Hope from Ashes
Legacies and Lessons from the Los Angeles Riots
May 13-14, 2022 • Virtual Conference
Enter EventThe Betsey Stockton Center for Black Church Studies
Theme
Thirty years after the 1992 Los Angeles Riots, African American and Asian American communities struggle to find lasting responses to the persistence of social, racial, and economic injustice in their communities. Leaders within these communities contend with the social unrest, strained racial relationships, and racialized violence manifesting itself over the thirty years since the Los Angeles riots. The stubbornness of these fault lines is evident in the events of Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore, Maryland, following encounters between African American men and the police. In each of these cases, Asian American stores were among those looted and destroyed. However, church leaders and community organizers hope for a lasting theological and grassroots response to the destruction and division caused by these systems and fault lines of injustice.
The Betsey Stockton Center for Black Church Studies and the Center for Asian American Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary witness to this hope through a virtual conference that explores the intersection of racial violence, economic hardship, and protest by Black and Asian communities in the US. Because of different histories, structures of marginalization, and experiences, Black and Asian communities have different entry points into the conversation about race and class, as well as different forms of protesting injustice. At the same time, the experience of injustice—and the response of protest—exceeds these different histories and experiences. Moreover, shared religious commitments provide powerful motivations and scripts for reconciliation and solidarity.
This virtual conference features leading scholarly voices along with community organizers and religious leaders to catalyze new discussions at the crossroads of race, economics, and protest. While advancing scholarly analysis at the intersection of race, economics, and protest for Black and Asian communities, this conference also stirs imaginations and articulates new scripts for racial solidarity and economic justice. This conference explores the lasting implications of the 1992 Los Angeles Riots and the promise of religion to prompt new coalitional opportunities for racial solidarity and economic justice.
Sponsors
Hope from Ashes was made possible by the generous financial support and partnership from the following sponsors and partners
Speakers

He has served as a pastor to three congregations including The National Presbyterian Church in Washington D.C. He also served as the Meneilly Professor of Pastoral Ministry at Pittsburgh Seminary while also serving as the senior pastor of Shadyside Presbyterian Church. In 2012 he was elected president of Princeton Theological Seminary.
He has eight published books (soon to be nine…his latest book Diary of a Pastor’s Soul, will be published this May. He also served as an Editor at Large and frequent contributor to The Christian Century for many years.


Professor Tucker Edmonds’ research interests are black and womanist theologies, alternative Christianities in the black Atlantic, and the role of scripture in African and African American religious traditions. Joseph has received grants from the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning, the Fund for Theological Education, and the Woodrow Wilson Foundation. His most recent scholarship has focused on the relationship between alternative Christian movements and the Black body with a recent article entitled “The Canonical Black Body: Alternative African American Religions and the Disruptive Politics of Sacrality” in the journal Religions. In addition to his focus on African and African American Christian traditions, Tucker Edmonds is a noted teacher and an engaged scholar. He serves as the president of the local Indianapolis branch of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), is a member of the editorial board of the Wabash Center’s Journal on Teaching, and is currently leading a community-engaged project that is studying the impact of COVID-19 on Black arts and cultural institutions in Indianapolis.
Tucker Edmonds’ upcoming book, The Other Black Church: Alternative Christian Movements and the Struggle for Black Freedom, will be published in the fall of 2020. This book highlights the variety and vibrancy of the African American Christian sphere during the latter half of the twentieth century, and it adds to the growing body of work that is addressing alternative Christian traditions, the reorganization of the black public sphere during the twentieth century, and the importance of alternative Christian traditions in shaping the terms of freedom and citizenship in the larger African American community.

Christina holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology from Tennessee State University, a MS degree from the University of Rochester in Family Therapy, and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Hampton University.
For over decade, Christina has served in a variety of roles including recently as the Dean for Intercultural Student Development at Calvin University. Within the Higher Education sphere, she continues to serve as an instructor and partners with several universities to develop ethical and impactful leaders. Additionally, a Certified Cultural Intelligence facilitator, public speaker, and mental health therapist, Christina is often contacted by churches to consult about leadership development, anti-racism, and mental health issues. Her writing has been seen and referenced in a variety of outlets including Essence.com, YourBlackWorld.com, and Gospel Today magazine. She is also one of the co-hosts of the Truth’s Table podcast.




For his research and activism, the Association of Asian American Studies awarded Dr. Jeung as Engaged Scholar in 2017. He received the Excellence in Professional Achievement award from San Francisco State University in 2021.
In March 2020, Dr. Jeung co-founded Stop AAPI Hate with Chinese for Affirmative Action and the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council. It tracks incidents of COVID-19 discrimination to develop policy interventions and long-term solutions to racism.
Stop AAPI Hate was awarded the 2021 Webby Award for “Social Movement of the Year.” In 2021, Dr. Jeung was named as TIME 100 most influential persons and among the Bloomberg 50 for his global impact.

Schedule
All times are Eastern Time
Friday, May 13, 2022
Time (ET)
Session
Presenter(s)
11:00—11:30AM (ET)
Opening Remarks
David Chao
President Craig Barnes
11:30—12:30PM (ET)
I’m Going, Going Back to Cali: Pilgrimage, Protest, and the Politics of Black Joy in the Aftermath of the LA Riots
Joseph Edmonds
1:30—2:00PM (ET)
Break
2:00—3:00PM (ET)
Virtual Small Group/Watch Party Discussions
3:00—4:00PM (ET)
From Fort Mose to Los Angeles to Minneapolis: Insurrection, Protest and Resurrection
Jimmie Hawkins
5:00—5:30PM (ET)
Break
5:30—6:30PM (ET)
Virtual Small Group/Watch Party Discussions
Saturday, May 14, 2022
Time (ET)
Session
Presenter(s)
10:15—10:30AM (ET)
Opening Remarks
David Latimore
10:30—11:30AM (ET)
Panel Discussion with All Speakers
11:30—12:30PM (ET)
Racial Capitalist Aftermarkets: LA Riots or LA Uprising?
Jonathan Tran
12:30—1:30PM (ET)
By Any Means Necessary: Religious Protest as Prerequisite for Progress
Julius Crump
1:30—2:00PM (ET)
Break
2:00—3:00PM (ET)
Virtual Small Group/Watch Party Discussions
3:00—4:00PM (ET)
The Model Minority Myth and Racial Solidarity
Hyepin Im
5:00—5:30PM (ET)
Break
5:30—6:30PM (ET)
Virtual Small Group/Watch Party Discussions
This schedule was designed to maximize interaction with speakers and other attendees. For in-person attendees at Princeton Seminary, we have organized small groups with facilitators for discussions throughout the conference and during dinners. Virtual attendees have the option to organize themselves for discussion groups using the online Airmeet lounge tables. Neighborhood watch parties have been organized across the country to host discussion groups during the conference. To learn more about starting your own watch party please email the conference organizers here
Organized By
The Betsey Stockton Center for Black Church Studies
The Betsey Stockton Center for Black Church Studies endeavors to cultivate Black theological genius and inspire people to interweave their ministry and scholarly work into the historical tapestry of the Black church’s prophetic witness. Subsequently, critical reflection is for emancipatory action. The Betsey Stockton Center for Black Church Studies also functions as a center for creativity fostering theological imagination and cultivating innovative practices.


Center for Asian American Christianity
We are advancing the scholarly study of Asian American Christianity, developing a forward-looking vision for Asian American theology, and equipping and empowering Asian American Christians for faithful gospel ministry and public witness.