James Cone<\/p><\/div>\n

He\u00a0says anti-blackness is the original sin of our society. All lives can only matter when black lives matter. This is what Jesus would have said in our time. So we can only claim Christianity when we put those who have been violently marginalized at the very center of our concern.<\/p>\n

Thus the creation of exclusive black spaces\u2014such as those\u00a0at Yale and Missouri University\u2014have deep and authentic spiritual \u00a0theological integrity. While they are\u00a0not always unified or organized political movements, students’ struggles\u00a0are endeavors deeply rooted in the radicalism of Malcolm X and the liberation theology of James Cone. They are the first way forward in the movement for black lives.<\/p>\n

Hence\u00a0I draw our attention\u00a0to the organization\u00a0of student activism on college campuses, our own Smith campus in particular, where social identity is at its core. Those that are confused may ask: Why is social identity so important? Where\u00a0do\u00a0we situate ourselves in the fight for justice? Why does it matter how I speak, or what words I use, as a white person? \u00a0Aren’t the most universal values the inherent worth and dignity of all human beings?<\/em><\/p>\n

According the liberation theology that formed me as a person of faith, and according to the insights and wisdom of those young people living it\u2014yes,<\/em> and no. <\/em>The inherent worth and dignity of all humans can only be upheld when the inherent worth and dignity of those who have been oppressed is paramount.<\/p>\n

In a minute our student panelists will talk about their experience and bring to light their thoughts about how and why an institution of higher education, if it is to be about all lives, must be about some lives, first. I hope it will lead us to give deeper thought to what we think it means to be a secular institution, where diversity, the free exchange of ideas and civil discourse are the highest good. How free can a free exchange of ideas be if those expressing the ideas are not themselves on equal ground? This is a question we must consider.<\/p>\n

The students will engage in discussion that will help us understand, I hope, why for them, language, history, social identity matters. They will encourage us, as I hope we have encouraged them, to work for common understanding, they may chide us gently, but the Civil Rights movement would not be what it was without the voices of the young people, without those who help us move to be bold, visionary and uncompromising. The philosophy of active nonviolence of king was indeed just that\u2014uncompromising, it refused to succumb to violence, it refused to stop listening in the face of judgment and misunderstanding. And even the generation gap.<\/p>\n

While denominationalism is on the decline and religiously these students are part of the \u201cnone\u2019s\u201d\u2014students are no less spiritual. At Smith’s Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, we seek to pair contemplative practice with radical action, for we believe that by doing so we are situating ourselves in a worthy tradition whose values are not only important, but urgent. Pierre de Chardin said “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual<\/em> beings having a human<\/em> experience.” It is of upmost importance that we regard the students’ activism as expressions of their deep spiritual experiences, and follow their lead where we are inspired and challenged to do so.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"