Souls 'a Fire 2 - Conference Program

Re-Imagining Black Religious Identity: Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality

The Second National Conference of the African American Roundtable Project

Thursday, June 23, 2005: Evening Worship and Reception

"How We Got Over, May Not 'Necessarily' Be How We'll Get Through", University Church United Church of Christ/Disciples of Christ

6:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.: Prelude, Reginald Royal, Guest Artist
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.: Worship, Ann Jefferson, Presiding;
Lynice Pinkard, Preacher
8:30 p.m.: Opening worship concludes with reception sponsored by MOCHA immediately following

Friday, June 24, 2005

9:00 a.m. – 9:25 a.m.: Opening Invocation, Instrumentalist
9:30 a.m. – 11:35 a.m.: Friday Morning Plenary

"Wrapped Up, Tied Up, Tangled Up: The Politics of Aesthetic Maleness and Masculinity in Black Religious Culture"

The historical development of the black church as a religious, cultural, social, and political institution in black communities is a movement led primarily by black men. In addition, earlier Black religious historiography, theology, and religious sociology were discourses written almost exclusively by men, which also reflected the black church's male dominated leadership. Despite the development of more recent discourses such as womanist theology, which render black women as subjects within the discussion of black religion, black religious discourse has yet to critically engage the 'aesthetics' of gender. In this instance, not only is it important to consider gender as subject of interest, but we must also begin to ask more difficult questions with respect to the performative nature of gender, and its role at the intersection of race, religion, and gender.

Moderator: Jennifer Brody, Northwestern University
Panelists: Victor Anderson, Vanderbilt University; Johari Jabir, University of California, Santa Barbara; Dwight Hopkins, University of Chicago; E. Patrick Johnson, Northwestern University
Respondent: Maurice Wallace, Duke University

11:35 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.: Q & A
12:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.: Lunch
2:10 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.: Reconvene
2:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.: Friday Afternoon Plenary

"Un-Holy Ghosts: Decolonizing the Churches of Our Youth"

Description: Within the context of African American Queer liberation, the African American church has begun to have expression largely in self-identified formations of religious bodies/communities of faith. Most, if not all, are in their infancy developmentally and are struggling for theological language that would embody both liberation and would begin to decolonize the language of the 'old' theological systems of thought. Much of the music, liturgies and theological rhetoric used in sermons and other pastoral articulations are affected by language that is based in 'old' theological language. In addition to the challenges of language, the panel will discuss the ways in which hierarchies of power are transported through the replication of former homo-negative black religious regimes.

Panelists: Tonya Rawls, Pastor Unity Fellowship Church of Charlotte, NC; Wanda Floyd, Imani Metropolitan Community Church, Durham, NC; John Selders, Amistad United Church of Christ, Hartford, CT; E. Marcus Harper; Phyllis Penesse, Pillar of Love Fellowship Church, Chicago, IL; and Donna Allen, New Revelation Fellowship Church, Oakland, CA

Respondent: Lynice Pinkard, First Congregational Church UCC, Oakland, CA

4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Q & A

Saturday, June 25, 2005

9:00 a.m. – 9:25 a.m.: Reflections (Roundtable Members)
9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.: Saturday Morning Plenary

"Don't Leave it To Beaver"

The relationship between the black church's traditional constructions of gender and gender roles and its homo-negativity, i.e., heterosexism and homophobia are derivative of sexism and misogyny. Also, the relationship of traditional family ideology is directly related to homo-negativity. A critical and deep interrogation of family structures and models in relation to the black church requires a simultaneous (re)examination of gender roles as prescribed by religion and society. This panel will discuss the danger in taking for granted more general and traditional notions of what it means to be 'family' through the intersections of race, religion, class, gender, and sexuality.

Moderator: Ann Jefferson
Panelists: Marlon Bailey, University of California, Berkeley; Sharon Holland, University of Chicago; Vickie Sides, Chicago YWCA; Michael Brown, Emory University
Respondent: Irene Monroe, Harvard University

11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.: Q & A
12:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.: Lunch
2:10 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.: Reconvene
2:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.: Saturday Afternoon Plenary

"Reclaiming Stonewall"

Description: By what means can sexual minorities of color set the agendas for our own communities rather than having whites determine the political and social agenda while circumscribing our participation in it? This would involve gathering persons of color who work in communities of color to address issues at the intersection of race, class, gender, and sexuality who are not necessarily funded by larger white glbtq organizations and are perhaps overlooked because they do not operate under the banner of the alphabet soup. This panel would consist of physical and mental health professionals, community leaders, etc., and is aimed at coalition building between lgbtq scholars/religious leaders, as well as it encourages collaborative work among service providers who inevitably impact our lives. The panel will explore the following questions: How can lgbtq scholars/religious leaders articulate our vision to such professionals and galvanize support as we have with other issues in the past? What might lgbtq scholars/religious leaders learn from the aforementioned health professionals and community leaders?

Moderator: Marjorie Wilkes
Panelists: Victor Ponds, MOCHA, Chicago, IL; Juan Reed, St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Chicago, IL; Makanni Themba Nickson, Praxis Project, Washington, DC; Toni Dunbar, Oakland, CA; Yvette Flunder, City of Refuge United Church of Christ
Respondent: Maurice Charles, University of Chicago

4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Q & A
5:00 p.m.: Parting Ritual

Register Online:

General Admission: $35

General admission covers all the conference events Friday and Saturday. Thursday night's opening worship service is free and open to the public.

Location:

Chicago Theological Seminary
5757 South University Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637
Directions on CTS's website

University Church/United Church of Christ
5655 South University Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637
University Church's website

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