Please join us for an invited talk by Prof. Ann Gleig, generously co-sponsored by the Departments of Asian Studies, History and Philosophy; the South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia and Religious Studies Programs; the Society for the Humanities; and the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly. The event is open to all interested, and special accommodations can be made for access upon request.

In May 2015, 125 Buddhists gathered for the first “White House-U.S. Buddhist Leadership Conference,” during which they delivered a letter titled “Buddhist Statement on Racial Justice.” Inspired by “the courage and leadership of the people of Ferguson,” the letter is part of efforts to challenge racism in American Buddhist convert communities spanning over two decades. For much of this time, such efforts have been marginalized. Due to the combination of a network of Buddhist Teachers of Color and the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement, however, such work is being increasingly centered. This paper will highlight the pragmatic and doctrinal strategies employed to integrate racial justice into American convert Buddhism and reflect on the significance of such work for Buddhist modernism in the United States.

Ann Gleig is associate professor of religious studies at the University of Central Florida. She is co-editor of Homegrown Gurus: From Hinduism in America to American Hinduism and has published widely on contemporary Buddhism. She is the author of “American Dharma: Buddhism Beyond Modernity,” from Yale University Press, which has been called "a book that will permanently change the way that we teach and research American Buddhism and Buddhism in the West" (McNicholl 2020). Prof. Gleig received her doctorate in religious studies from Rice University, her master’s in religious studies from Lancaster University, and her bachelor’s in theology and religious studies from Bristol University.

Due to COVID-era regulations, all attendees are required to register for this event here: http://cglink.me/2ee/r987809

Upon registration you should receive an automated email with the Zoom link. If for any reason you do not receive this email, please contact Bruno at bms297@cornell.edu.