Author Robert P. Jones calls it "The White Christian Shuffle." The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary did it Monday when its board of trustees took a small step toward reconciliation by voting to set up a $5 million scholarship endowment for Black students. But it may have taken a step or two backward
Trustees for Southern Baptist Theological Seminary followed the request of SBTS President Al Mohler and voted against renaming buildings that honor the school’s enslaver founders. But while Mohler and SBTS insist names are important, they keep ignoring some names: those enslaved by the founders.
After months of some Black Southern Baptist leaders urging Southern Baptist Theological Seminary to remove names of enslavers from campus buildings and programs, trustees at the school in Louisville, Kentucky, unanimously voted Monday (Oct. 12) not to change the names.
It takes cruelty and brute force for human subjugation to work. Read full piece
As some Black Southern Baptists urge their denomination’s flagship seminary to remove honors to enslavers, prominent White Calvinists associated with the school are defending not only the founders but even slavery.
In addition to increasing diversity in leadership, some Southern Baptists also want the convention and its entities to reconsider how they honor their early slave-holding leaders. Read full piece
Planned Parenthood of Greater New York announced it will remove founder Margaret Sanger's name from its Manhattan Health Center because of her "racist legacy." Meanwhile, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary refuses to remove the names of its racist founders.
Dwight McKissic shares an open letter to SBTS President Al Mohler and SBTS trustees requesting they remove honors on campus to the school's founders, including by renaming SBTS's undergraduate college and several buildings.
As some Black Southern Baptists urge Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, to remove from campus buildings the names of its founders who were enslavers, a Black student there is criticizing SBTS for featuring images of its founders on merchandise like mugs.
Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, says the school should stop using the name of a racist financial supporter, but added he will not remove the names of the slaveholding founders from campus buildings.