COMPLETED EVENT

The Sankofa* Project Womanist Convening 2005 Womanist Theology and Thought From Theory to Praxis April 22 – 24, 2005 What is The Sankofa Project? The Sankofa Project is a research study that investigates the life-stories of African-American, early adolescent girls, ages 8 to 11, and their mothers/female caretakers, to identify their hopes and dreams, the challenges they face, and how resilience might be fostered through formal and informal education. The Sankofa Project examines the intersections of culture/ethnicity (race), class and gender through the lens of Womanist Thought and Theology and Critical Pedagogy. There has been minimal culturally specific research looking at these factors in relation to the resilience of African American girls and women.

* Sankofa is a word from the Akan language of Ghana, West Africa that means “We must go back and reclaim our past to move forward and understand why and how we came to be who we are today.”

Rev. Dr. Monica A. Coleman , Ph.D., is the author of The Dinah Project: A Handbook for Congregational Response to Sexual Violence (Pilgrim Press) based on her experience as founder and former coordinator of “The Dinah Project” at Metropolitan Interdenominational Church in Nashville, TN. She is the Director of Womanist Religious Studies and Assistant Professor of Religion at Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, NC. She is an ordained Elder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Her workshop Womanist Theology, Pedagogiesand Teaching Strategies in Higher Education is an interactive session focusing on reflection and sharing among college faculty and staff.

Rev. Alika Galloway is the Pastor of Kwanzaa Community Church located in North Minneapolis. Rev. Galloway is frequently invited to teach in the areas of womanist theology, new church development and ethnic/urban church growth and was the featured commencement speaker in 2004 at United Theological Seminary of Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN. Rev. Galloway & Sr. Amata Miller are co-facilitators of “Sistahs and Allies: Womanists and Feminists Working for the Common Good.”

Rev. Dr. Linda Hollies, a woman who has “been there and done that,” is founder and Executive Director of WomanSpace, a place of sanctuary for God’s bodacious professional women. Ordained United Methodist, she is a preacher, teacher, author and consultant to women's groups across the country. Named by Pilgrim Press as “the best selling author,” she has just released her twenty-first publication, On Their Way to Wonderful: A Journey With Ruth and Naomi. Linda is the director of The Woman's Leadership Institute, an ecumenical group of women. She is the Keynote Speaker for the Saturday morning Breakfast Celebration.

Doloris Irwin is the facilitator of the Wise Womanist and Women of Distinction circle groups. Mrs. Irwin is a founding member and serves on the Board of NorthWay Community Trust, is an active member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and is a retired registered nurse. Her workshop Sistah’s Gathering: Developing and Sustaining Circle Groupslooks at the “how to” of fostering an engaging environment.

Shvonne L. Johnson is currently earning her licensure in Social Studies education at Metropolitan State University. Her interests range from poetry to activism. She is the first African-American under the age of 25 to serve on the board of WAMM (Women Against Military Madness). She is the author of an anthology of poetry entitled Release (2003). She will read her poetry at the Opening Celebration and teach a workshop Speak Up! Speak Out! Gaining My Voice Through Spoken Word to the adolescent girls.

Sister Amata Miller, IHM, Ph.D, is a Professor of Economics at the Graduate School of Management of St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas. Previously, she was a professor at the College of St. Catherine where she was involved in developing the College’s Centers of Excellence. For the past 25 years, Sister Amata has written and lectured extensively on economic justice issues, Catholic social teaching, and socially responsible investing throughout the United States and abroad. Sr. Amata Miller & Rev. Galloway are co-facilitators of “Sistahs and Allies: Womanists and Feminists Working for the Common Good.”

Dr. Kirsten Pardun-Johannsen, Ed.D, serves as the Orono Public School District Performing Arts Specialist where she creates and implements the middle school theatre curriculum. She is also an Adjunct Professor of Education and Theatre at Bethel University. Her doctoral research studied the effectiveness of the theatre as a tool for social change. Outside of work, Dr. Pardun-Johannsen, a committed Christian, is an active and passionate artist. She will teach an Arts Workshop to the adolescent girls.

Rev. Dr. Paulette Sankofa, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, holds a B.A. in Psychology, a Masters of Divinity, a Masters in International Relations, and a Doctorate of Education in Critical Pedagogy. She is an Ordained Minister active in the Minneapolis/St. Paul District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC), serves as President of the Northside Residents Redevelopment Council (NRRC) Board of Directors, and is a Scholar in Residence at the College of St. Catherine for the 2004-2006 academic years.

Dr. Linda E. Thomas is a member of the faculty at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. Previously she has taught at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary, Iliff School of Theology, Denver University, and Wesley Theological Seminary. Her research into the cultural significance of theology and community has taken Thomas to South Africa, Peru, Cuba, and former Soviet Union provinces. Her book, Under the Canopy: Ritual Process and Spiritual Resilience in South Africa, was printed by the University of South Carolina Press in 1999. Her workshop is Womanist Theology, Epistemology, and a New Anthropological Paradigm.

Talaya Tolefree is an educational consultant and the former director of Project SPIRIT and Freedom School, which are nationally renowned academic and cultural enrichment programs for African American children. She is candidate for graduation from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. Her thesis is entitled African-American Women in Servant Leadership and How Their Role Impacts the Education of African-American Children. She will teach a workshop Speak Up! Speak Out! Gaining My Voice Through The Artsto the adolescent girls.

Dr. Marion Winters is the Director for the Office of Diversity and a professor of Women's Studies and Intercultural/ International Studies at De Anza College in Cupertino, California. She is an African American educator of 34 years and has worked at the elementary, secondary and college levels. Dr. Winters has presented nationally on the topic of African Ancestry Women in Higher Education, most recently at the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Miami, Florida. Her workshop is African Ancestral Womanist Pedagogy: Elder Women’s Perspectives.

Nothando Zulu is the President and Founder of the nationally renowned Black Storytellers Alliance, a non profit organization dedicated to the power of the oral tradition as practiced by African people in the Diaspora. Their mission is to maintain the art of storytelling as a primary source for positive instruction and reinforcement of the rich beauty embodied in the telling of “the story!” She will tell a story at the Opening Celebration.

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