2023 Scholar in Residence

Dr. Stacey Floyd-Thomas

The Center for Critical Race Studies (CCRS) at the University of Houston-Downtown proudly affirms the diverse communities that comprise the Greater Houston metropolitan area and the Gulf Coast region. The Center passionately pursues its mission and rich tradition of hosting ground-breaking experts who foster innovative analysis and critical consideration of our nation's ongoing struggle to end racial disparities. Nationally renowned scholar and educator Dr. Stacey Floyd-Thomas has accepted our invitation to serve as the 2023 Scholar in Residence. She is the Associate Professor of Ethics and Society at Vanderbilt University Divinity School. She is co-founder of the Society for the Study of Race, Ethnicity and Religion (SRER) and serves as the Executive Director of both the Society of Christian Ethics (SCE) and the nationally-acclaimed Black Religious Scholars Group (BRSG).

Dr. Floyd-Thomas’ research interests lie at the intersection of ethics, feminist/womanist studies, Black Church studies, critical pedagogy, critical race theory, and postcolonial studies. Her overall approach to the study of Christian social ethics engages broad questions of moral agency, cultural memory, ethical responsibility, and social justice. Drawing upon socio-historical methods and liberation ethics, Dr. Floyd-Thomas’ work in Christian social ethics has a threefold focus—race, gender, and class. For her, religious discourse is inseparable from thinking about how to construct a justice-seeking community.

Dr. Stacey Floyd-Thomas has published numerous articles and chapters in addition to her six books. She is best known for her groundbreaking works: Mining the Motherlode: Methods in Womanist Ethics (2006), Deeper Shades of Purple: Womanism in Religion and Society (2006), Black Church Studies: An Introduction (2007), U. S. Liberation Theologies: An Introduction (2010), Beyond the Pale: Reading Theology from the Margins (2011). Her current research projects, including Exodus in America: The Unlikely Alliance between White Jews and Black Christians in addition to Liberation Theologies in the United States: An Introduction, continue to address the ongoing challenge of liberationist discourse and interdisciplinary scholarship.

Because of her intellectual prowess and passion for social justice, Dr. Stacey Floyd-Thomas has received numerous honors and awards including the Texas Christian University Chancellor's Award for Distinguished Achievement as a Creative Teacher and Scholar, Brite Divinity School’s Catherine Saylor Hill Faculty Excellence Award in Scholarship, Teaching and Service, the Louise Clark Brittan Faculty Excellence Award in Teaching, Virginia Tech's Diggs Teaching Scholar Award, the JPMorgan Chase/Texas Business Press Great Women of Texas Award, the American Academy of Religion Excellence in Teaching Award, and the Womanist Legend Award in 2012. This award-winning researcher, dedicated activist, and celebrated instructor will visit UHD April 3–6, 2023 where she will engage both in-person and virtually with the UHD family in several thought-provoking explorations of “Deliver Us from Evil (aka The Ethical Undoing of What History Has Done).”

In the face of the emerging challenges that face our university, our Houston community, and our nation, I encourage you to mark Dr. Stacey Floyd-Thomas’s visit on your calendar. I welcome you to build these events into your calendars, course schedules and provide extra credit opportunities to your students. A poster listing all the events of the Scholar in Residence Week is attached to this message. Come join the UHD community as we strive to enrich and empower our beloved Houston and the Gulf Coast region.

Scholar-in-Residence Events

Monday, April 3
Fireside Chat with Dr. Toniesha Taylor
Texas Southern University
5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 4
Administrator and Staff Development Seminar
Tuesday, April 4
TDECU Tour Room
2:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 5
Undergraduate Student Keynote Luncheon
Houston and Buffalo Rooms
11:30 a.m.

Faculty / Teaching Seminar
Virtual and In-Person in Milam / Travis Rooms
2:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 6
Deliver Us from Evil (aka The Ethical Undoing of What History Has Done)
Critical Race Studies Annual Lecture Series and Public Reception
W. Robertson Auditorium
4:00 p.m.