Womanist Musings: "The Epistemological Sea of Forgetfulness," with Dr. Katie Cannon
Dear Research Network, Colleagues and Friends,
We are sharing a timely word from Rev. Dr. Katie G. Cannon, one of the pioneers of "womanism" as a framework within religious scholarship. Cannon has been a treasured resource for Womanist Ethicists, over many years.
I recall my own interactions with Dr. Cannon. In particular, when she arrived at the Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, VA, I had the privilege of sitting in on one of her classes. A student asked her what they should call her. She ran down the list. "You can call me Prof. Cannon, Dr. Cannon or Katie. I will answer to the all."
She was sitting comfortably at a desk while the rest of the desks and chairs were arranged in a circle. When she invited discussion, a student raised her hand and began her question saying, "Katie ..." Immediately, one of the Black students raised his hands and began his question with, "Dr. Cannon ..." as he addressed her. A third student raised his hand to start his question by addressing her, "Katie ..." Yet, another student, this time a Black woman, raised her hand. She began her question with, "Prof. Cannon ..."
As you may have guessed, if the students who were honoring her titles were Black, the students who did not honor her titles were not. The Black students were re-directing the White students. Within 10 minutes, not one student referenced her as "Katie." The re-direct worked.
While they know that she said she would answer to any version of her name, the Black students instinctively knew that this was simply not respectful for a scholar of her calibur. But it's more than this.
In these settings, authority is bestowed based on two things: credentials and White skin privilege. And frankly, if both aren't available, White skin privilege will often win.
What I mean, is that White males are often hired to become professors based on "potential." But Black women cannot rely upon their potential alone. They must already have proven themselves through teaching, publications and grant awards. Even with that, there are still efforts to block Black scholars from consideration.
As one example, I submitted an application at a university in England, only to be told it was "late" even though my own computerized copy proved that it was well ahead of the deadline. When applying to a job at that same university, a different scholar told me they actually missed the deadline for a job there, but the university generously assisted them in uploading their late application and they received the interview.
Yet, another Black scholar applied to the same post and flew in from the US. His plane encountered bad weather which he ensured his committee knew. That delayed his arrival. However, when he got there, they only provided him with 45 minutes of their time.
Many of us have seen search committees accommodate for the unforeseen - but normally, those applicants are not perceiced as "Black." When we look at who is hired, the core curriculum and the criteria upon which we create the understanding of "producers of knowledge," it is clear that there is a bias within scholarship today.
But that appears to be especially true in religious scholarship. If the US Presidential Election has taught us nothing else, we have learned that White America's favorite side piece is the Evangelical Church.
And, it is the love affair with biogtry and racial hatred that energizes and provides purpose for it. There are those in other countries, such as the UK, who proclaim that racial hatred is an issue in the US alone. But when we look at the way it works to homogenize its scholars, rather than celebrate the breadth and depth of what is truly on offer, we must wonder.
If the UK, and other countries, do not want befall an authoritarian regime of hatred, under the shallow guise of "theocracy," it has a lot of work to do.
Dr. CL Nash, The Misogynoir to Mishpat (M2M) Research Network (c) 2024