Back
These questions from her son prompted theologian Kelly Brown Douglas to undertake this soul-searching reflection. The killing of George Floyd and the ongoing litany of Black victims underlined the persistence of white supremacy in this nation, leading her to reflect on how a “white way of knowing” has come to dominate American identity and even to shape the consciousness of Christians.
In exploring the message of Confederate monuments and the “Make America Great Again” slogan, she examines the failures of even “good white Christians” and struggles with the hope that “Black Lives Matter,” before reaching deep into her own experience and the faith of Black folks to find her way back to hope.
“By addressing head-on the pervasive anti-black aspects inherent not only in the national ideology but also in much of our Christian theology, Kelly Brown Douglas offers a powerful, deeply personal answer to the question of what it will take for Black life to truly matter in this country and for God’s just future to become a reality for all.” —The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry
Rev. Kelly Brown Douglas is the Canon Theologian at the Washington National Cathedral. In 2017, she was named Dean of Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. She is considered a leader in the field of womanist theology, racial reconciliation, and sexuality and the black church. Her books include The Black Christ, What’s Faith Got to Do with It? and Stand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God.
