By Dr. Dora Muhammad
The holy expresses both radical transcendence and radical imminence in coming to know the power of the divine in our lives… it is to move toward intellectually and spiritually dancing into a new future… joy gives me the fire and insight to refuse to give up on making that future real – Dr. Emilie M. Townes, “The Human Imagination: Searching for Grace on the Rim Bones of Nothingness” (2019)
As the new academic year kicks off, I am excited to embark on the third phase of my Theologies of CARE (Compassionate, Authentic Reproductive Health Equity) Initiative. The spark of the idea four years ago, after the reversal of Roe, is now a fire. The spark was stoked over dinner with a pastor friend and his colleague, who propelled their recommendation that I write an article in The Christian Recorder and one for The AME Church Review. The oxygen of their inspiration fueled the flame.
Its gleam shined brighter with the editorial integrity of The Christian Recorder and Dr. John Thomas with the design of a special section for reflections on the one-year anniversary of the Roe reversal, which included my article. Not only did that article extend to the launch of my Rights & Rituals column, but it also laid the groundwork of support for Theologies of CARE. Despite backlash and criticism based on doctrine and interpretation, TCR’s commitment to running that special section mirrored the ethics of the AME Health Commission, which was the first Black denomination to issue a statement in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s ruling.
At the core of that shared commitment was the prioritization and elevation of the well-being of Black women congregants, who would be negatively impacted. The second phase of Theologies of CARE this past academic year continued to mirror that ethic when it culminated in my virtual chat on centering Black women in comprehensive narratives with the Reverend Dr. Emilie Townes, a vanguard of womanist theology. That’s the beauty of how it started.
Here’s the joy of how it’s going. The Theologies of CARE virtual chat series garnered nearly 300 participants across 43 institutions of higher theological education, with support ranging from deans, presidents, faculty, student leadership, and alum. That success leveraged renewed funding for the initiative for three years amid shrinking philanthropy for progressive institutions and nonprofits to avoid the minefield of repercussions from the federal government and the repressive networks that openly and covertly target Black women leaders.
During this third phase of Theologies of CARE, I will be coalescing a cohort of current students and active alum of institutions of higher education pursuing professional endeavors in chaplaincy or womanist paradigms in health care settings or nonprofit justice-oriented work. The 2026-2027 cohort will offer field education and professional development in spiritual care and accompaniment in reproductive health care decisions.
The deadline to apply is October 15. For details, visit www.tinyurl.com/TOC2026cohort. Spread the word about the light and power of Theologies of CARE. The joy of its fire is burning brighter than ever.
Dora is the principal of Creative Grace, LLC, and founder of The AWARE Project (Advocacy for Women’s Activism, Rights & Empowerment). She is the Ambassador to Women for the Institute of Caribbean Studies and spearheads the Theologies of CARE Initiative at Faith in Public Life.
