Inclusion, Justice, and Love in an Apocalyptic Moment

12/16/21 • 28 min

As the Christmas holiday approaches, Rev. Dr. Matthew Ichihashi Potts, PhD ’13, says that the United States is in the midst of an “apocalyptic moment.” The inequities of the COVID-19 pandemic, the fight for racial justice, and the crisis of climate change are revealing the aspects of our society—and ourselves—from which we can no longer turn away. Now Pusey Minister in Harvard’s Memorial Church and Plummer Professor of Christian Morals, Potts preaches a Christian ethics that is at odds with white supremacy and cultural hegemony—and he’s got some hard questions: Can we turn away from prejudice and fear and toward inclusion? Can we stand for justice without falling prey to self-righteousness? Can we face up to how hard it is to love and do it anyway?

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“We have our medicine”: Trauma and Resilience in Indigenous Communities

The sociologist Blythe George, PhD '20, highlights the vibrance of rural indigenous communities amid the trauma that is the legacy of settler colonialism. A member of the Yurok tribe of northwestern California, George maps the deep connections indigenous people have to the sacred--and to each other--and says they have within their culture all they need to heal themselves. They just need the rest of us to get out of their way.

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The Black Agenda

The Black Agenda is a new collection of essays that centers the voices of Black experts—particularly women. Whether the issue is climate change, public health, economic inequality, or education, the contributors to The Black Agenda see social and racial justice as integral—not supplemental—to solutions. Along the way, the book interrogates our assumptions about the ways we live and work together in the United States, as well as our notions of where to look for answers. Join us as we discuss The Black Agenda with editor Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, an author, entrepreneur, researcher, and PhD student at GSAS.