Expert on gender and racial justice issues in churches and society speaks at St. Scholastica

DULUTH, MN - The Rev. Dr. Traci West, professor of ethics and African American Studies at Drew University Theological School in Madison, NJ, will give a free talk titled "Why Call it Black Activism? Anti-racist Christian Ethics and Global Violence Against Women" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 18, in the Mitchell Auditorium on campus at The College of St. Scholastica. The free event is part of a Theologies of Women Lecture Series at St. Scholastica.

"This year's lecturer is a dynamic thinker with great insight into these intersections, their spiritual consequences as well as directions for healing and change," Starkey said. "I believe her lecture will offer helpful insights for the ongoing conversations in the Duluth community regarding race, trafficking, and interpersonal violence."

The series will also provide students, faculty, staff and the larger community with opportunities to encounter an array of women's religious voices, Starkey said, and honor the College's strategic priority of increased reflection on diversity and inclusivity.

The series is co-sponsored by the St. Scholastica Monastery Feminist Theologies Committee and The College of St. Scholastica's Office of Institutional Diversity. 

West is the author of "Disruptive Christian Ethics: When Racism and Women's Lives Matter" and "Wounds of the Spirit: Black Women, Violence, and Resistance Ethics." She is also the editor of "Our Family Values: Same-sex Marriage and Religion" and is the author of many articles and book chapters on gender and racial justice issues in church and society. She is an ordained clergy member in the United Methodist Church. Her current research includes interviews in Ghana, South Africa, and Brazil with activists working to address gender-based violence against women and girls.

For more information visit: spotlight.css.edu or contact the Spotlight Box Office at (218) 723-7000. Spotlight@css.edu is St. Scholastica's one-stop shop for arts and lectures information and tickets. 

The College of St. Scholastica is regularly recognized as one of the finest colleges in the Midwest. The 2013 "America's Best Colleges" survey by U.S. News & World Report magazine ranks St. Scholastica in the top tier of Midwestern universities.