Women's Spirituality Program

Tell us a little about your personal and educational background.

I am an African American woman, born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. My parents worked hard to put me and my two younger sisters through parochial school and to ensure that we would be the first generation to complete college. As the eldest sister, I did my best to satisfy their wishes by attending the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor for my undergraduate degree. I then served in the Peace Corps in Costa Rica and returned to complete a master's degree in Public Administration from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Some years later, I moved to the Bay Area and completed another master's degree in Culture and Spirituality from The Sophia Center at Holy Names University in Oakland, California. I currently live in San Francisco with my husband.

What were you doing before you applied to CIIS?

Before attending CIIS, I had 12 years of federal government service, beginning with the Peace Corps as a volunteer in Costa Rica and culminating with eight years of work at the Environmental Protection Agency.

What specifically appealed to you about CIIS?

CIIS offers an accredited and academically rigorous program that allows me the freedom to pursue fields of study not offered any where else, particularly women's spirituality and the Black Madonna.

Why did you choose the Women's Spirituality program at CIIS?

After the early death of my parents due to illness and disease, and my fortieth birthday, I realized how very short life is—too short to be lived without following your bliss or living your dreams. Additionally, unpleasant experiences with college professors, especially during my undergraduate years, lead me to desire to be a professor who encourages, listens, and cares without pre-judgment. The Women's Spirituality program sang to my soul and inspired me to pick up my old dream of teaching and writing, perhaps forgoing wealth for success on my own terms.

I was also impressed by the work of Dr. Lucia Chiavola Birnbaum, author of Black Madonnas: Feminism, Religion, and Politics in Italy and Dark Mother: African Origins and Godmothers. At CIIS I have the opportunity to work with this pioneer in the field of Black Madonna studies.

What has been the most exciting aspect of studying in the Women's Spirituality program at CIIS?

The Women's Spirituality Journeys. I traveled to Spain with Professor Lucia Birnbaum in Spring 2003, on the "Dark Mother of Spain" journey. The opportunity to travel abroad with a CIIS professor has afforded me the chance to go from abstract, conceptual, book-based learning to see and experience these ideas in the concrete world.

Have any courses had a significant impact on you and your life?

Two courses stand out as particularly important in my life at CIIS: Contemporary Women's Spirituality and Dark Mother of Spain. Each of these courses was lead by professors Arisika Razak and Lucia Chiavola Birnbaum, who allowed space for a students to express herself, to share her story, and then to process information from the related readings and to share it with the class. Through these courses, I wrote a paper that I presented at the American Academy of Religion/Western Region conference that will soon be published in the anthology She is Everywhere. I also discovered my "mother line," my genealogical inheritance from my mother.

What is unique or special about the CIIS community?

CIIS is a small, supportive, and amiable community that allows me to explore interests outside of the mainstream of academic study.

Describe some of your current projects.

Since beginning my coursework at CIIS, I have volunteered with the Tse Chen Ling Center for Tibetan Buddhist Studies. Twice a week I guide meditation and once a month I lead an Introduction to Meditation course. I am also learning to teach others the meditation of tsa tsa-making—the art of casting the Buddha and other Tibetan Buddhist deities and saints. This June I embarked on a pilgrimage on foot from Le Puy-en-Velay, France, along the ancient route to Santiago de Compostela, with five other women exploring the land of the Cathars and home of many of the Black Madonnas of Europe.

What are your plans after you graduate from CIIS?

During my tenure at CIIS, as well as after I graduate, I plan to write and teach. It is my hope to teach humanities at the community college level and encourage other ethnic minorities to hold fast to dreams.

Women's Spirituality Program