Living with the Tension: Having Conversations about Race

One of Saint Louis University’s responsibilities is to engage in difficult conversations about justice, and the Communication Department is pleased to spotlight the role of rhetoric in such talks.

Andre Johnson, Ph.D., from the University of Memphis will discuss the tensions that arise when we have conversations about race. The talk is at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3, in the Center for Global Citizenship and will focus on how we communicate historical tragedies such as slavery and move forward to forge a just future.

The talk also will include a Q&A with Jonathan Smith, Ph.D., the vice president for diversity and community engagement at SLU. The event will be followed by creative reflection with SLU’s Justice Fleet, where participants can create artwork inspired by the talk.

Johnson is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication & Film at the University of Memphis. He teaches multiple classes, including Race and Religion, Interracial Communication, and Hip-hop Studies.

Currently, he is collecting and editing the works of AME Church Bishop Henry McNeal Turner, under the title “The Literary Archive of Henry McNeal Turner.” The first six volumes have been published, and the seventh will debut in 2019.

His latest book, “The Struggle over Black Lives Matter and All Lives Matter,” with Amanda Nell Edgar, is set to come out in November. Johnson has presented academic papers at national, regional, and state conferences, winning awards at each level. He has had essays featured in many publications, including The New York Times, Howard Journal of Communications, Black Theology Journal, and Journal of African American History.

In addition to his scholarly pursuits, Johnson is the senior pastor at Gifts and Life Ministers, an inner-city church built upon the servant leadership philosophy.

Johnson’s talk is sponsored by the Department of Communication and is the keynote event for CommWeek 2018. Refreshments will be served at the talk.