President Leahy’s Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion welcomed activist and author Alexis Pauline Gumbs to a virtual discussion in social justice on Wednesday, Jan. 26. Gumbs, a queer Black feminist, was chosen to speak for the University’s annual lecture honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. Zaneta Rago-Craft, Advisor to the President on Diversity and Inclusion & Director of the Intercultural Center, introduced the event via Zoom. President Leahy then greeted the audience, noting the special occasion when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had visited the University back in 1966. Leahy stated, “On the one hand, we have come a long, long way. On the other hand, we must realize there is a long, long way to go.”
Following Rago-Craft and Leahy’s introductions, Cameron Gaines, the Student Government Association’s (SGA) Director of Student Affairs, presented the keynote speaker. In doing so, she recognized Gumbs’ wide range of credentials and awards. Gumbs is the founder of Brilliance Remastered, an online network and series of retreats and online intensives serving community accountable intellectuals and artists. Gumbs’ poetry and fiction also appears in several creative journals; some of which have received public honors, such as a Pushcart Prize nomination, honors from the Lucille Clifton Poetry Prize, and the Firefly Ridge Women of Color Award. Her most recent published work, Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals, was specifically mentioned throughout her lecture.
Gumbs reflected on the concepts of captivity and justice, drawing on inspiration from her ancestors, as well as marine life. Gumbs encouraged listeners to look towards marine life for lessons on perseverance, focusing on phrases like, “undrowning” and “the scale of breathing.” Gumbs explained, “Breathing is a release for continued life within all life forms—it coincides with impact of drowning.” As she spoke, she regularly referenced her work, compelling viewers to think about the ancestry, captivity, and grief of the black community in a different light. “I recognize the grief fueled by love that connects my ancestors to the present; I am both creator and creation,” she said.
After Gumbs shared her meditations and reflections, David Julius Ford Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Educational Counseling, engaged in thoughtful conversation with Gumbs and asked questions that were being submitted by Monmouth University students. Among these questions was: “How can Monmouth University students cultivate justice and care in our community?” Gumbs responded, “To move an institution, such as Monmouth, to the arc of justice requires one to exercise freedom in seemingly unfree spaces.” She then quoted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “We shall overcome because while the arc of the moral universe is long, it bends toward justice.”
As Gumbs and Ford concluded the event, she posed a question for the students in attendance to ask themselves, “What do I have that can be beneficial to my community?” Gumbs hinted, “Listen for your calling and know that there is always opportunity for collaboration.”
