Words of Wisdom - From Broken to Whole
Dr. Mitzi J. Smith
“She must constantly make available to God her fallible humanity so that God might continually encourage, transform, and regenerate her for the work she is called to do for herself and her community.”
― Mitzi J. Smith, I Found God in Me: A Womanist Biblical Hermeneutics Reader
In light of the recent resignations and sudden deaths, Black women have been reeling with revelations which signal Black women in academia are under constant threat of attack. In addition to the stalwart attack on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, by "conservative" voices which presume Black women are incompetent, this and other forms of racism have been waged against bodies that bend until they appear broken. If you feel broken, then these words of wisdom are for you!
The words of Dr. Smith provide an opportunity for us to better understand the necessity of women's contributions to theological discourse, broadly speaking. It is not our perfection but our "fallible humanity" that we bring. It is not our individual ambition, but the transformative power of God to use us within community to bring about change. We will continue to explore misogynoir in 2024 and the impact it has had upon Black, African descended women in religious scholarship and religious leadership in the upcoming weeks. But today, we want you to meditate on the words of Dr. Smith. If you need reminding, let us be this reminder:
You are more than enough.
CL Nash, PhD for the Misogynoir to Mishpat (M2M) Research Network © 2024