“Let’s Imagine Something Different”: Spiritual Principles in Contemporary African American Justice Movements and Their Implications for the Built Environment
The Black Lives Matter movement has become one of the most visible, controversial, and impactful campaigns to address racialized violence and discrimination in the 21st century. Activists within the movement join traditional forms of social protest and policy development with rituals and spiritual p...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2017-11-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/8/12/256 |
| _version_ | 1819182775932026880 |
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| author | Elise M. Edwards |
| author_facet | Elise M. Edwards |
| author_sort | Elise M. Edwards |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Black Lives Matter movement has become one of the most visible, controversial, and impactful campaigns to address racialized violence and discrimination in the 21st century. Activists within the movement join traditional forms of social protest and policy development with rituals and spiritual practices, drawing upon spiritual resources as a source of transformation and empowerment. The transformative aims of Black Lives Matter and other contemporary African American justice movements address critical areas for reform, like criminal justice, education, and public health, but their vision for reform is broad and extensive, envisioning the creation of a more just world. As such, the physical context for African American life—the buildings and public spaces known as the built environment—is a crucial aspect of social transformation. This essay examines the spirituality of Black Lives Matter and other contemporary African American justice movements and considers how it inspires the ongoing transformation of buildings and public spaces. By analyzing the spiritual practices and themes in the Black Lives Matter movement as described by its founders, this paper identifies three principles and relates them to similar concepts in African American religious thought, womanist ethics, and ecowomanism. Applying these three spiritual principles—liberation, inspiration, and healing—to the design of architecture and public spaces can enrich and affirm African American life. Appealing to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture as an example, this paper articulates the possibilities of architectural projects to symbolically and practically support liberative goals in African American religious systems and political movements. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T22:51:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3c0ae3984245421fb541f70b95a7775f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T22:51:30Z |
| publishDate | 2017-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-3c0ae3984245421fb541f70b95a7775f2022-12-21T18:09:56ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442017-11-0181225610.3390/rel8120256rel8120256“Let’s Imagine Something Different”: Spiritual Principles in Contemporary African American Justice Movements and Their Implications for the Built EnvironmentElise M. Edwards0Department of Religion, Baylor University,Waco, TX 76798, USAThe Black Lives Matter movement has become one of the most visible, controversial, and impactful campaigns to address racialized violence and discrimination in the 21st century. Activists within the movement join traditional forms of social protest and policy development with rituals and spiritual practices, drawing upon spiritual resources as a source of transformation and empowerment. The transformative aims of Black Lives Matter and other contemporary African American justice movements address critical areas for reform, like criminal justice, education, and public health, but their vision for reform is broad and extensive, envisioning the creation of a more just world. As such, the physical context for African American life—the buildings and public spaces known as the built environment—is a crucial aspect of social transformation. This essay examines the spirituality of Black Lives Matter and other contemporary African American justice movements and considers how it inspires the ongoing transformation of buildings and public spaces. By analyzing the spiritual practices and themes in the Black Lives Matter movement as described by its founders, this paper identifies three principles and relates them to similar concepts in African American religious thought, womanist ethics, and ecowomanism. Applying these three spiritual principles—liberation, inspiration, and healing—to the design of architecture and public spaces can enrich and affirm African American life. Appealing to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture as an example, this paper articulates the possibilities of architectural projects to symbolically and practically support liberative goals in African American religious systems and political movements.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/8/12/256African American religionAfrican American spiritualityBlack Lives Matterarchitecturebuilt environmentwomanist ethicsecowomanismliberation theologysocial justiceNational Museum of African American History and Culture |
| spellingShingle | Elise M. Edwards “Let’s Imagine Something Different”: Spiritual Principles in Contemporary African American Justice Movements and Their Implications for the Built Environment Religions African American religion African American spirituality Black Lives Matter architecture built environment womanist ethics ecowomanism liberation theology social justice National Museum of African American History and Culture |
| title | “Let’s Imagine Something Different”: Spiritual Principles in Contemporary African American Justice Movements and Their Implications for the Built Environment |
| title_full | “Let’s Imagine Something Different”: Spiritual Principles in Contemporary African American Justice Movements and Their Implications for the Built Environment |
| title_fullStr | “Let’s Imagine Something Different”: Spiritual Principles in Contemporary African American Justice Movements and Their Implications for the Built Environment |
| title_full_unstemmed | “Let’s Imagine Something Different”: Spiritual Principles in Contemporary African American Justice Movements and Their Implications for the Built Environment |
| title_short | “Let’s Imagine Something Different”: Spiritual Principles in Contemporary African American Justice Movements and Their Implications for the Built Environment |
| title_sort | let s imagine something different spiritual principles in contemporary african american justice movements and their implications for the built environment |
| topic | African American religion African American spirituality Black Lives Matter architecture built environment womanist ethics ecowomanism liberation theology social justice National Museum of African American History and Culture |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/8/12/256 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT elisemedwards letsimaginesomethingdifferentspiritualprinciplesincontemporaryafricanamericanjusticemovementsandtheirimplicationsforthebuiltenvironment |