00:00:07.040 - 00:00:22.140

it's a privilege to welcome all of you to this . First of a number of events around this theme of days of memory and hope, in which we are reflecting upon our um, african american relationships and

00:00:22.140 - 00:00:38.730

african relationships here at Austin Seminary. And we are delighted to have the opportunity to begin this series with a very, I think you're gonna find a very exciting panel discussion and I want to introduce our moderator

00:00:38.740 - 00:00:59.390

who is the reverend nancy. Benson Nicole nancy is a ordained presbyterian minister. She did her degree in divinity at Harvard Divinity School and served in all precincts of church life, as in the parish, in

00:00:59.390 - 00:01:14.000

the academy at our denominational headquarters in Louisville and various other social justice related, um, uh, capacities and has been with us now for about Lord. Has it been a year nancy a year? Goodness

00:01:14.000 - 00:01:26.550

gracious! Well, she's become a wonderful bright spot on our campus and I love working with her in the development office where she assists with the cultivation of donors And I'm so grateful nancy that you are here

00:01:26.550 - 00:01:47.820

and that you're moderating this and so grateful that you folks are here. We look forward to your conversation . Thank you so much. Yeah, thank you ted so much for your kind introduction. I am

00:01:47.820 - 00:02:05.090

thrilled and delighted to be here this morning. Today actually marks the year anniversary of my arrival here. Can congratulations thank you. But I can think of no more delightful way to celebrate a year then by

00:02:05.100 - 00:02:20.850

making new friends with this robust panel that we have this morning, we are pleased that you have come back home to join us. It is a thrill for us to celebrate your journey with us and how

00:02:20.850 - 00:02:43.510

God has breathed through your lives and ministries Since last we have met. There is a word in the twee language of Ghana called sankofa san ko pha roughly translated means go back and get it. Yeah,

00:02:44.040 - 00:03:00.650

it's associated with a sense or a phrase that translates roughly. It is not wrong to go back for that, which you have forgotten. That means reclaim . Remember the african american community in the United States

00:03:00.650 - 00:03:14.860

in particular, among other communities, has seized, seize the sand koh pha symbol as as an important marker of identity and community. And so I would like to think that we at Austin Seminary through these

00:03:14.860 - 00:03:30.970

days of memory and hope are claiming our sankoh fa moment here and that is indeed a rich calling and a blessing. I will begin by introducing each of the members of the panel. I have a few

00:03:30.970 - 00:03:46.660

questions that the commission on diversity uh, and I have cobbled together and then we will open the floor for questions uh, in the final 20 minutes or so of our time together. So without further ado

00:03:46.740 - 00:04:03.560

, let us begin with the reverend Sharon Richer, Reverend fisher holds the MD degree from Austin Seminary. She is a minister, public speaker, author and activist who makes her home in charlotte north Carolina.

00:04:04.240 - 00:04:20.940

She was serving as a trauma chaplain at Parkland Hospital in Dallas texas when her mother became a victim of the emanuel A. M. E. Church shooting in charleston south Carolina. In 2015, Sharon resigned

00:04:20.940 - 00:04:38.120

her position to become an activist against gun violence and racism. She has traveled widely and appeared on national media such as CNN, Good Morning America, Time magazine, vogue vox Guardian BBC Radio P. B

00:04:38.130 - 00:04:53.310

. S and on the state and national levels, urging them to pass legislation for common sense gun laws . Yeah, since moving back home, she is serving New Emmanuel congregational United Church of christ As associate

00:04:53.310 - 00:05:11.930

Minister. She was given the 2018 Front Page Award by the News Women's Club of New York. She is Austin seminaries, Distinguished Alumni award, winner of 2017 and the distinguished MLK Speaker Award uh winner by

00:05:11.930 - 00:05:28.990

Bethel baptist Church in Gaffney south Carolina in 2016. Her first book for such a time as this hope and forgiveness after the charleston massacre, Written with Sherry Emmons, it will be published by chalice Press this

00:05:28.990 - 00:05:59.680

summer. Sharon is the proud mother of two. Please join me in welcoming Mhm Mr Daniel Clark Mr Clark was the first african american student to enroll at Austin Seminary, attending Yes, yeah, Attending classes

00:05:59.680 - 00:06:14.700

starting in 1950, a native of beaumont texas, he has devoted his long and productive life to civic service. He chaired the board of directors of the Beaumont chapter of family services of America, the Beaumont

00:06:14.700 - 00:06:31.190

community development advisory committee and the Community services advisory committee of the Regional Planning Commission. He has served on the nation's street Y M C A. The L melton y M C A. Krista ST Elizabeth Hospital

00:06:31.200 - 00:06:47.900

and the Beaumont Mental Health and Mental Retardation Association. He served four terms as a commissioner to the port of Beaumont, being the first African American elected. He was a founding member of the Association for compensatory

00:06:47.900 - 00:07:06.620

educators of texas and served on the Governor's Head start collaboration Task force. Mr Clark was an elder at Pioneer Park Presbyterian Church Beaumont and was elected a commissioner to the General assembly of the Presbyterian Church USa He

00:07:06.630 - 00:07:31.230

and his late wife, Bobbi Joy are the parents to a daughter who is here with us this morning . Welcome and two granddaughters. Please help me in welcoming chris today Doctor Steven Reed dr Reid was professor

00:07:31.230 - 00:07:49.780

of old testament studies at Austin Seminary and the first african american member of the faculty. He is currently professor of christian scriptures at Truett Seminary of Baylor University . Previously he was academic dean and professor of Old

00:07:49.780 - 00:08:05.860

Testament studies at Bethany Theological Seminary in indiana. He first came to Texas as a member of the Austin Seminary Faculty in 1990, where he taught for 12 years previously, he taught at pacific school of Religion

00:08:07.740 - 00:08:22.710

. Stephen is the author or editor of several books and he, with his wife Kathy, wrote uncovering racism, which was published by brethren Press in 2000 , he contributed to the new harper bible dictionary and

00:08:22.710 - 00:08:39.170

the Edmonds bible dictionary and wrote the annotation for the section on daniel for the discipleship bible and psalms for the people's bible as well as entries for feasting on the word. I'm sure many students and scholars here

00:08:39.170 - 00:08:54.820

are digging into use uh works are about to once this closest. He currently serves on several boards, including the Manchester University Board of trustees. As vice chair of the community race relations coalition of Mclennan county

00:08:54.830 - 00:09:22.560

leadership, plenty Waco and transform Waco public charter school board. He and Kathy are parents to four Children and five grandchildren. Please help me. Yeah. And last and certainly not least. Mrs Sharon alexander

00:09:24.240 - 00:09:46.550

. Mrs alexander was the first african american member of Austin seminaries administrative team Serving as Secretary to Academic Dean Prescott Williams from 1969 to 1978 20. I am sheep will allow for corrections. After the presentation.

00:09:48.640 - 00:10:05.670

She grew up in Austin graduating from Stephen F. High School in 1961, she attended texas Southern University and Houston till it's in college now University in Austin . Sharon worked for Austin public health blue cross blue

00:10:05.670 - 00:10:20.290

shield of texas with the Austin care van program and with the texas comptroller of public accounts. During the days of controller bob book, Sharon now works with the Austin public health department. She is a member

00:10:20.290 - 00:10:37.950

of Lebanese or 3rd Baptist Church where she contributes her talents, creating programs, decorating bulletin boards and assisting with culinary needs. Sharon offers her skills and creativity is to others in the community. Most recently,

00:10:37.950 - 00:10:56.360

creating the cover for the N double A C. P. Annual Duality Overton banquet journal, an average bridge enthusiast Since her seminary years. She is a national champion in pairs and team games and co chaired

00:10:56.360 - 00:11:16.450

the 2 2018 American Bridge Association Summer National held in Austin during Black History month. Sharon sends emails to her friends and family connecting Austin history with the national story. She's a mother of three Children and a

00:11:16.450 - 00:11:35.930

niece that she raised and she's grandmother of eight. Please help me in. Yeah. Mhm. And now for questions and I invite each one of you individually to respond to the questions and we also welcome

00:11:35.930 - 00:11:48.990

conversation and dialogue. So feel free if you have questions among one another to connect with those as well . Uh the first question that I have received is quite simple. Why did you choose to come to

00:11:48.990 - 00:12:11.280

Austin Seminary? Well since I was first african american , I don't mind going back a few years first to speak on the panel just about 68 years ago . Um I came because in 1945, during my

00:12:11.290 - 00:12:28.660

senior year in high school, an elder from Oak Cliff Presbyterian Church. My home is Dallas came and asked my mother if I would be interested in accepting a scholarship to Stillman College. Our college in Tuscaloosa

00:12:28.660 - 00:12:43.350

, Alabama Junior College at the time and he said , wow, I had no idea about going to college at that time. None. I had one cousin who was in college at the time, but

00:12:43.940 - 00:12:58.850

that was the only member of my family. But then to college, so I was excited about it . And of course I said yes and in order to be eligible to scholarship, needed to be a

00:12:58.850 - 00:13:11.600

president and raised in the baptist church and I'll tell somebody last night at church Church church all my life enjoyed it. And that's where I got my basic training for just about everything. But I accepted the

00:13:11.600 - 00:13:35.680

scholarship and I became a member of Oak Cliff Presbyterian Church under the passenger dr tom curry. Uh One of the giants of course and religion denomination. I accepted the scholarship and the scholarship also mentioned the fact

00:13:35.680 - 00:13:50.340

that I would go to school and study for the ministry or going to college, you know, with the paramount thing and mine at the time. And of course thinking about the ministry was what's interesting too

00:13:50.350 - 00:14:07.970

because I've done lots of religious wake up. I was assistant superintendent for the sunday school at our church , sang in a quartet all around Dallas and area and in church all my life. So that didn't

00:14:07.970 - 00:14:26.480

bother me at all. Fast forward. I went on to Stillman and Spent the two years there. I'm saying the choir. Mhm singing, but I could, can't do it anymore. I've finished with

00:14:26.480 - 00:14:46.050

the honors. Doing my God during my senior That's it. That's semester my father died and my mother was a maid. My father was mm. That all common later work. Very little education. So

00:14:46.540 - 00:15:03.530

that meant that I was left with my mother and a sister who was born with polio and couldn't walk and that was going to be end of my schooling , needed to stay home with them. I think

00:15:03.530 - 00:15:22.620

I mentioned I finished with honors. But in the , all of the following year someone came from Austin . I'm not sure or that he was from the Senate or exactly where. But he came to offer

00:15:22.630 - 00:15:46.160

me a scholarship to come to Austin A 10 Tillotson College and then study for the ministry at the seminary . And that I'm a go that I got that invitation. Well, of course I had my mother

00:15:46.160 - 00:16:00.280

and sister again to think about my mother. It was a devout christian and she said, you're going , you're going, I'm I'm gonna be all right . My Lord is going to take care of me

00:16:00.280 - 00:16:18.100

. She always believed that. And he always did . Thank you. So I did leave and came to Tillerson and I was responsible for organizing a youth a group out there, finished with honors from Tillerson

00:16:18.100 - 00:16:34.560

with my backyard in english. And if I finished during the summer and just a few weeks later it was time to come to come to the seminary. So you can see, I was invited to come

00:16:34.560 - 00:16:49.320

to the seminary. I didn't come. You know , the, the situation in Austin and everywhere else at that time race relation was such that um, just about everything african americans had to do, you

00:16:49.320 - 00:17:03.380

have to protest to get it. Just a few years earlier, the courts had made the university of texas opened the law school, but that was the only school that they opened at the time. So

00:17:03.390 - 00:17:18.260

it wasn't like I came here to knock down doors to get in, I was invited. So that's how I got here. Thank you. I answered your question. Absolutely, absolutely. Well, I'm

00:17:18.260 - 00:17:37.370

gonna piggyback on him and thinking about how all of this came about. James lee, reverend lee was in charlotte, visiting the presbyterian where I worked at the time and had thought in my mind, I

00:17:37.370 - 00:17:52.390

had already felt a calling for ministry and union was getting ready to open their school in charlotte. And so it was, I would go part time and still work at the presbyteries, stay home. Well

00:17:52.390 - 00:18:11.530

, I met James sleep and we had this very robust conversation and he invited me to Discovery weekend. I came for a Discovery weekend and doing my heart , this was a place. But I say I

00:18:11.530 - 00:18:30.140

didn't choose Austin Seminary. Austin Seminary chose me. I had not applied anywhere else for seminary. I knew in my heart who was going to accept me . I looked at my college transcript, I went

00:18:30.140 - 00:18:44.860

in the village idiot, but then I wouldn't talk tear either. And all of the life experiences I knew in my heart well this is not going to happen. Everything I said would not happen happened.

00:18:45.440 - 00:19:03.320

And when I got that letter say that I was admitted, it was like old boy. No turning back now. So I say Austin tells me and I'm so glad that I had that opportunity to come

00:19:03.320 - 00:19:18.770

here. Came here at a time in my life where I was searching all I knew that was God was in my heart, he was calling me to ministry. But I didn't know what that was and

00:19:18.780 - 00:19:37.070

never felt in my soul that have God was calling me this person, this flawed person that it had struggles. But God was calling me to ministry and I was gonna listen and I did. I left

00:19:37.070 - 00:20:03.310

my Children. I came to Austin with$300 cash old computer and I came here okay. And I struggled but I struggled in community so I'm glad that Austin Seminary chose me. Yeah. Amen. Yeah

00:20:07.240 - 00:20:33.160

, I'm gonna cry baby all to just get it , just get it, get it. Okay. Well I'll also mention James lee who was a great uh student and pastor. Uh I came to Austin

00:20:33.160 - 00:21:02.640

by way of friendship 1983. I had received a younger scholar grant from ATS& Kathy and I had four Children um Under the age of six loud. Yeah, well I don't know if you know about

00:21:02.650 - 00:21:22.510

Children of that age but I called my best friend Andy and I said Andy I can't have a sabbatical here in Berkeley and get anything done. And and Andy was fairly new at the Austin Seminary and he

00:21:22.510 - 00:21:37.550

said well I'll tell you what, I'll talk to them, we'll get you a place to stay at Mission Ranch, you'll teach a course, we won't pay you, but you can stay at Mission Ranch

00:21:37.540 - 00:22:07.330

. So we all got in the car um including our Siberian husky and made the pilgrimage um to Austin and we had a really great Semester here in the fall of 83 and it was in that time that

00:22:07.340 - 00:22:26.360

it became possible for us to connect with folks on the faculty. And while I was here on sabbatical , I was in Prescott Williams office, which is in the corner down there. He said it was

00:22:26.360 - 00:22:49.450

the furthest office from the President's office and he had a stand up desk before it was fashionable and books all around. I just felt at home. Mhm . So uh years later when the press got retired

00:22:51.640 - 00:23:12.020

and there was a search for a new person in old test. Um and he reminded me that there was a search and I applied in. Then I came to us in 1990 approved. Well, I

00:23:12.020 - 00:23:34.020

came to the seminary by weight of the presbyterian. Um blondie Stewart was working at the presbyterian and uh DR Williams wanted to integrate the administration, the secretaries and everything. And so blondie called me, I

00:23:34.030 - 00:23:53.170

was working at with mr snail over at Atlanta life and she called and asked if I would be interested in doing that. And so I came over and interviewed with DR Williams and it took several different interviews

00:23:53.180 - 00:24:18.260

because he was looking at someone else to and whoever the person never did show up. And so I got here by default. Oh, okay. Yeah , by default, that was no accident. Yeah

00:24:18.270 - 00:24:45.340

. Right. Right. Another question, What was one way that Austin Seminary struggled to live into the vision of the beloved community during your time? Sure . What was the, let's see the question I've

00:24:45.340 - 00:25:00.700

received says, what was one way that Austin Seminary struggled to live into the vision of the beloved community ? What we're challenges? Was there anything challenging about being a member of this community that you face during

00:25:00.700 - 00:25:18.150

your experience here? Well, you know, you go ahead. Okay. When um, president called me and told me that he had discovered that I was the first african american you want to talk to

00:25:18.150 - 00:25:27.590

me? And I think he had something in his mind along those lines. What was it like? You know, what kind of problems did you see experience when you, when you got it? That's

00:25:27.590 - 00:25:45.050

what I understand the import of what you say. Thank you. Well, as as I mentioned, I came invited and people will ask me sometimes, you know what it was like? Yeah. And

00:25:45.440 - 00:26:07.050

it was just like just like my enrollment at stillman . I enrollment at Tillerson. No different, No different than not. One time when I was a student here at this at this school that I ever

00:26:08.640 - 00:26:26.750

even notice anything that seemed to have a racial tend to, it was just like being enrolled at the other school. My student friends from the very first day we had, we connected, I had friends

00:26:26.760 - 00:26:42.420

like Bill Fogelman. I think many of, you know, Bill and uh, door red made from Fort Worth was good friend of mine and on weekends students who were married, it would invite me over

00:26:42.430 - 00:26:57.670

for dinner. You know, just just like the other communities that I have been in, it's no different. And I tell people all the time at this place was the most race neutral places that I've

00:26:57.670 - 00:27:19.690

ever been. It really was. And what happened after I left? I don't know, but thank you. Well, as um, when I was called as a faculty member, you know when you're

00:27:19.690 - 00:27:34.450

called as a fact, remember it's a kumbaya moment , everybody. Oh yeah. But it's also one of those moments you don't really know what it's gonna turn into. Um, when I was on faculty

00:27:34.780 - 00:27:59.610

, Esmael Garcia and dan Garza, we're also on the faculty and staff and was presbyterian but wasn't faculty . Mm and Israel and I were faculty but we were not presbyterian, right? Um, when I

00:27:59.610 - 00:28:17.090

was here being presbyterian matter in terms of the power dynamics on faculty and so when all your people color are not part of the denomination that drives the place , then there's a certain level of disenfranchisement that goes

00:28:17.090 - 00:28:40.580

on. Um now people were warm but also Back in the 90s, the two communities were much more optimistic about what was in common and much less aware of what was different. So for instance, in

00:28:41.240 - 00:28:57.200

let's take something as simple as preaching or as complex as preaching. A number of the assumptions that happened in a in a european american preaching class. Well , not really translate to what's going to happen at

00:28:57.210 - 00:29:11.520

many of the black congregation. There were just those sorts of things that you had to help students negotiate and figure out those students would come back after the preaching class and to say this isn't like what I'm

00:29:11.520 - 00:29:26.180

having at home, you forgot. And as the black fact remember you had, you would sort of Mhm. Yes, it's not like that. You learn what you can hear, take what you can

00:29:26.180 - 00:29:42.360

back and what you can't take back. You just a are thankful that you're exposed to. So those are some of the places where, you know, where things were not quite what they have become good

00:29:45.540 - 00:30:04.220

. Yeah. Okay. Well for me at the seminary, uh, since I was the only, uh, black secretary here, everyone was very nice to me and we got along fine and we uh

00:30:04.230 - 00:30:26.380

, became friends and did things together. Um, lost, done was here and bob Shelton And uh , we went to see Willie Nelson all the time , surely Howard and her husband. And so we

00:30:26.380 - 00:30:42.260

all went to see Willie over at the Opera House . That was when it was$5 and we stood in line and walked in to see. So we had a, a very nice relationship with everybody and

00:30:42.640 - 00:31:04.290

did things together. Yeah. So it was, you know, right. I thought about this and I thought about this. So there was only a handful of people of color and of course we kind

00:31:04.290 - 00:31:22.170

of gravitated towards each other because it was a commonality . We had that it was just we were black and we were on this campus but in that we still had to find our identity and to be authentic

00:31:22.170 - 00:31:40.450

about who we were. And so there was, we had the army boys, we had the baptist boys, uh couple of presbyterians but everybody even in that commonality had to figure out their place had to

00:31:40.450 - 00:31:59.210

figure out what they needed to be able to do for themselves. And the seminary offered that you could figure it out or you could sit there and be alone. I was never the kind of person that

00:31:59.210 - 00:32:16.070

would be alone. I would find people that thought like me or had commonality with me and I would attach myself and mostly those people or angle americans. But then I had my sister Hannah that I got

00:32:16.070 - 00:32:35.210

real close to and then we had the people that came over from africa and that was a whole new opening of understanding the African culture from someone that actually lived there. There were a couple of times when

00:32:35.940 - 00:32:55.350

some insensitive words were spoken and the blacks, the blacks, we felt like there could have been more sensitivity to that. But the seminary try to give us an open a chance to be able to talk

00:32:55.350 - 00:33:10.370

these things over. So when it comes to like racial stuff, everybody was trying to do the best they can in a place where they were, that was not easy that you were living in a community

00:33:10.370 - 00:33:28.570

that you for me, I've never lived in a community solely made of angle americans. So that was a big transformation for me living in community where your community has always been the same people of color.

00:33:28.580 - 00:33:51.670

So that was uh a challenge for me. Maybe things weren't really talked about, but I don't believe that there was ever a time when I felt being black was a hindrance to me. I always had

00:33:52.340 - 00:34:07.700

the kind of support I needed when I didn't want to reach out. There were people that had gotten to know me and was able to say, what are you struggling with? How can I help you

00:34:07.710 - 00:34:23.850

? And these are the memories I have of the seminary, not racism, but willing to be able to listen and to help you be the best student you could be that that those are my experiences.

00:34:23.860 - 00:34:44.220

Yeah, yeah. Some of the themes that I hear emerging across the panel includes a sense of call that this was a community of call for you to come and and be a part of its mission and

00:34:44.220 - 00:35:07.740

ministry and and witness. Um certainly the importance of community being community for one another and finding community in the midst of uh differences and finding points of commonality in the midst of either representing difference or encountering differences

00:35:07.740 - 00:35:22.320

, different people, different cultures, different church traditions . I am curious actually to probe a bit more deeply about. We've got a lot of firsts here , some who were the first in uh in an

00:35:22.330 - 00:35:39.940

office, in an official capacity, administratively or in a faculty or one of uh few uh myself in all of my called and installed positions have been a first and so I'm curious um what your experience of

00:35:39.950 - 00:35:53.550

that has, how that has shaped you moving forward into other contexts that you have served. Uh I know that Mr Clarke was was also a first in elected office, but there are there ways in which

00:35:53.550 - 00:36:16.120

your experience as a first or one of you here in Austin Seminary has shaped or formed or informed your engagements post. Austin first again, I'd be glad to, to explain that. I believe you probably

00:36:16.120 - 00:36:35.860

heard me mention that when I accepted that scholarship, part of the requirement was that I would be studying for the ministry and I said, I can do that came to the seminary and a number of things

00:36:36.630 - 00:36:47.440

that intervene. First of all, um, many of the young men in our class had already had , had all of the greek in the hebrew. So when I saw the hebrew, you know,

00:36:47.440 - 00:37:00.310

I've never seen it before. Uh, the greek I loved, but I knew that was there was nothing they had here that I couldn't do as well as anybody else. So, tell the truth,

00:37:00.310 - 00:37:20.190

I didn't, I didn't bother me, but in my fast forward to my junior year and during that time, um, I started thinking, um, the preaching ministry, it's something extremely special, you

00:37:20.190 - 00:37:32.350

know, all the studies outlook, that's a special thing. I don't think do that. I really , I just don't think I can do that. I don't think that's what I'm supposed to do.

00:37:34.530 - 00:37:47.520

I was bothered by that and prayed about it and from that I started thinking of God, you know , you're the one who's got me, am I in the right place? Did you call me?

00:37:47.520 - 00:38:04.440

I was, I called by men. I had to deal with that. And it really bothered me and my junior, the first part of my junior year, I just really had to back away from

00:38:04.440 - 00:38:19.240

the seminary and try to pray about that and find out what God wanted me to do. Well, it just, I don't do the whole thing just so happened. Um I'm married and moved to Beaumont

00:38:21.520 - 00:38:37.380

. Yeah, as far as I started teaching in the school district but several things happen very rapidly. I was promoted, started teaching in schools. I was promoted to principal and not long after that I

00:38:37.380 - 00:38:55.470

was the first african american who had a an office in the central administrative building, the first african american to be I watered assistant superintendency and at that time friends that the agency told me that there was not

00:38:55.470 - 00:39:16.190

another african american record at that in the state. So these were things that what kind of first for me and I didn't think very much about it at a time. I worked in the community, that's

00:39:16.190 - 00:39:29.570

that was my life, different kinds of community where I ran for office at the Port Authority. No african americans have been on. I wonder who had the highest number of votes that we had, the

00:39:29.580 - 00:39:45.220

people running. I was first member of the board of directors at ST Elizabeth's hospital. And just a number because she read just a number of different things like that. I was first and uh then I

00:39:45.220 - 00:40:04.100

began to realize what God was doing with my life . He was having me to open doors with people . Mhm. Holly. What do you want me to do is the open doors for other people.

00:40:04.710 - 00:40:20.890

Because in those positions I was able to help people and of all of the organizations that I dealt with , I never accepted work on anything unless I could see where people were going to benefit. None of

00:40:20.890 - 00:40:39.690

the political thing bothered me at all. So I I never tooted my horn on last year my church uh presented me as the man of the year for don't bother you, excuse me, I lose my

00:40:39.700 - 00:40:53.850

thought. But anyway, they celebrated me and so many of my church members who were there had known me a long time, really had little knowledge of all of the different things that I had done in

00:40:53.850 - 00:41:13.080

the community. Because I never I never tried to elevating myself. It was for the people. So God was using me to open doors for other people . Mm But also come to realize later that when

00:41:13.080 - 00:41:30.150

God used me to open doors, it really wasn't so that I would be so not for me but that his purposes would be realized and his purpose was to help other people through me just like dr martin

00:41:30.150 - 00:41:39.980

Luther king. I think as great as he was and all of one of the things that he did , his name's on the on the street and how we revere him for what he has done. I

00:41:39.980 - 00:41:59.320

still think that God used him like he did me to open doors for people who were or disenfranchised and in every way that you can think and bring about the experience that we've had that brings us here today

00:42:00.100 - 00:42:19.260

. So I'm grateful to be a part of this organ. Is that this program today? But as God's use of me to do, to do things for other people, I do believe that and it

00:42:19.260 - 00:42:45.100

was not meant to be a preaching minister and I thank God for helping me to realize that because that enriched has enriched my life. Well, the 1990s , we're very different what I hope. I hope

00:42:45.100 - 00:43:05.020

we're very different than Life in the 21st century as the first african American faculty member. I had a number of people in class who had never had person of color at the front of the classroom. All

00:43:05.020 - 00:43:21.270

right. And it was a learning experience for them . Now let's take something just as simple as dress code, my buddy. And he got to where basically whatever he wanted. Mhm. But I would

00:43:21.270 - 00:43:37.120

put on a net constricting tie, uh huh. Because that would signal that I'm a factory one. And if I didn't have something to signal, I was a faculty member, then folks will say,

00:43:37.800 - 00:43:58.130

well what's a man your age doing, going to seminary? Because the assumption is your personal color, You're a student, you're a faculty member. So that was one of the places where being first had

00:43:58.140 - 00:44:17.160

an impact. You ask, how does how did being first at Austin prepare me or not? In some ways being at Austin really spoiled me. You've used the language of call. I I was called

00:44:17.170 - 00:44:43.120

to Austin but I was delighted to be here. And that made me think that every call would be delightful with and that's just not good with. So when I was the first at another school, it

00:44:43.120 - 00:45:00.180

was it was just not the sort of blissful experience . So but awesome. Did teach me some things about being first. And I've used that because I've been the first black vacuum or at two other seminaries

00:45:00.180 - 00:45:30.720

after you and I hope I'm done being first. Mhm. What I think Austin has done for me is the opportunity to uh maneuver in any situation, mm That has carried me. I've never felt that

00:45:31.190 - 00:45:52.940

I couldn't stand up and give my voice to whatever was going on, that I could move among Baptists and am me and presbyterians, it gave me that , knowing that I was a part of something larger

00:45:52.950 - 00:46:10.180

and that the experiences and the degree that I have gave me an elevation, that was not something I did, that I was part of a special community of people and that my voice was needed also and

00:46:10.180 - 00:46:27.090

that I didn't feel intimidated where there was a point in my life. I never felt like my voice mattered. But after coming to the seminary and and and being in different areas and people from different denominations

00:46:27.090 - 00:46:43.560

and, and world views, I was able to carry that with me and to be uh, authentic and to maneuver and not to ever feel uh, that I wasn't important and I was a part of

00:46:43.560 - 00:47:00.240

what has been happening and what's going on. Even in the chaplaincy in such a big hospital, I was the only black on staff at that time on staff. Now they had residents and all of that

00:47:00.250 - 00:47:19.620

. But I was the only black on staff and I took that very seriously because I wanted um people to understand that I'm just as qualified that I'm able to maneuver among anybody, talk to anybody no matter

00:47:19.620 - 00:47:34.560

where they came from a with uh background. They came that I had that confidence in myself that I was able to minister to them and that comes from being able to maneuver here at the seminary even in

00:47:34.560 - 00:47:51.300

my work now, you know, being in D . C. And all of these different things. That capability of being able to maneuver and and move within any situation is what I carry from the seminary

00:47:51.310 - 00:48:20.380

. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Well I grew up in Austin and um when uh, immigration started in uh, when they had Board of Education Brown vs. Public Education, um, I went to

00:48:20.380 - 00:48:37.160

Austin High School, Stephen F. and that was in 1957. And uh, there was no question that I was going. My great grandfather was Matthew Gaines who was a senator during Reconstruction. And he

00:48:37.160 - 00:48:53.130

wrote the law for public education in texas. And he um wasn't, he didn't write it for the schools to be separate, he wrote it for them to be the same, you know, for everyone

00:48:53.130 - 00:49:10.310

. So there was no doubt that when the law was passed, that we were going to Austin I or to an integrated school and so in my class , There were over 400 and something kids and I

00:49:10.310 - 00:49:27.680

was one of seven. So when it came, you know, I graduated, so when I came to the seminary, it wasn't a really big deal . It was very nice. And uh, I

00:49:27.680 - 00:49:45.400

left here and went to the controller and uh, I was the first uh woman supervisor in revenue accounting at the control. So it's, you know, everybody sometimes there's always someone that has to be first

00:49:45.770 - 00:50:00.460

and then there are others that follow, so it's , you know, that's the way life is. So, yeah, thank you. Thank you, mm. What's happening? Yeah, I have one

00:50:00.460 - 00:50:21.060

last prepared question before we opened the floor to questions from those assembled, um, what is your hope for the current students, faculty and staff of Austin Seminary? Mhm. Well, one of the things

00:50:21.060 - 00:50:37.780

that's changed in theological education is there was a time when we thought we were preparing folks to go to a ministry that we thought we do what it looked like and that day is sort of come and gone

00:50:38.560 - 00:51:00.470

. Um, no graduates of Austin Semini are gonna go places the that we can't imagine. And so our hope is that the education is crafted in such a way that every graduate has enough cultural competency to

00:51:00.470 - 00:51:16.070

be able to navigate the places of ministry, they're going to find themselves. It would be nice to think that all of our graduates are going to go to places where they're going to be in multi ethnic

00:51:17.260 - 00:51:37.100

foundations, but I've lived in texas long enough to know that unless jesus comes next week, that's not going to happen. Mhm. But having graduates who have a sort of cultural competency gives them the possibility

00:51:37.130 - 00:51:54.210

to be in that place, a voice for a vision that may not look like the demographics of the congregation. And so that would be part of my hope for what awesome somebody we can do. I

00:51:54.210 - 00:52:19.230

want to piggyback on that too. I think uh the curriculum needs to focus a little bit on, like you said, cultural competencies. Um maybe a a look at um a class, not just a

00:52:19.230 - 00:52:39.400

time in class, but maybe a class that teaches women this theology. Maybe a class on uh african american preaching, not just a subsection of a class , but a class. That cultural competency is very

00:52:39.400 - 00:53:00.270

big because we know that churches are still segregated and not everybody who gets a call or warning a call may be able to get that call to the church that they want, where people are just like them

00:53:01.550 - 00:53:21.180

. So we have to be able to be competent to say, maybe I get called an all black church. How were you, with your degree and all of your knowledge, going to be able to

00:53:21.190 - 00:53:36.750

bring a congregation with the good news and minister to them and love them when you might not have that cultural background to be able to do that. Are you gonna be willing to do that? Are you

00:53:36.750 - 00:53:52.790

gonna be willing to stretch yourself beyond anything you've been taught and to be in a situation where you don't have a clue, but you're willing and your heart says God has put me here now, I'm going

00:53:52.790 - 00:54:15.560

to do the best I can to love these people and carry them as a church in the community. Yeah, I'm not sure that I thought that through enough to trying to be a statement on it profound

00:54:17.240 - 00:54:31.460

. I guess if I just had anything would be that everyone who comes through here really has to be guided by God as what he wants them. What is it? Did you do you want me to

00:54:31.460 - 00:54:59.310

do it? Uh huh. Giving I think so . Is that a lot? Absolutely. Did you have? Okay. Oh, well, I'm not sure, I'm not a student here and uh I

00:54:59.310 - 00:55:22.110

never was, but maybe one of the things that could happen, we have several ministers that have gone to seminary here and are at my church. So um if there might be ways to move out into

00:55:22.110 - 00:55:45.920

the community more and um help different people in different organizations to uh you know get a feeling things, but I see a lot of african american people here , so I would think the seminary uh population has

00:55:45.920 - 00:56:06.350

grown, so maybe you all are doing good, all that biblical, right, exactly where we can't get enough of it. Let's see, I think William West is the Hebrew person, I think this

00:56:06.350 - 00:56:27.550

is William here with there he is. Oh no , we'll hold you accountable for that. Well the official portion of the prepared questions has closed and so now I open it up to the floor, there

00:56:27.550 - 00:56:40.550

is a microphone that is coming to the floor, we have time for about 03 questions, so please speak into the microphone. It's the only way we can vouchsafe that your voice is heard and recorded.

00:56:42.130 - 00:57:07.440

And a kind reminder that phrases such as well actually or in summary are not questions. Thank you. Yes, that's a good moderator there, thank you in advance. Yes, but in all sincerity we

00:57:07.440 - 00:57:34.580

welcome questions. Yeah, Los Niles and sort of also in the development area in a you know cultural context that many of us couldn't have imagined some time ago that is so divided and so uh fallen I

00:57:34.580 - 00:57:57.180

suppose you might say from God's plan and purpose for are created world in our culture, in our society . Um What what what would you how would you encourage this community to be prophetic? Mhm. Uh

00:57:57.180 - 00:58:21.560

huh. Yeah. We live in a sufficiently racialized and conflictual time. That being prophetic is not that difficult. If you read description, I mean our culture has not read the Book of Acts and all

00:58:21.560 - 00:58:39.980

you have to do is look in the newspaper uh to figure that out. Um and so in some regards, that's a very pointed question, but it's but it's not as complicated as it would seem if

00:58:39.980 - 00:59:00.090

we go back to uh Mhm Reformed theology, if we go back to scripture, if we rehearse and tell our congregations that those are the things that organize our lives and it is not the demographic profile of

00:59:00.090 - 00:59:20.040

the giving board. Mhm. Anyone else was to respond to that? I'm gonna leave that alone. I have to write the question down and think about it. So I'm gonna leave that alone. But

00:59:21.220 - 00:59:42.510

if we are authentic, if we're authentic and loving the body of christ and we're going to teach and preach the word like it is out of scripture and like you said, if we do that then we

00:59:42.510 - 00:00:00.000

are being prophetic. Okay. Amen to that. Yeah. Mhm Other questions. Hey, Mr Alzate . Right, I Please please repeat what you just said to them. My name is Charles ng Li

00:00:00.000 - 00:00:00.000

I graduated 19 money uh do it tonight, but now question since right like that I was on the community when we welcome steven reed here. Um and linda cooper was a student here. She provided us

00:00:00.000 - 00:00:00.000

with several food and people say that night he might actually met him at the City Square Religion, one of our national association back seminarians met and I just want to say in the world, don't quickly like

00:00:00.000 - 00:00:00.000

the seminary provided me with all my registration expensive so I was able to go the most similar is in the country throughout the year. We have several conferences , but my question, tell me this, do

00:00:00.000 - 00:00:00.000

we still do an association for black seminarians? That's my question. Absolutely, Absolutely. Uh, I look forward to the time. We don't, but we're nowhere close to that. Um, many of

00:00:00.000 - 00:00:00.000

if you were to look at, oh, african american faculties, uh, across the United States, across North America, you'll find that none of them have a PhD from a historically black school. Yeah

00:00:00.000 - 00:00:00.000

, If you look at the percentages of students of color, mhm. You'll find a large percentage of them do not go to Historically Black Seminary's Seminary. I went to college, hbc. And so,

00:00:00.000 - 00:00:00.000

uh, the association of black seminarians becomes a place where folks can go and find out, oh, this happens to myself and it happens, it's yours as well. And so you begin to just sort

00:00:00.000 - 00:00:00.000

of find out what's happening in your neighborhood is an odd. Many of us have an odd uncle and it's only when you find out that other people have odd uncles to that, you start to say,

00:00:00.000 - 00:00:00.000

oh so those opportunities also one of the things that happens for a number of black seminary graduates come from denominations that are not amy United Methodist presbyterian, which have a very good placement process. But if you're

00:00:00.000 - 00:00:00.000

baptist, your Church of God in christ, you better have a really good network. Black seminarians is a good, good way to have to develop that network. So we're nowhere close to to not needing

00:00:00.000 - 00:00:00.000

that. We have time for one more question. Yes, Yes. Good. Good morning. This question is coming from South Africa. I thought I'd take my chance here. So we're quite um in

00:00:00.000 - 00:00:00.000

a interesting time and stuff like a very young democracy and 25 years in, there's a lot of like the black community is divided. How do we um Black community wants to land back, we want to

00:00:00.000 - 00:00:00.000

chase whites out, you know, that's the sort of attention. But how do we manage that tension if we believe in reconciliation and work towards a mediated liberation that ensures equality for both racial groups? Um

00:00:00.000 - 00:00:00.000

So I wanted to ask you guys um on this martin Luther King Day, how do we do that going back home? Speaking prophetically and yet also liberating our people. Mhm. Yeah, I dare say

00:00:00.000 - 00:00:00.000

that if any of us knows the answer, what are we doing here, but maybe it's ready to bubble up right now. No. one of one of the things that is happening on this campus is

00:00:00.000 - 00:00:00.000

you're asking questions about faith and economy and democracy and and that I think is is really the center of the conversation. I'm looking at someone who wrote a very interesting book on work, if I'm remembering correctly

00:00:00.000 - 00:00:00.000

. Okay. Um, but I think it's, it's wrestling with those sorts of questions. Uh, just as the church is not as predictable as it was, economy is not as predictable. I think

00:00:00.000 - 00:00:00.000

if we're going to talk about reconciliation, we've got to come up with new strategies of economy that make that reconciliation work. If we look at, yes , the history of racism in North America. one

00:00:00.000 - 00:00:00.000

of the things you'll find in find out is that economics is based, is baked into that economics. And so if you're going to get to reconciliation beyond racism, then you gotta re cook your economics.

00:00:00.000 - 00:00:00.000

We'll re cooking. Economics is, is a remarkably complex thing and it will not be done by the clergy. It will be done by stimulating conversations of folks who build economies. And so I think South

00:00:00.000 - 00:00:00.000

Africa gives us a very good way of thinking about how we can be theological and the economic and be civic simultaneously, but that, you know, that's that scripture and theology is the answer to almost every

00:00:00.000 - 00:00:00.000

question in a presbyterian seminary. Yeah, yeah. And he has reflects speaking of stimulating conversation this, I think we're all in agreement that certainly has been for us. Thank you for feeding us with the

00:00:00.000 - 00:00:00.000

value of your story. Uh we have come back and gotten you and we celebrate even more that really you have never left us, even as we don't often have the opportunity to see each other day in

00:00:00.000 - 00:00:00.000

and day out. Thank you again so much for sharing your time with us. We invite you to continue to share stories and sentiment and time with one another Throughout the official program of this gathering and beyond

00:00:00.000 - 00:00:00.000

. We welcome you to join us in worship at the Shelton Chapel. For those of you who are physically present on campus here, that worship will begin at 11:10 a.m. So with that go in peace and

00:00:00.000 - 00:00:00.000

may the love of God surround you everywhere you go . I'm an old man. Such a pleasure to meet you. Yeah, I didn't get had you