Maureen O'Connell Examines Generations of Anti-Black Racism in Catholic Communities

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Screenshot from Dr. O’Connell’s presentation.

On February 27, Call To Action hosted Dr. Maureen O’Connell, author of Undoing the Knot: Five Generations of American Catholic Anti-Blackness. O’Connell discussed her book and research and then participated in a Q&A session.

A mix of the personal, historical, and theological, in Undoing the Knots, O’Connell places her Irish Catholic family’s history in the context of racism and white supremacy. As she traces five generations of her family, from the time they immigrated to the United States to the present, O’Connell weaves in how the larger American Catholic population became white and the implication this has had on American Catholicism, including American Catholic identity, social structure and parish boundaries, and social activism. O’Connell’s well-researched work is also deeply personal, as she works to detangle the many knots of racism and whiteness embedded in both her family and daily life.

A recording of O’Connell’s presentation and Q&A is available below. A $5 donation is required to access this recording. Complete this form to receive the password.