DALLAS (SMU) – “Words Matter: The Intersectionality of Race, Religion and Public Policy”, a Zoom webinar, will be held at 7 p.m. on April 19, 2021. The event is sponsored by Perkins School of Theology’s Center for the Study of Latino/a Christianity and Religions and the Department of World Languages and Literature at Dedman School of the Humanities and Sciences.
The webinar will host academicians as well as community leaders as they explore the power of language in the intersection of race, religion and public policy and will look at how that is reflected in the ways that different groups thrive while others remain marginalized. Participants will be invited to examine the impact of language – the power of words – through this lens.
Panelists include: Dr. Evelyn Parker, Susanna Wesley Centennial Professor of Practical Theology, Perkins School of Theology, SMU; Dr. Alberto Pastor, Associate Professor of Spanish, Department of World Languages and Literature, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, SMU; Bill Holston, Executive Director, Human Rights Initiative, Dallas, Texas; Emily Timm, Co-Executive Director, Proyecto de Defensa Laboral/Workers Defense Project, Austin-Dallas-Houston; Rev. David Wilson, Assistant to the Bishop, Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference; Shellie Ross, Executive Director, The Wesley-Rankin Community Center, Dallas, TX.
Two panelists – a linguist and a practical theologian – will offer new insights from their research. The other four panelists – all leaders of community agencies that empower marginalized communities for social change – will present human stories that highlight the impact of public policy that is shaped by the power of language used in religion, education, and community spaces.
Each panelist will offer individual comments, followed by a discussion between the panelists and a short Q&A. Participants will also have the opportunity to offer reflections on the panelists’ presentation.
The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Please register at https://smu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jN_Ay036Q6OJsl6RZ5tGsg.
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Perkins School of Theology, founded in 1911, is one of five official University-related schools of theology of The United Methodist Church. Degree programs include the Master of Divinity, Master of Sacred Music, Master of Theological Studies, Master of Arts in Ministry, Master of Theology, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctor of Pastoral Music as well as the Ph.D., in cooperation with The Graduate Program in Religious Studies at SMU’s Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences.
The Department of World Languages and Literatures teaches eleven languages, including Ancient Greek, ASL, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Russian, and Spanish. It offers four majors and eleven minors and is part of the Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, SMU’s school of liberal arts, which connects students with forward thinkers and global problem solvers through interdisciplinary education and partnerships that begin here, at the heart of the SMU campus, and extend globally.