On Sept. 29, the School of Theology will present the third in the series of lectures on racial reconciliation. The 2021 Alumni Lectures welcomes three bishops as the guest lecturers for this year’s event—the Rt. Rev. Jennifer Baskervill-Burrows, Diocese of Indianapolis; the Rt. Rev. Phoebe Roaf, Diocese of West Tennessee; and the Rt. Rev. Eugene Sutton, Diocese of Maryland.

All lectures will be held in Guerry Auditorium. Everyone is invited to attend any or all of the lectures. Please note that masks are required inside all campus buildings. 8:30–9:30 a.m., Lecture 1, Jennifer Baskerville-Burrow; 9:45–10:45 a.m., Lecture 2, Phoebe Roaf; 2:15–3:15 p.m., Lecture 3, Eugene Sutton; 3:30–5 p.m, conversation between Bishops/Q&A

The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, “The Language of Dismantling White Supremacy: Intentional Words for Intentional Witness”—Word choice matters deeply to the gospel work of dismantling the sinful and systemic systems of racial oppression. Baskerville-Burrows will speak about her experience as a Black woman leading a majority-White diocese through a period of racial justice reckoning in the name of the Word made flesh, Jesus. She will share how defining the words shapes the work in the Diocese of Indianapolis as they create spaces where people can bring their real and vulnerable selves to the work of dismantling systems of injustice.

The Rt. Rev. Phoebe Roaf,“Addressing Racial Reconciliation in Different Contexts”—Roaf will focus on the promises contained in our baptismal covenant as guiding principles for our collective response to racism within the Church and society. As Baskerville-Burrows’ context in Indianapolis is very different from Roaf’s context in Memphis, she will explore how these two dioceses are addressing the question of racial reconciliation and becoming beloved community.

The Rt. Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton, “Four Steps to Becoming a Racially-Reconciled Church”—Fifty years after the Civil Rights Era, have we as a Church and society made as much progress in racial justice and reconciliation as we had hoped? Recent polls consistently reveal a pessimism and hardening of racial attitudes among many Americans. Given our well-documented collusion with the forces of slavery, segregation and injustice, can The Episcopal Church lead the way toward becoming a more racially-reconciled community that faithfully reflects the values of the reign of God? In his presentation, Sutton will lead us in reflecting on these issues, and will suggest concrete ways that we as a Church can shape a brighter future.