You Tube Theology

Previously in the West, dignity has been seen in two ways: as something inherent in one’s station in life, whether acquired or conferred by birth; or more recently as an essential condition and right common to all of humanity. In this short clip from a recent event we hosted, Vincent W. Lloyd, one of the leading young scholars of Black thought, delineates a new concept of Black dignity, defining it as something performative – not an essential quality but an action: struggle against domination. Without struggle, there is no dignity.

Vincent W. Lloyd is professor of theology and religious studies at Villanova University. His research focuses on issues and trends related to religion in politics and race, and how these areas affect social change. His new book, "Black Dignity: The Struggle against Domination", is published by Yale University Press.