Shively T. J. Smith, Associate Professor of New Testament; Director, PhD program
What is in a day? June 19 is an American haunting of sorts. It is an eerie reminder of how even when freedom, citizenship, and access are supposedly granted, they can be denied or, at the very least, delayed. The Emancipation Proclamation was signed on January 1, 1863, but it took 2.5 years, June 19, 1865, for those enslaved in Texas to know of their freedom. I can’t help but ponder how uncertain freedom and citizenship must have felt among the African American enslaved masses embracing with celebration their newly declared freedom. I take a breath and realize the same tentativeness remains. I hope today encourages you to consider how your theological beliefs—your God Talk—”talk back” to such fragility and proclaim, “Each of us is a collage piece making up the images of God. We are necessary. We deserve dignity. We should fight for the freedom that ensures thriving for all in this life and the life to come.”
Joshua Lawrence Lazard (’25), PhD candidate
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Andrew E. Kimble (’19), Director of Lifelong Learning; Associate Director of Alumni & Donor Relations; Associate Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
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