

• "Freedom can never be only freedom from but must be freedom for," professor emerita M. Shawn Copeland shares in Preaching from Sr. Thea's Kitchen. Shouldering the responsibilities of freedom obligates us to follow Jesus in standing with the oppressed and working for justice in concrete ways.

Joshua Beekman, '06 | Preaching from Sr. Thea's Kitchen

• "When people see us, hear us, respect us, love us," they work to fulfill America's destiny, says Joshua Beekman, '06, director of football initiatives, who played for the Eagles from 2002-2006.

Claire Johnson Allen | Preaching from Sr. Thea's Kitchen 

• Claire Johnson Allen on how St. Ignatius helped her "find her lane" and use her gifts for others.

Yvonne McBarnett | Preaching from Sr. Thea's Kitchen 

• Yvonne McBarnett reflects on being a Black mother and a person of faith in the midst of the challenges posed by systemic racism.

Rev'd. James M. Hairston, '04 | Preaching from Sr. Thea's Kitchen 

• Rev'd. James M. Hairston looks at the people, places, and moments that inspire his vocation and pursuit of a just world.

Meyer Chambers | Preaching from Sr. Thea's Kitchen 

• Learn more about the Knights of Peter Claver.

Do THE WORK: Toward a Catholic Anti-Racist | Dr. Tia Noelle Pratt 

• "Tia Noelle Pratt, Ph.D. is a sociologist by training and has researched and written about systemic racism in the Catholic Church and its impact on African American Catholic identity for more than twenty years.  Drawing on this work and Catholic Social Teaching, Dr. Pratt discusses anti-racism strategies that demonstrate how such initiatives are both mission-driven and the work of the Church."

Run, Sister, Run: The Figure of Mary Magdalene in the Negro Spirituals | M. Shawn Copeland

• This lecture explores the figure of Mary Magdalene as interpreted through Negro or African American Spirituals. Special focus is given to the resurrection narratives in the Gospels.  Starting with an overview of the Spirituals' origin and composition, Prof. Copeland examines a number of specific songs' portrayals of St. Mary Magdalene and how she informed a theology of empowerment for enslaved people.

The Spirituals: An African American Music Idiom and Its Relevance to Our Lives Today | Fr. Oscar Pratt and Meyer Chambers

• Whether sung liturgically, privately, or performed in concert, the Spirituals are a truly unique American music genre, steeped and founded in the Black Church experience with longevity and relevance for our lives today. Let’s take a brief look at the history, development, and praxis of the Spirituals—oh, and have a little church in the process!

Eco-Womanist Spirituality in a Time of Climate Change | Dr. Melanie Harris

• "In this lecture, Dr. Melanie Harris introduces the conceptual frame of eco-womanism. Eco-Womanist spirituality opens the mind, body, and heart to an awareness of the impact of climate change on vulnerable communities, most especially communities of color. It highlights the importance of intersectional race-class-gender analysis and recovers contemplative practices that can help us more deeply connect to the sacredness of earth as a form of earth care. Dr. Harris leads us in earth-honoring faith practices of mindfulness, inviting us to deeply reflect on our own relationship with the earth and our views on earth justice as social justice."

Witnessing Jesus Hang: Reading Jesus' Crucifixion through African American Biblical Histories | Rev. Dr. Shively T. J. Smith

• This presentation explores the literary representation of Jesus’ death on the cross in the gospel accounts and its historic Roman spectacle of violence and execution using African American Biblical interpretative histories. We consider what interpretative textures African American history provides the readers of the Passion accounts in the Gospels.

Coping and Hoping with the Help of Jeremiah | Jaime L. Waters

• The book of Jeremiah is set during a period of instability and impending exile, highlighting many of the difficulties surrounding war and destruction. However, there are also reflections on hope, restoration, and renewal. In this presentation, Dr. Waters explores Jeremiah in light of the complex challenges related to the pandemic, as well as the history of racism in the U.S., revealing ways that the book offers insights for responding to and persevering through difficult circumstances.

The Mysticism of Ordinary Life: Whose Mysticism? Whose Ordinariness? | Andrew L. Prevot 

• Since Karl Rahner popularized the idea of the mysticism of ordinary life several decades ago, it has become conventional to think about mysticism, not as a rare possibility of paranormal experience which belongs to an elite and exclusive group of vowed contemplatives, but as a widespread possibility for a deeper relationship with God that is available to everyone in their everyday lives. This expansion of mysticism opens new questions about whose experiences of God count as "ordinary" or normative and how differences in race, gender, class, and other historical variables shape our understanding of mysticism. Prof. Andrew Prevot reflects on these questions in conversation with Latinx and Black/Womanist sources.

The Fierce Urgency of Now | M. Shawn Copeland 

• Fifty years ago, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was martyred for his prophetic message and witness.  Over the 13 years of his public social ministry, he called our nation to self-reflection and action with regard to three urgent problems—racism, poverty, and war, which remain as urgent today as they did 50 years ago.  This address explores King’s exercise of the prophetic and those problems from the vantage of political theology.

Do Black Lives Matter to God | Amey Victoria Adkins-Jones 

• We find ourselves in a time of two pandemics: the sudden Covid-19 virus that has shifted ways of life and being across the globe, and the persistently painful legacy of anti-black violence in the United States. As the responses to the viral pandemic have only highlighted and exacerbated the racial and socioeconomic divides in this country, and as the contemporary civil rights movement pushes for reform and abolition, declaring yet again that Black lives matter -- where is God? Where is the (c)hurch? Together we reflect on both the questions and theological resources for pursuing community and racial justice.

Latinos and U.S. Catholicism: Present Contributions and Future Possibilities | Nancy Pineda-Madrid, Roberto S. Goizueta, and Hoffsman Ospino 

• Panelists: Roberto S. Goizueta, Margaret O’Brien Flatley Professor of Catholic Theology, Boston College Theology Department, Hosffman Ospino, STM assistant professor of Hispanic ministry and religious education and faculty director of Hispanic ministry programs, and Nancy Pineda-Madrid, STM assistant professor of theology and Latino/Latina ministry. This panel presentation offers insight into the present and future of Hispanics in U.S. Catholicism, Hispanic spirituality, and U.S. Latino/Latina theology.

Spiritual Practices and the Sacramental Worldview of Latino/Latina Catholicism | Nancy Pineda-Madrid

• Presenter: Nancy Pineda-Madrid, STM assistant professor of theology and Latino/Latina ministry. This interactive presentation reviews some religious practices (e.g., Posadas, Viernes Santo, Quinceañeras, Altares) and how these express and contribute to a sacramental worldview.

Suffering and Salvation in Ciudad Juárez | Nancy Pineda Madrid 

• In this presentation, Professor Pineda-Madrid discusses her new book (Fortress Press, 2011), which re-conceives traditional Christian notions of salvation by closely attending to the experience of the embattled women of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, where hundreds have been slain. There, survivors have found healing and salvation in solidarity and community practices that resist rather than acquiesce in the violence.

Parishes in Transition: Learning to Live in Tabernacles | Nancy T. Ammerman and Hosffman Ospino

• Transitions come in all shapes and sizes, and every parish is faced with the necessity of responding to population shifts that are unlikely to stop anytime soon.  Dr. Ammerman explores the ongoing reality of change and the challenges posed by the peculiarly American ways of encouraging people to find the “church of their choice.”  She also looks for the particular habits of mind and skills of leadership that enable religious communities to thrive even when we are living in social spaces that need to be as temporary and flexible as the Israelites’ tabernacle in the wilderness.  Dr. Ospino examines major changes, tensions, questions, and possibilities in the context of U.S. Catholic parish life as Catholic communities respond to the growing Hispanic presence in an increasingly diverse Church.

The Treasure of Hispanic American Catholicism | Marilú Del Toro and Hoffsman Opsino

• American Catholicism in the 21st century is in the midst of a major demographic and cultural transformation driven.  It is driven largely by the fast-growing presence of Hispanics, who currently make up about half of all Catholics in the United States. This presentation reflects on the challenges and possibilities of being Catholic in the United States in an increasingly Hispanic Church. How does such transformation affect our commitments to Catholic ministry, social action, and theological reflection? 

Contributions of Migrants to Development and Social Innovation in Boston 

• Panel 1: Trends in Integration, Development, and Social Innovation of Migrants: Global, National, and Local Perspectives

• Panel 2:  Local Governments Roundtable | Contributions of Migrants to Economic and Social Development through Job Creation, Entrepreneurship, and Social Innovation in Boston

• Panel 3:  General Consulates Roundtable | Best Practices and Challenges to Advance in the Protection, Promotion, and Integration of the Immigrant Community in Boston

• Panel 4:  Scalabrini Centers for Migration in Boston | Promoting Integration and Easing the Immigrant's Journey in Boston

Theological Writing and the Power of Place | Dr. Benjamín Valentín 

• "Particular places and our experiences in and with them inform and give shape to our intellectual musings, interests, projects, and compositions. This lecture highlights the affective agency of the physical and geographical places we inhabit and makes a case for why we who study and create theology should count them among the influences on our understandings of thought, knowledge, and belief. Dr. Valentín draws extensively from his particular experience of growing up as a Puerto Rican New Yorker in Spanish Harlem."

Basements, Potlucks, and the Orange Line: Listening for God in an Urban Parish | Susan B. Reynolds

• Weaving together stories drawn from years of ministry and ethnographic research in a parish in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood, this lecture reflects on what it means to do theology in community. Lifting up the theological agency of communities on the margins of church and society, Dr. Reynolds invites us to rethink our understanding of how—and where—the work of theology unfolds.

Cultural Identity and Interreligious Dialogue | Kwok Pui-Lan, Susan Abraham, and Peter C. Phan 

• Presenter:  Peter C. Phan, Ellacuria Chair of Catholic Social Thought, Georgetown University | Respondents: Susan Abraham, assistant professor of ministry studies at Harvard Divinity School, and Kwok Pui-Lan, William F. Cole Professor of Christian Theology and Spirituality, Episcopal Divinity School 

• This lecture examines the interaction and mutual relationships between cultures, religions, and interreligious dialogue, with a special focus on Vietnam as a case study.

Beyond Ignorance, Hostility, and Fear: Organizing for Justice by Embracing Religious and Ethnic Passion | John Baumann, S.J. 

• In 1972, Jesuit Father John Baumann founded the PICO National Network, which has become one of the largest networks of community organizations in the world.  Recognizing that religious differences can lead to hostility and violence, in this lecture Fr. Baumann tells how directly engaging local faith communities across religious and ethnic boundaries addresses justice issues, creates solidarity, and improves the quality of life for all.

Kinship Across Borders: Catholic Ethics and Migration | Kristin E. Heyer

• The rhetoric and lenses that shape the quickly shifting immigration debate can distort complex realities and become surrogates for other cultural and political concerns. Resources from Scripture and Catholic Social Teaching challenge the dominant, instrumentalist frameworks and offer a counternarrative of kinship with moral, spiritual, and policy implications.

The Penitential Pilgrimage | Mary Jo Iozzio 

• Prof. Mary Jo Iozzio shares insights about Pope Francis's pilgrimage to Canada regarding the tragedies of the residential schools for Indigenous children, and the Indigenous peoples' request for the doctrine of discovery to be rescinded.

Immigration 101 for Catholics: Welcome the Suffering Neighbor | Linda Dakin-Grimm 

• In this conversation with Linda Dakin-Grimm, lawyer and Catholic immigration advocate, we are led to consider how we are called as Catholics to recognize the dignity of the neighbor at our border while sharing insights into the intersection of Catholic social teaching, immigration law, and the effects of prejudice, crime, violence, and war.

Liturgy and Solidarity: Beyond Frontiers | Susan Reynolds and Marcus Mescher 

• Pope Francis has been calling for the Church to go to the frontiers to accompany those on the margins with mercy, solidarity, and hope. This joint presentation explores the chief obstacles to overcome and opportunities to embrace in order for the liturgy to share in this vision of the Church to be more of a “field hospital” than a laboratory in loving God and neighbor. Mescher traces the historical roots of liturgy as a radically inclusive experience of table fellowship to serve as an imaginative framework to heal the divisions that mark the Body of Christ today. Reynolds explores how liturgy can help to form community in parishes characterized by cultural and racial diversity.

Intersectionality and LGBTQ Ministry | Fr. Bryan Massingale 

• Fr. Bryan Massingale delivered the keynote address at the 2022 Outreach Conference, sharing his thoughts on the intersections of Blackness and LGBTQ identities and how it might inform our approaches to ministry. 

Music as Metaphor | Wynton Marsalis Harvard Lecture Series 

• "The lectures cover many of the fundamental devices, forms, and songs that bind the different Americas together at the root. It is Marsalis' contention that... 'Me vs. You' and 'Us vs. Y'all' – vs. 'All of Us' – remains the struggle at the heart of humankind and the central debate of our Constitution. How do we achieve a common ground when individual victories are so much more valued? This conundrum has been resolved harmoniously in our musical arts for more than a century.  Under the vibrant din of our democracy, on the lower frequencies, sonic metaphors speak to and for us all.  What they tell us about what it means to be American could serve us well in these divisive and uncivil times."

Music's Patient: A Conversation in Word and Song, Featuring Julian Davis Reid and Nnenna Freelon | Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts 

• “Everybody needs patience; everybody is a patient.” —Reid

•  “Grief doesn't own a watch.” —Freelon 

• Jazz artist, theologian, and previous chaplain Julian Davis Reid performs original work and discusses—in word and song—faith, art, and the loss of a loved one with seven-time Grammy nominee and North Carolina Music Hall of Fame inductee, Nnenna Freelon. 

Sounds in the Deep: A Hermeneutic of Rest for an Exhausted World | Julian Davis Reid, Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts

• The lecture was given by Julian Davis Reid on February 25, 2022, at Duke Divinity School. 

Mary Milligan, R.S.H.M. Endowed Lecture in Spirituality 2016: M. Shawn Copeland | LMU Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts  

• This lecture entitled, "Discipleship in a Time of Impasses," was delivered on April 13th, 2016 at Loyola Marymount University. 

And You Welcomed Me: A Catholic Meditation on Immigration and Race for a Changing Community | Dr. Hoffsman Ospino

• Millions of immigrants from various parts of the world are renewing and redefining the core of the American Catholic experience. Immigrants constitute about a quarter of the U.S. Catholic population. We live in a complex sociopolitical climate in which frequent anti-immigrant and racist sentiments prevent many from affirming the inherent dignity of every person among us. This lecture is an invitation to reassess what it means to be Catholic today in our country and a call to action to confront dangerous biases that undermine our shared existence as church and society. 

Race Matters | Dr. Cornel West 

• Cornel West—a self-described intellectual freedom fighter influenced by the Baptist church, American transcendentalism, the Black Panthers, and European philosophy—seeks to revive the best of liberalism, populism, and democratic socialism. In this talk, West teaches that racial division fosters the poverty, paranoia, fear, and distrust that undermine our nation's democratic process.

Black Theology and Black Power | James Cone 

• James H. Cone, the Bill and Judith Moyers Distinguished Professor of Systematic Theology at Union Theological Seminary, came to YDS as the culmination of this semester's All School Read Program. The YDS community has been reading Cone's Black Theology & Black Power, the 1969 volume that is credited with establishing the field of Black Liberation Theology and Cone as its principal articulator. Recorded April 19, 2017, in Marquand Chapel at Yale Divinity School. 

13th | Ava DuVernay (Available on Netflix) 

• "13th is a 2016 American documentary film by director Ava DuVernay. The film explores the 'intersection of race, justice, and mass incarceration in the United States'; it is titled after the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, adopted in 1865, which abolished slavery throughout the United States and ended involuntary servitude except as a punishment for conviction of a crime."

Summer of Soul | Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson (Available on Hulu) 

• "In his acclaimed debut as a filmmaker, Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson presents a powerful and transporting documentary—part music film, part historical record created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture, and fashion. Over the course of six weeks in the summer of 1969, just one hundred miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park). The footage was largely forgotten–until now. SUMMER OF SOUL shines a light on the importance of history to our spiritual well-being and stands as a testament to the healing power of music during times of unrest, both past and present. The feature includes concert performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, The 5th Dimension, and more."

Meet the First African-American Cardinal in the Catholic Church | TODAY

• "In November, Wilton Gregory, archbishop of Washington, became the first African-American ever appointed cardinal in the Catholic Church. TODAY’s Al Roker spoke with him about America’s racial divisions, having President Biden as a parishioner, and more. The cardinal says his appointment 'took so long because we’re still grappling with racism and exclusion.'"

From the Church to the Charts: The Influence of Gospel Music | Sound Field PBS

• Aretha Franklin, Beyonce, D'Angelo, John Legend, Anderson Paak. What do they all have in common? Like countless other Black musicians, they all gained their foundation and love for music through the black church and the music it birthed - Gospel. 

Wynton Marsalis and Bryan Stevenson on the Value of Art and Identity | Jazz at Lincoln Center 

• On May 19, 2020, Wynton Marsalis sat down for a wide-ranging virtual conversation with Bryan Stevenson of the Equal Justice Initiative to discuss the value of art in understanding the identity of our country. Stevenson specifically delves into the #BlackExcellence that inspires him to honor the resilience of Black artists such as Mahalia Jackson, Dizzy Gillespie, and Louis Armstrong, as each endured humiliation but remained brilliant and genius. 

Asian Americans | GBH PBS Documentary 

• Asian Americans is a five-hour film series that delivers a bold, fresh perspective on a history that matters today, more than ever. As America becomes more diverse, and more divided while facing unimaginable challenges, how do we move forward together? Told through intimate personal stories, the series will cast a new lens on U.S. history and the ongoing role that Asian Americans have played.

Black' Britannica | PBS Documentary

• This documentary was produced by Musindo Mwinyipembe and David Koff for the Public Broadcasting (PBS) affiliate in Boston, Massachusetts. PBS refused to air the film as the creators intended and instead, broadcasted a heavily censored version in August 1978. PBS then filed a lawsuit against the director, Koff, to prevent him from distributing the film. The deputy director of the British Information Service in the U.S. called Blacks' Britannica "dangerous," and the film was banned in the U.K. It was eventually broadcast in its unedited form in 1989, by a small, independent cable program called "Alternative News" in Austin, Texas.

The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross with Henry Louis Gates Jr. | PBS Documentary 

• This six-hour PBS series explores the evolution of the African-American people, as well as the multiplicity of cultural institutions, political strategies, and religious and social perspectives they developed — forging their own history, culture, and society against unimaginable odds.

Freedom Riders | PBS Documentary 

• Freedom Riders is the powerful harrowing and ultimately inspirational story of six months in 1961 that changed America forever. From May until November 1961, more than 400 black and white Americans risked their lives—and many endured savage beatings and imprisonment—for simply traveling together on buses and trains as they journeyed through the Deep South. Deliberately violating Jim Crow laws in order to test and challenge a segregated interstate travel system, the Freedom Riders met with bitter racism and mob violence along the way, sorely testing their belief in nonviolent activism.

The Busing Battleground: The Decades-Long Road to Desegregation | PBS Documentary

• On September 12, 1974, police were stationed outside schools across Boston as Black and white students were bused for the first time between neighborhoods to comply with a federal court desegregation order. The cross-town busing was met with shocking violence, much of it directed at children: angry white protestors threw rocks at school buses carrying Black children and hurled racial epithets at the students as they walked into their new schools. The chaos and racial unrest would escalate and continue for years. Using eyewitness accounts, oral histories, and news footage that hasn’t been seen in decades, The Busing Battleground pulls back the curtain on the volatile effort to end school segregation, detailing the decades-long struggle for educational equity that preceded the crisis. It illustrates how civil rights battles had to be fought across the North as well as the South and reckons with the class dimensions of the desegregation saga, exploring how the neighborhoods most impacted by the court’s order were the poorest in the city.

Latino Americans | GBH PBS Documentary 

• LATINO AMERICANS is the first major documentary series for television to chronicle the rich and varied history and experiences of Latinos, who have helped shape North America over the last 500-plus years and have become, with more than 50 million people, the largest minority group in the U.S. The changing and yet repeating context of American history provides a backdrop for the drama of individual lives. It is a story of immigration and redemption, of anguish and celebration, of the gradual construction of a new American identity that connects and empowers millions of people today.

Ugly Delicious (Netflix) | David Chang, Peter Meehan 

• All the flavor. None of the BS. Star chef David Chang leads friends on a mouthwatering, cross-cultural hunt for the world's most satisfying grub. 

The Sentence | HBO Documentary (Available on Hulu) 

• Another documentary for your list… this one explores the tragedies that coincide with mandatory minimum sentencing in the United States. The creator, Rudy Valdez, focuses the film on his sister, Cindy Shank, who is a mother of three currently serving a 15-year sentence. She was charged with the crimes committed by her ex-boyfriend (who has since passed away) and was separated from her children.

Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four | (Available on the Roku Channel)

• This documentary explores the sentencing of four Latina lesbians who were wrongfully convicted of raping two children. A group challenges their conviction in court based on adjusted scientific evidence, proving their previous cause for sentencing false. In addition to the specifics of their case, the movie also explores the way harmful mythology, homophobia, and prosecutorial rage led to their punishment in the first place.

Cesar's Last Fast | (Available on Apple TV)

• Civil rights leader Cesar Chavez fought for the rights of disenfranchised people everywhere, especially when it came to farmers and other agricultural workers across the world. The documentary Cesar’s Last Fast uses archival footage to explore Chavez’s protest techniques of fasting, marching, non-violence, and more, specifically against the use of pesticides in farming, which were causing a number of illnesses in those exposed.

Do The Right Thing (1989), directed by Spike Lee  "The hottest day of the year explodes onscreen in this vibrant look at a day in the life of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. A portrait of urban racial tensions sparked controversy while earning popular and critical praise." 

Freedom Riders (2010), directed by Stanley Nelson  This inspirational documentary is about a band of courageous civil-rights activists calling themselves the Freedom Riders. Gaining impressive access to influential figures on both sides of the issue, it chronicles a chapter of American history that stands as an astonishing testament to the accomplishment of youth and what can result from the incredible combination of personal conviction and the courage to organize against all odds. 

Fruitvale Station (2013), directed by Ryan Coogler  This biographical drama stars Michael Jordan and tells the story of the 2009 death of Oscar Grant who was shot by a police officer named Johannes Mehserle in Oakland, California. Oscar Grant crosses paths with friends, enemies, family, and strangers on the last day of 2008. Based on a true story. 

Get Out (2018) directed by Jordan Peele  A young black man meets his white girlfriend's parents at their estate, only to find out that the situation is much more sinister than it appears. There are some awkward conversations about their interracial relationship in the first part of the movie but later, everything takes a dark twist and we find the racism which lurks beneath coming to the fore.

I Am Not Your Negro (2016) directed by Raoul Peck  Master documentary filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished. The result is a radical, up-to-the-minute examination of race in America, using Baldwin's original words and a flood of rich archival material. A journey into black history that connects the past of the Civil Rights movement to the present of #BlackLivesMatter. 

Mayday Panthers (1996), Third World Newsreel  Newsreel footage of a public Black Panther demonstration held on May 1, 1969, in honor of Huey Newton. 

The Color Purple (1985) is an American epic coming-of-age period drama film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Menno Meyjes, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1982 novel of the same name by Alice Walker.

Selma (2014) is a chronicle of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s campaign to secure equal voting rights via an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1965.

Detriot (2017) is a 2017 American period crime drama film directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by Mark Boal. Based on the Algiers Motel incident during Detroit's 1967 12th Street Riot, the film's release commemorated the 50th anniversary of the event.

El Norte (The North) (1983) 

La Misma Luna (Under the Same Moon) | Got your box of tissues ready? Good, because you’ll definitely need 'em for this one. Under The Same Moon tells the story of a young boy who crosses the Mexican-American border to find his working mother in the United States. The film not only tackles the struggles of family and immigration, but the strong acting performances by Adrian Alonso (Carlitos), Kate del Castillo (Rosario), and Eugenio Derbez (Enrique) will be sure to move you.

Maria Full of Grace (2004) | This movie follows the life of Maria, a 17-year-old living with her large family in rural Colombia. Together, they work in harsh conditions at a flower plantation, stripping thorns from roses. Because her family is in need of more money, though, Maria accepts an offer to travel to the U.S. The catch? The job requires Maria to help transport drugs across borders, which leads to a chaotic life in New York City. For her role as Maria, actress Catalina Sandino Moreno was nominated for an Oscar.

In the Time of the Butterflies (2001) | Based on the novel by Dominican-American author, Julia Alvarez, this intense film tells the story of the heroic Mirabal sisters during the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic. Starring Salma Hayek as Minerva Mirabal, and Marc Anthony as Lio, these three sisters' mission to overthrow the dictator made them leading female figures in history.

Real Women Have Curves (2002) | Although this film didn’t get the recognition it deserved when it premiered, Real Women Have Curves is an astounding coming-of-age movie that's all too familiar for Latina girls living with insecurities—and a mother who doesn't exactly help with that. America Ferrera plays Ana Garcia, a curvy Mexican-American teenager faced with overcoming traditional gender stereotypes and following her dreams in the U.S.

Pelo Malo (Bad Hair) (2013) | Pelo Malo reflects on the term "bad hair," commonly used in Hispanic and Latinx culture to refer to curly locks. The film follows a 9-year-old Junior from Caracas, Venezuela, who becomes obsessed with straightening his hair and deals with homophobia from his mother. Director Mariana Rondon powerfully portrays modern-day identity issues, racism, and violence in this intense drama.

In the Heights (2021) | A film version of the Broadway musical in which Usnavi, a sympathetic New York bodega owner, saves every penny every day as he imagines and sings about a better life.

McFarland, USA (2015) | Attention all athletes (or sports-movie-lovers): You’ll love McFarland USA. Inspired by actual events, the film is about a predominantly Latino community and a group of teens that attend a low-income local high school. The school’s cross country coach, played by Kevin Costner, aims to help the team of adolescents use the skills they learn in the sport to create a better life for themselves and tackle problems within their family life and the larger community.

Selena (1997) | It wouldn’t be right if Selena wasn’t at the top of your "Movies to Watch Over 100 Times" list. (Look, I don't make the rules.) This classic film tells the true story of Latina icon Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, who rose to stardom as the "Queen of Tejano music." Starring Jennifer Lopez, this movie chronicles the life of a young woman reaching the American dream—and her tragic death that still shakes the world today.

Viva (2015) | Set in Cuba, Viva stars Hector Medina as Jesus, a young drag performer trying to live as his authentic self, until his estranged father resurfaces and forces him to quit his love of performing. This moving film directed by Irish filmmaker, Paddy Breathnach, explores a niche social scene in Cuba and the struggles to repair a broken father and son relationship.

Nothing Like The Holidays (2008) is the perfect Christmas movie with a twist. The Rodriguez family comes together for a whimsical holiday celebration they won’t forget, but it may be their last. Directed by the brilliant Alfredo de Villa, this film takes you through the surprising revelations, confessions, and enduring love of a close Puerto Rican family.

Coco (2017) | This dazzling Pixar tale about a young boy's quest to find answers to his family’s musical secrets will take you on a fun and heartfelt cultural journey. Directed by the creative mind behind Toy Story 3, Lee Unkrich, this film uncovers the powerful meaning behind Mexican traditions, while celebrating unbreakable family ties and inspiring legacies.

The Book of Life (2014) | If you’re more into animated movies, you’ll love The Book of Life, produced by Guillermo del Toro, which explores the nature of love and the afterlife in the town of San Angel, Mexico. Joaquin and Manolo are both in love with their longtime friend, Maria. But this is no simple love triangle—two deities have wagered a bet about their marital outcomes and, of course, feel the need to interfere with their relationships.

Sr. Thea's Address to U.S. Bishops | Sr. Thea Bowman

• Sr. Thea Bowman, FSPA, devoted her life to sharing her rich African American Catholic heritage and spirituality in song, prayer, teaching, and preaching. Watch Sr. Thea’s June 1989 address to the U.S. Catholic Bishops on Black Catholic Spirituality.

What if She Preached?! | Kayla August

• "To begin our celebration of the book Catholic Women Preach: Raising Voices, Renewing the Church, a Candlemas prayer service was led by STM students and featured the preaching of Kayla August, an STM doctoral student. In her preaching, August reflects on the prophetic witness of women throughout the history of the Bible and in our own personal lives."

Do you speak God? | Fr. Oscar Pratt's Pentecost Sunday Homily

• Fr. Oscar Pratt serves as the pastor for St. Katharine Drexel Parish in Dorchester, MA, a Black Catholic community of believers. His homily calls us to be open and available to the gift of the Holy Spirit so that we may better communicate God's love to one another. In the spirit of St. Francis, Fr. Pratt reminds us to speak God not only with our mouths but by the way we live our lives. 

Courage to Preach | Bishop Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church 

• Michael Curry challenges preachers on the courage to preach in spite of whatever our shortcomings. "It is also the courage to bear a message that is counter-cultural."