Duke Divinity School is committed to being an anti-racist and culturally competent community. This work is ongoing as we reckon with a complex, 90-plus year history of faithful witness alongside painful injustice. As we move toward a more faithful future through repentance and reform, we endeavor to be transparent and timely in sharing information about anti-racism efforts, events and programs aimed at fostering racial justice and cultural competency, and the systemic impact of this ongoing and critical work.

Edgardo Colón-Emeric headshot in black suit and red tie in front of Pentecost window

"It is fitting that the annual observances of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity occur around the same time. For the church and its institutions, being racially just and being ecumenical are inseparable commitments. Isaiah says “Learn to do good. Seek Justice” (Is 1:17). Seeking social justice and seeking Christian unity go together when we follow the way of mercy. It is mercy that offers hope for diagnosing sinful structures and healing wounded histories."

Dean Edgardo Colón-Emeric

Racial Justice Action Plan Summary

In early 2021, Duke Divinity School announced a new Racial Justice Action plan that emerged from the yearlong efforts of three task forces working on systemic racism and injustice. Focused on Witness, Study, and Self-Examination, the three task forces sought to identify issues, challenges, and opportunities facing the school. That action plan is linked below.

READ THE RACIAL JUSTICE ACTION PLAN SUMMARY

To provide support, accountability, and transparency for the action plan, the dean of the Divinity School convenes each year a Racial Justice and Cultural Competency committee with representatives from the Divinity Student Council, faculty, and staff. The committee meets regularly to review progress and developments and to set priorities for each academic year.

Latest News & Opinion

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Wylin Wilson Awarded Intellectual Community Planning Grant
May 29, 2024
Wylin Wilson Awarded Intellectual Community Planning Grant
The grant from the Office of the Provost will support Dr. Wilson's project, which addresses the Black maternal health crisis in North Carolina by engaging bioethics, healthcare, and Black churches. Read more from the Duke Office of Interdisciplinary Studies.
The Office of Black Church Studies Hosts 2024 Sankofa Alumni Preaching Series
March 5, 2024
The Office of Black Church Studies Hosts 2024 Sankofa Alumni Preaching Series
The Sankofa Alumni Preaching Series, established in 2014 during Black History Month, is hosted by the Office of Black Church Studies to celebrate the distinct contributions of the school’s alumni of African descent.
Rev. Dr. Benjamin Chavis Named Inaugural Environmental Justice and Racial Equity Fellow
December 8, 2023
Rev. Dr. Benjamin Chavis Named Inaugural Environmental Justice and Racial Equity Fellow
Duke alumnus and noted activist will support classes and research on environmental justice and racial equity.

Upcoming Events

Join us for worship, lectures, and more.
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Wed, Nov 13, 2024 | 12:30 - 1:30pm | Duke University School of Law | Room 3041

Justice & Health Care: Student Lunch & Conversation with Dayna Bowen Matthew

You're invited to a lunch discussion about justice and health care with Dayna Bowen Matthew, J.D., Ph.D., Dean of George Washington University School of Law.