Augustana College, Illinois: Augustana Digital Commons

Scudder, Alyssa

Augustana College 
Augustana Digital Commons 
Augustana Center for the Study of Ethics Essay 
Contest Prizewinners 
Spring 2024 
The Ethicality of Gene Alteration In Human Embryos 
Alyssa Scudder 
Augustana College, Rock Island Illinois 
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 Part of the Bioethics and Medical Ethics Commons, Community Health and Preventive Medicine 
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Augustana Digital Commons Citation 
Scudder, Alyssa. "The Ethicality of Gene Alteration In Human Embryos" (2024). Augustana Center for the 
Study of Ethics Essay Contest. 
https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/ethicscontest/32 
This Student Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the Prizewinners at Augustana Digital Commons. 
It has been accepted for inclusion in Augustana Center for the Study of Ethics Essay Contest by an authorized 
administrator of Augustana Digital Commons. For more information, please contact 
digitalcommons@augustana.edu. 
The Ethicality of Gene Alteration In Human Embryos
Alyssa Scudder
RELG: 203: Christian Ethics
May 22, 2023
Scudder 2
Table of Contents
Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………… 2
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………….. 2
Benefits ………………...………………………………………………………………………. 2
Social Structure Impact………………………………………………………………………….3
Drawbacks………………..…………………………………………………………………….. 4
Counterpoints…………………………………………………………………………………… 4
Authors Opinion…………………………………………………………………………………4
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………… 5
Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………. 6
Scudder 3
ABSTRACT
Gene modification is not a new field. However, human rights and ethics should be
considered when implementing alteration. Historically, science has only sometimes been
conducted ethically, and with the design of new technology, rules and legislation should be put
into place. Changing a gene for the better livelihood of the mother and child is permissible.
Altering the genome of one generation to preserve the health of countless generations to come is
ethically supported. However, many believe changing genes is controversial because it cannot be
undone, and it may provide an unfair advantage to those who have the resources to afford and
implement that is as new and uses expensive technology such as gene modification.
INTRODUCTION
It is ethical for biological engineers to modify human organisms if the change is made
ethically and upheld by legislative guidelines. Producing so-called 'designer babies' is morally
acceptable, although the name is misleading. These reasons should be to terminate the
reproduction of harmful diseases and better humankind. Conditions such as cancer could be
eradicated just by changing one's DNA. This could be done at the level of egg and sperm and
then implanted within the mother's uterus. However, if the technology is developed, it should be
implemented and managed within ethical guidelines, not to make a superhuman with desired
traits. Crops and various animals have been altered for generations for the evolution of
agriculture. However, gene therapy could improve the lives of many humans if applied to it- and
the technology being developed is needed to achieve this level of science. Designing one's child
seems unethical; children should be loved for how they are created, not ordered from a catalog.
God allowed humans to grow and reproduce, learn new things, and evolve as a species. He gave
Scudder 4
us the tools to do that, not 'playing' God, He created humanity in His image, and He is, after all,
more powerful than other species, and thus humans take after Him in that way.
The benefit of designer babies is the elimination of diseases passed through one's family
line. According to BBC, "modern studies show that genetic modification is the only way to deal
with multiple disease-associated genes within an embryo," displaying modification's importance
and specific function in humans (BBC). Scientifically, no other options exist to eradicate genetic
diseases such as Down Syndrome. An alteration in the genome within an embryo that has proven
to hold genetic material for a genetic disorder can be altered to better one's quality of life and
offspring's life after that. Heritable genome editing would improve the human quality of life for
those whose traits were changed and for the caretakers and offspring in the next generations who
would no longer carry the potentially harmful gene.
BENEFITS
There is an extensive list of diseases that can be eradicated by mutated genes. The health
benefits alone are reasons to implement gene modification. That list includes but is not limited
to; Alzheimer's disease, some cancers, cystic fibrosis, down syndrome, and sickle cell disease
(Cleveland Clinic). The lives that are changed and bettered generationally cannot be underscored
enough. Both types of genetic mutations could be corrected; somatic and germline. Somatic
mutations occur before an organism's conception, versus germline mutations that occur
post-conception in an embryo (Clevland Clinic). Technologies such as gene editing have
revolutionized the agricultural industry and brought numerous advantages.
Similarly, the same outcome would happen if this technology were utilized on human
organisms. It would forever change the public health field and could be used to eliminate health
Scudder 5
disparities. More usage of developing technologies, in addition to integration, will result in more
precise and successful studies. Furthermore, safety laws regarding research and implementation
in the field will cause a sense of autonomy and responsibility among scientists and their work as
it is closely related to the human themselves. However, legislators and researchers must
remember that gene alteration is based on necessity, not preference. It is done for the betterment
of a child's life, not for the sake of how far the limits of science can be pushed.
New technology, such as gene modification, creates a new market, similar to the
agricultural market of GMOs and seeds in the agriculture field. However, in humans, this field
would have stricter laws and regulations. This new market would create jobs for those
lawmakers creating and working to pass said laws. In addition, there would be jobs for
practitioners and researchers who make and do the work. Additionally, opportunities for nurses,
technicians, clerks, and all support staff would ensue. Education would be vital for all aspects of
the career of what is deemed a necessary change rather than a preferred change, resulting in more
jobs.
SOCIAL STRUCTURE IMPACT
Arguably, the implementation of designer babies makes having a baby a market-like
enterprise where one can buy their child. Some feel this is unethical. ExploreBiotech emphasized
the importance of legislation to fight only changing genes for physical attributes "Because most
people will seek out good-looking, intelligent babies with other optimum characteristics,
everyone will be relatively similar," which would result in a smaller gene pool over time
(BioTech). The need for an attractive, smart baby is unethical. Parents should be happy with the
child they are raising through who that child is and what they value as a person. They should not
Scudder 6
be concerned with arbitrary traits such as looks or if their intellect is better than others. Creating
a being only to be superficially attractive will fade over time, and will increase intelligence as
one ages. These ideas that may be held are fleeting. Genetic changes only for improving
intelligence or cosmetics will further decline the stigma surrounding body image in youth today.
Additionally, these embryonic procedures are costly. In vitro fertilization, a technique
associated with gene implantation, costs "$10,000 to $15,000" per implant (Phaneuf). Many
insurance companies do not cover or compensate clients for procedures such as this one. The
outrageous costs of these treatments limit only those with money the ability to access the
treatment. Another problem this could cause is "a gap in society… 'Designer' babies would most
likely be better looking, smarter," which could lead to a class difference (BioTech). I would
argue that although this process would be expensive, so are other alternative child services to
natural pregnancies. Using a surrogate or adoption is also costly. Many Americans struggle to
afford these services as well.
DRAWBACKS
What is ethically acceptable to alter, and what is the reason for the change? Changing
traits that will result in better health of the being are morally permissible. However, changing
traits that cause the being to be better or advantaged than other humans is unethical. For
example, "The Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs released a statement in 1994 in support of
using the genetic selection as a means to prevent, cure or specific diseases, but that selection
based on benign characteristics was not ethical" (Embryo Project ASU). Qualities such as gender
and color should not be changed unless it results in the embryo not having a disease. Changing
the rates mentioned earlier will encourage racism and sexism.
Scudder 7
Additionally, many Americans who were surveyed by the Pew Research Center "support
the idea of using gene editing to deliver direct health benefits for babies…a majority considers
the use of such techniques to boost a baby's intelligence something that takes technology 'too far'
(Pew Research). Increasing intelligence creates an unfair advantage and thus would make the
modification unethical. One's brilliance and success are up to one to achieve and should not be
predetermined by medical procedures.
Not enough control and regulation of embryonic alteration will cause a new class of
citizens; ensuring the social structure isn't affected will maintain ethics. When Charles Darwin
invented his theory of natural selection- the idea the fittest organism will survive and reproduce-
it eventually gave way to Social Darwinism. Social Darwinism led to numerous terrible forms of
scientific racism, such as eugenics. It spurred the theory used to justify ideas of imperialism,
racism, eugenics, and social inequality. The United States has a shady history with unethical
false claims of improved heredity (The Luthern Witness). Numerous accounts of unfair
sterilization or reproductive laws have occurred globally, all stemming from controlling who can
reproduce. If genetic modification were embryonically implemented, there would need to be
numerous legislative policies in place that have not been previously. The Luthern Witness takes
an understanding and wise stance of, "Christians…are opposed to using technology in ways that
fight against God's intent for human life," which aligns with the need for ethics involving equity
and equality. They make this claim because of the patterned injustices plaguing racial and
reproductive views explained by 'science' historically. Again and again, 'fallen human nature will
favor the strong over the weak, the rich over the poor.' Still, if used correctly, alteration of genes
for specific purposes can be done relatively (The Luthern Witness). Gene alteration can be done,
just with a result that is at the expense of the lower socioeconomic classes.
Scudder 8
COUNTERPOINTS
Who is to decide what is inherently unethical in such a diverse country? MIT Technology
Review looks at the issue from all sides; financial, ethical, scientific, etc. The author asks, "…
wasn't the point always to understand and control our biology—to become masters over the
processes that created us?" If allowed to grow and evolve and learn more about ourselves and
improve as a human race as we have over time, shouldn't we continue? Some may argue altering
the genome is not true evolution in a Darwinian sense. Counterarguments regarding the ethicality
of gene modification would discuss the selection of the fittest could not indeed happen if the
human genes are altered to be different or better.
AUTHOR'S OPINION
With the correct intentions, the genetic mutation of an embryo is ethical. However, the
use and implication of gene editing at the embryonic stage are unnecessary to change genes that
are not harming the child. For example, changing the hair color of one's child should not be
necessary as the child can dye their hair as they choose. Physical features and intelligence should
not determine how much a parent values their child. For example, my sister has bright red hair,
inherited from my mom, who also has red hair. My mother loves this trait she shares with my
sister. Contrarily, my sister detests the natural color of her hair and chooses to bleach it every
time a trace of red hair is found on her hair. Even if my mother could have hand-picked the red
color of my sister's hair, she could not have stopped her from inevitably changing it. One can
pick what they want for their child, but they cannot foresee what the child will enjoy. Parents
choosing the specific genes for their offspring in cosmetics takes away a sense of autonomy from
the child.
Scudder 9
The Bible, which helps lead the ideals of many Christians, says, "God created mankind in
his image" (Genesis 2:27 ). If designer babies were to occur, I think the market it would create
and promote would be detrimental. It would encourage the idea of looking and acting a certain
way which is already harming the moldable minds of the youth. Most Christians are thankful for
the way God made them and should not alter that if not for a reason. If the reason will save or
better the fetus's life, then the action is commended, and the same principle applies if an
alteration betters the mother's physical life. Human life and human rights are both important
aspects to consider, but ultimately, each life is meaningful and deserves a chance at a quality life;
if altering the embryo results in better health and longevity of the living organism, it is an ethical
decision. This is the broader application of the double effect, which many Catholics call the
'lesser of two evils.' It may seem like 'playing God' to alter your child's genes, but I see no harm
if it saves a life and preserves something good that God created.
Imagine a technology developed to eradicate the genes carrying cancerous cells.
Destroying the genome would be able to save millions. Additionally, new jobs could be created
from the rise of genome editings, such as clinics, technicians, nurses, lawmakers, and politicians
who would all be involved in the care of patients and future generations of humans. This would
help the market. Communities with specific disparities could have specific mutations targeted as
a new window for the public health field to work within, such as the genetic risk factors of
diabetes.
CONCLUSION
State genetic modification to produce designer babies can be achieved ethically. If it is to
be done, a nation must agree upon and follow the legislation to control a new market and ethical
Scudder 10
ideas. Like many medical practices, there must be laws to prevent how and when a medical
procedure is conducted. It must be used for a better life, but not to the point of creating a new
class of humans. This is a change that, if implemented correctly, can significantly help the human
race.
Scudder 11
Bibliography
BBC. (2019, November 19). Genetically-modified babies' ethically justifiable', academic claims.
BBC News. Retrieved March 22, 2023, from
www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-50460721
Funk, C. (2020, August 20). Public views of gene editing for babies depend on how it is
used. Pew Research Center Science &amp; Society. Retrieved March 22, 2023, from
www.pewresearch.org/science/2018/07/26/public-views-of-gene-editing-for-babies-depen
d-on-how-it-would-be-used/
"Genetic Mutations: Overview & Types." Cleveland Clinic, 5 Apr. 2022,
my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23095-genetic-mutations-in-humans.
Knoepfler, Paul. GMO Sapiens: the Life-Changing Science of Designer Babies. Singapore ;:
World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., 2016. Print. Retrieved March 22, 2023, from
Thomas Tredway Library.
LW Contributor. (2019, August 26). The ethics of designer babies. The Lutheran Witness.
Retrieved March 22, 2023, from witness.lcms.org/2019/the-ethics-of-designer-babies/
The NIV. Zondervan Bible Pub., 1983. [Retrieved March 21, 2023].
Phaneuf, Taryn. "How Much Does IVF Cost?" NerdWallet, 24 Apr. 2023,
www.nerdwallet.com/article/health/ivf-cost.
Proulx, N. (2018, December 6). Is it ethical to create genetically edited humans? The New York
Times. Retrieved March 22, 2023, from
www.nytimes.com/2018/12/06/learning/is-it-ethical-to-create-genetically-edited-humans.
html
Randall, R. (2018, July 27). Intelligent designer babies? Christians tell Pew their views on gene
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editing. News &amp; Reporting. Retrieved March 22, 2023, from
https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2018/july/gene-editing-crispr-christian-views-de
signer-babies-pew.html
Regalado, A. (2020, April 2). Engineering the perfect baby. MIT Technology Review. Retrieved
March 22, 2023, from
www.technologyreview.com/2015/03/05/249167/engineering-the-perfect-baby/
Rothblatt, Martine Aliana. Unzipped Genes: Taking Charge of Baby-Making in the New
Millennium. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1997. Print. Retrieved March 22,
2023, from Thomas Tredway Library.
The Embryo Project Encyclopedia. Ethics of Designer Babies | The Embryo Project
Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2023, from
embryo.asu.edu/pages/ethics-designer-babies.
The Pros and Cons of Having a Designer Baby. Explore Biotech. (2022, February 7). Retrieved
March 22, 2023, from explorebiotech.com/pros-cons-designer-baby.


English

The Ethicality of Gene Alteration In Human Embryos

Terfruchte, Lainey

Escaping from Myth: Denver’s Reclamation of Love in Toni Morrison’s Beloved

Schroeder, Morgan R

Dogma: How a Convenient Narrative Led to the Holocaust

Flannery, John

Augustana College 
Augustana Digital Commons 
Vázquez-Valarezo Poetry Award 
Spring 5-13-2024 
movie night 
John Flannery 
Augustana College, Rock Island Illinois 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/vasquezvalarezo 
Augustana Digital Commons Citation 
Flannery, John. "movie night" (2024). Vázquez-Valarezo Poetry Award. 
https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/vasquezvalarezo/9 
This Creative Writing is brought to you for free and open access by Augustana Digital Commons. It has been 
accepted for inclusion in Vázquez-Valarezo Poetry Award by an authorized administrator of Augustana Digital 
Commons. For more information, please contact digitalcommons@augustana.edu. 
movie night
human touch is like a yellow
smudge on a rustic marble countertop
a baseball bat to a car’s
front windshield
satin silk against warm leg, that
grabs hold and refuses to let go
hold back, back away, away
your elbow sits, fixed to mine, our sharp
corners soft touching, prickling, tsunamis
rising, destroying houses and families once
created, born sons to die, the buried unearthed
soon our shoulders draw together
a flash of purple, once blue and red, the
color of passion, of movement, of when eye-
meets-the-mind, back away
the primality of what it means to be alive, you
bring your head to my shoulder
eternity of never-letting-go, of gluing my
hand to your thigh, braiding tightly your hair
into mine, of relaxing into your skin and being
one


movie night

The 1983 experimental film Koyaanisqatsi remains a visionary artistic work 40 years after it was initially released, because it continues to resonate in contemporary society by vividly depicting the intersection of human life and technology, prompting viewers to contemplate  life out of balance  and its implications. The film makes us question where life is headed and the ways in which we  live technology  today

Thomas, Brian

40 Years of Koyaanisqatsi: the Greatest Experimental Film Ever Made

Hatchet, William

Intersections 
Volume 2023 Number 58 Article 2 
2023 
About the Artist 
William Hatchet 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/intersections 
 Part of the Higher Education Commons, and the Religion Commons 
Augustana Digital Commons Citation 
Hatchet, William (2023) "About the Artist," Intersections: Vol. 2023: No. 58, Article 2. 
Available at: https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/intersections/vol2023/iss58/2 
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Augustana Digital Commons. It has been accepted for 
inclusion in Intersections by an authorized editor of Augustana Digital Commons. For more information, please 
contact digitalcommons@augustana.edu. 
2     Intersections | Fall 2023
Intersections is a publication by and largely for the academic communities of the  
twenty-seven institutions that comprise the Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities (NECU).  
Each issue reflects on the intersection of faith, learning, and teaching within Lutheran higher 
education. It is published by the NECU, and has its home in the Presidential Center for Faith and 
Learning at Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois, the institutional sponsor of the publication. 
Intersections extends and enhances discussions fostered by the annual Vocation of Lutheran Higher 
Education Conference, together lifting up the vocation of Lutheran colleges and universities. It aims  
to raise the level of awareness among faculty, staff, and administration about the Lutheran heritage 
and church-relatedness of their institutions, especially as these intersect with contemporary  
challenges, opportunities, and initiatives.
Call for Artists 
Submit your design for Spring 2024 Intersections “Vocation as Action in the Affirmative” to the editor,  
Colleen Windham-Hughes: windhamh@callutheran.edu 
From the Artist
I typically don’t create work with 
a message or meaning in mind. 
Rather, I work with my visual ideas 
in the moment and decide what 
they mean to me when completed, 
just before naming them.
About the Artist
Permission for UsWe (cover image) to be published has been granted by Quad City Arts. Photo credit: Abi Kongkousonh
Artist’s Biography
Will is a self-taught artist from Chicago, IL. His art reflects his  
interest in historical wall/stone carvings, writing systems, quilts, 
architecture and music. After completing his BA in Sociology and 
Africana Studies at Augustana College in Rock Island, IL, he moved 
to Des Moines, Iowa to study at Drake University, where he currently 
serves as an assistant dean. | williamzhatchet@gmail.com 


About the Artist

Winer, Laree

Intersections 
Volume 2023 Number 58 Article 7 
2023 
Cultivating Staff Flourishing in Lutheran Higher Education : A 
Framework for Advocacy and Engagement 
Laree Winer 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/intersections 
 Part of the Higher Education Commons, and the Religion Commons 
Augustana Digital Commons Citation 
Winer, Laree (2023) "Cultivating Staff Flourishing in Lutheran Higher Education : A Framework for 
Advocacy and Engagement," Intersections: Vol. 2023: No. 58, Article 7. 
Available at: https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/intersections/vol2023/iss58/7 
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Augustana Digital Commons. It has been accepted for 
inclusion in Intersections by an authorized editor of Augustana Digital Commons. For more information, please 
contact digitalcommons@augustana.edu. 
18     Intersections | Fall 2023
In the realm of higher 
education, the concepts of 
thriving and flourishing are 
gaining increasing recognition 
as essential facets of institu-
tional vocation and community 
well-being. In the following 
essay, we delve into the notion 
of staff flourishing within the 
context of Lutheran Higher 
Education (LHE), exploring its significance, challenges, and 
persistent questions. Drawing from our experiences and 
insights, we aim to suggest multiple frameworks situated 
within different university contexts for advocating and 
actively fostering staff flourishing within LHE institutions. 
We approach this opportunity with gratitude as we bring 
attention to this vital conversation. We believe it to be not 
just a relevant and timely topic but one that is essential 
with respect to the vocation of our institutions. 
Specifically we want to suggest that one vocation of LHE 
is to support the development, vocational discernment, and 
well being of the university community. Certainly for our 
students but also faculty and staff. In fact, every institution 
represented here, not only has this vocation or calling but 
a vast array of tools furnished by the Lutheran tradition 
with which to answer that call. LHE stands apart from other 
educational models due to the depth of its tradition and the 
values it espouses. At its core, LHE embodies a commitment 
to vocation, emphasizing meaning and purpose in one's 
work rather than mere performance or passion. Moreover, 
LHE celebrates diversity and unique contributions within the 
shared context of humanity and the pursuit of the common 
good. These foundational principles are what captivate 
educators, administrators, and staff members like ourselves 
and draw us into a profound relationship with LHE. This 
deep commitment is akin to a long-lasting love affair, one 
that we believe should endure the test of time. 
Two years ago, in June of 2021, I had the opportunity 
to attend and present at a virtual conference for ELCA 
schools. Because I did not grow up Lutheran, folks were 
interested in how and why I became such a champion for 
vocation and Lutheran Higher Education. I was asked to 
share a bit of my story with a group of clergy, scholars, and 
colleagues in response to the prompt: how I caught LHE. 
We were still in the midst of the pandemic, and I didn’t want 
to think about LHE as a disease to be caught so I opted for 
something rather unconventional. I reframed the prompt 
to read: how I fell in love with LHE. I shared my response 
Laree Winer is the Managing Director of the Wild Hope Center for Vocation and has been involved with the work of vocational 
reflection and discernment at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) for 14 years. One of her greatest joys as an educator has been to 
co-create and facilitate the only paid professional development opportunity open to all staff at PLU – The Wild Hope Staff Seminar.
LAREE WINER
Cultivating Staff Flourishing in Lutheran 
Higher Education: A Framework for 
Advocacy and Engagement
19
using the metaphor of a romance. I talked about how it 
wasn’t love at first sight but that it started as a schoolgirl 
crush. One full of curiosity that gave way to a slow smol-
dering kind of attraction that led eventually to a full blown 
passionate love affair. I talked about how being a staff 
member and a student helped foster this growing interest 
in LHE. How my faculty were like matchmakers setting me 
up on a series of dates that nurtured my curiosity and this 
budding romance. For the sake of time and space, I am 
sparing you many of the details. I not only fell in love but 
I made a deep commitment to LHE. The “to death do us 
part” kind of commitment. 
You might be asking me what was it that attracted me? 
Was it LHEs smile, intellect, good hair, learning outcomes 
or assessment data? Well, it was actually LHE’s heart. I 
fell in love with the heart of the tradition. Once again, it 
is the heart that I think contains the keys and the tools to 
advocate for staff flourishing. In addition to the commit-
ments to meaning, purpose, diversity and the common 
good, this tradition also rejects hierarchical structures, 
recognizing the intrinsic value of every individual's 
contribution to the mission of LHE. Although I am deeply 
committed to LHE, I recognize the very real challenges in 
cultivating and maintaining a flourishing relationship. 
However, just as any enduring relationship can face chal-
lenges, the relationship between staff and LHE is not without 
its complexities. In some instances, staff members may feel 
undervalued, neglected, or left behind in favor of newer, 
seemingly more "relevant" models. External factors, such as 
financial difficulties or unforeseen events, can further strain 
this relationship. It is in these moments of doubt and frustra-
tion that our commitment to LHE and its tradition is put to the 
test. However, if you really commit to something you don’t 
give up. You continue to engage, study, reflect, and reform. 
You remind your love of their commitment. You remind them 
of who they are and who they are to you. You remind LHE, 
and those that represent its mission and values, that they 
come from something. Specifically a tradition: 
• A tradition that has a deep history of reforming, acces-
sibility, and innovation. Students are not the only ones 
who are changing. We must meet our staff members 
where they are too. 
• A tradition that emphasizes vocation—the “third way” 
is not a way of performance or passion but rather of 
meaning and purpose. Meaningful work that serves 
the neighbor is a vocation or in the university context—
meaningful work that serves the students and the 
mission of LHE is a vocation. 
• A tradition that de-emphasized hierarchy—everyone 
has a vocation and everyone’s vocation is essential to 
the purpose of our institutions. 
• A tradition that recognizes our differences and unique 
contributions through the lens of our shared humanity 
and our shared purpose to influence the common good. 
It’s because of this tradition that I am optimistic that my 
love will stand the test of time. That we will make it LHE 
and I. Together forever. And yet, we must continue to work 
on our relationship. 
In this work, advocacy plays a pivotal role. Advocacy 
implies actively supporting the development, vocational 
discernment, and overall well-being of not only students 
but also staff. This kind of advocacy seeks to bridge the 
gap between the institution's mission and the daily expe-
riences of its staff members. To that end, I still have a few 
lingering questions regarding our future together:
1. What does it take for staff to flourish? Do we know? If 
not, how will we know? Who will ask? Who will listen? 
Who will act? Our institutions get data on everything 
else. Collecting data on staff flourishing is imperative. 
In an era where institutions meticulously track various 
metrics, it is crucial to understand the well-being and 
satisfaction of staff members. This data can inform 
targeted initiatives and policies to address areas of 
concern and enhance overall staff experience.
2. Why are staff often viewed differently than other 
members of the university community? We all agree 
that we are here to serve the students and the educa-
tional mission. Our leadership has stated—“We are all 
educators”. So why are we viewed differently? Why 
have the hierarchies been reinstated? 
20     Intersections | Fall 2023
3. How can those of us with resources and Centers 
focused on the work of vocation reflection and 
discernment, advocate for and contribute to staff 
flourishing? To truly cultivate flourishing, institutions 
must also invest in professional development opportuni-
ties for staff members. Traditionally, these opportunities 
have been more accessible to certain roles and depart-
ments, leaving others overlooked.
In the next chapter of this love story my hope is 
that staff flourishing in Lutheran Higher Education is 
not merely a theoretical concept; it is a calling deeply 
rooted in the tradition and values of LHE. By embracing 
advocacy, investing in professional development, and 
collecting data, LHE institutions can ensure that staff 
members not only serve the mission but also flourish 
within the vibrant community of the institutions. We invite 
our colleagues in the Network of ELCA Colleges and 
Universities (NECU) to join us in this endeavor to nurture 
and support staff flourishing as an essential component of 
our institutional and community well-being. 
CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
T he theme for Intersections in Spring 2024 is “Vocation as Action in the Affirmative.” We invite written or artistic pieces from any perspective 
within the university that emphasize the importance of acting on the vocations 
we hear, cultivate, and/or espouse in our various mission statements. We 
are especially interested in including Lutheran theological, educational, and 
sociological perspectives related to “Affirmative Action.” See more about this 
specific call on p. 26. Contributions are due February 15, 2024. If you would 
like to be in conversation about an idea that is brewing, please be in touch  
with the editor, Colleen Windham-Hughes: windhamh@callutheran.edu 
SPRING 2021SPRING 2 24
Intersections
Faith, Learning, and the Vocation of Lutheran Higher Education
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James, Jenny M.

Intersections 
Volume 2023 Number 57 Article 14 
2023 
Turning to a Reproductive Justice Framework for Inclusive 
Dialogue across Differences 
Jenny M. James 
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Augustana Digital Commons Citation 
James, Jenny M. (2023) "Turning to a Reproductive Justice Framework for Inclusive Dialogue across 
Differences," Intersections: Vol. 2023: No. 57, Article 14. 
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contact digitalcommons@augustana.edu. 
30    Intersections | Spring 2023
In the spring of 2022, I 
developed a special topics 
course on Reproductive 
Justice, which I offered as 
part of Pacific Lutheran 
University’s online summer 
curriculum in the momentous 
month of June. It was a 
prescient choice, as half-way 
through our month-long 
term our work together was dramatically punctuated by 
the June 24th Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court decision 
overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that had shaped 
reproductive healthcare in the U.S. for half a century. The 
Dobbs decision catapulted our country into a frighteningly 
uneven legal terrain—a balkanized landscape where fifty 
states have now either banned, vastly limited, or in some 
exceptional cases expanded access to reproductive care. 
In many ways the 2022 decision set in relief the inherent 
vulnerabilities of a liberal rights-based legal framework 
for protecting people’s access to contraception, abortion 
and reproductive healthcare more broadly. 
This article makes the case for the value of utilizing 
a reproductive justice framework, or RJ framework, for 
teaching reproductive rights in the post-Dobbs era. By 
expanding the conversation to attend to not only repro-
ductive self-determination but also the social structures 
that shape equitable distribution of life chances for fertile 
and pregnant people, parents and children, the use of a 
reproductive justice framework gives us tools to overhaul 
current conversations about abortion. As Loretta Ross and 
Ricki Solinger write: “At the heart of reproductive justice is 
this claim: all fertile persons and persons who reproduce 
and become parents require a safe and dignified context 
for these most fundamental human experiences.”1 The 
reproductive justice framework helps us understand 
reproductive life as a global human right—thereby opening 
a path for dialogue across differences of race, sexuality, 
gender identity and faith. 
Often when the topics of abortion and contraception 
arise, dialogue grinds to a halt, both in public forums and 
private interpersonal conversations. This is in many ways 
because our contemporary conversation is constrained 
by a political binary of pro-life vs. pro-choice, a false 
dichotomy that silences the experiences of indigenous 
communities and communities of color and defuses the 
radical potential of reproductive social movement. Andrea 
Smith’s 2005 article “Beyond Pro-Choice and Pro-Life: 
JENNY M. JAMES
Turning to a Reproductive Justice 
Framework for Inclusive Dialogue 
Across Differences 
Jenny M. James, PhD, is Associate Professor of English and Chair of the Gender, Sexuality and Race Studies Program at Pacific 
Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA. Her research explores new paths of kinship, community and repair by engaging in literary 
and cultural studies as well as gender, critical race and queer studies.
31
Women of Color and Reproductive Justice” articulates 
what is lost in the gaps of this dichotomy, stating “The 
pro-life versus pro-choice paradigm reifies and masks 
the structures of white supremacy and capitalism that 
undergird the reproductive choices that women make, 
and it also narrows the focus of our political goals to the 
question of criminalization of abortion.”2 Here, Smith 
illuminates how the rhetoric and tactics inherent to the 
pro-choice vs. pro-life debate dangerously obscure the 
real harm that white supremacy, capitalism and the 
criminal justice system enact on black, brown and indige-
nous families and birthing people. 
Interestingly, Smith’s critique of this political dichotomy 
echoes the call for inclusive dialogue made in the ECLA’s 
1991 Social Statement on Abortion. Incorporating a 
similar critique, albeit from a very different position, the 
Statement’s authors write, in the section “Talking about 
our Differences,” that “A developing life in the womb does 
not have an absolute right to be born, nor does a pregnant 
woman have an absolute right to terminate a pregnancy. 
The concern for both the life of the woman and the devel-
oping life in her womb expresses a common commitment 
to life. This requires that we move beyond the usual ‘pro-
life’ versus ‘pro-choice’ language in discussing abortion.”3 
While this passage ostensibly lays the groundwork for an 
argument against a woman’s right to choose, the authors 
also paradoxically gesture towards an expansive vision of 
“life,” including a consideration of what counts as a liveable 
life, and how life chances are inequitably distributed. The 
1991 Social Statement goes on to take a position against 
abortion, with exceptions for maternal health, fetal abnor-
mality and sexual assault; nevertheless, the attention to 
dialogue and diversity in its opening echoes the central 
tenets of reproductive justice. By tabling the polarizing 
conversation of discerning the moral standing of fetal 
life and development, about which many individuals have 
mixed personal and political beliefs, the work of cultivating 
dialogues across differences of faith might allow us to come 
together across political divides to imagine a world where 
our social institutions adequately support and demonstrate 
a high, rather than “low regard” for the lives of indigenous 
peoples, people of color, and LGBTQIA+ people.4 
The pedagogical landscape of interdisciplinary teaching 
on reproduction, pregnancy and parenthood has changed 
dramatically since 1991, and this is especially true for 
ELCA colleges and universities like Pacific Lutheran that 
have witnessed an increasingly diverse student population 
in terms of race and ethnicity, gender identity, sexuality 
and religious affiliation. A turn to a capacious model for 
discussing reproductive politics better serves our trans-
formed student bodies—opening up new avenues for 
learning, personal discernment and community engage-
ment. As RJ activists have known for decades, a right 
to terminate a pregnancy is only one facet of a larger 
movement that fights for all humans to have the right of 
bodily autonomy and kin-making. Ross and Solinger define 
reproductive justice according to four major principles: 
“(1) the right not to have a child; (2) the right to have 
a child; and (3) the right to parent children in safe 
and healthy environments. In addition, reproduc-
tive justice demands sexual autonomy and gender 
freedom for every human being.”5
In my decade-long experience teaching reproductive 
justice units in gender studies courses, which led to my 
development of a 2022 stand-alone course, I have found 
that students are often energized by Ross and Solinger’s 
model, connecting in particular with the second and third 
principles; many students have never considered the 
political contexts of people’s individual paths to pregnancy 
and parenthood, nor are they knowledgeable about the 
long history of our white supremacist institutions fore-
closing the reproductive freedoms of women of color. 
When designing units on reproductive justice, I foreground 
this history, incorporating a range of disciplinary perspec-
tives on the intersections of race, ethnicity, reproduction 
and parenthood. 
“The pedagogical landscape of interdisci-
plinary teaching on reproduction, pregnancy 
and parenthood has changed dramatically 
since 1991, and this is especially true for 
ELCA colleges.”
32     Intersections | Spring 2023
In my 2022 special topics course, content on the 
history of racism and reproduction included an array of 
oral, written, video and web-based sources that bridged 
the academic textual conversation with the digital world 
in which our students are immersed. An important early 
lesson focused on the history of forced sterilization, where 
students read excerpts from Dorothy Roberts’ canonical 
study Killing the Black Body: Race, Reproduction and the 
Meaning of Liberty alongside Elena Gutiérrez’s research 
on the systemic forced sterilization of Mexican-American 
women in Los Angeles in the early 1970s. Gutiérrez illumi-
nates the intersecting forms of oppression that led to an 
epidemic in involuntary surgical procedures, demonstrating 
how federal “anti-poverty” funds facilitated racist practices 
of prenatal and postpartum care at the Women’s Hospital 
of the Los Angeles County Medical Center.6 We drew 
connections between these historical accounts and recent 
reporting on systemic forced hysterectomies occurring in 
carceral spaces, including the 2020 documentary Belly of 
the Beast, which chronicles abuses within the California 
Corrections Department, and journalistic accounts of the 
wave of forced hysterectomies that migrant birthing people 
recently experienced while imprisoned in the Irwin County 
Detention Center in Ocilla, Georgia.7 This history illuminates 
the racialized terms of reproductive self-determination and 
the painful unfreedom experienced within communities 
of color—a history that reveals that the heteropatriarchal 
demand to protect the life of the unborn is also a project to 
sustain and increase white life. 
As white evangelical Christian women are burdened 
by a cultural injunction to reproduce, as documented in 
recent writings by author Merritt Tierce,8 black maternal 
and infant death rates remain devastatingly high. Since 
the early 2000s, feminist and anti-racist research in the 
fields of public health, obstetrics and gynecology has 
demonstrated the persistent racial disparities in the 
quality of care available for black and brown birthing 
people, including statistical data showing increased rates 
of unnecessary cesarean sections and inadequate labor 
pain management for black birth patients in particular.9 
Today, the black/white gaps in the mortality of birthing 
people and birthing outcomes remain dramatic, including 
maternal and infant losses that were most often prevent-
able, even after decades of hard-fought advancements in 
medical care. Analyzing administrative data such as hospi-
talization records alongside income data in California, 
a recent January 2023 study published by the National 
Bureau of Economic Research found that black families 
are more likely to face infant loss in the first year of life 
than white families, regardless of income.10 These studies 
demonstrate that racism within reproductive healthcare is 
not a thing of the past, but rather an urgent contemporary 
reality that has moral and mortal consequences. 
The transformative potential of a pedagogy rooted in the 
principles of reproductive justice resides not simply in the 
acquisition of knowledge from a multiplicity of sources, 
but also in the equitable application and dissemination 
of this knowledge to communities beyond the borders of 
higher education. In my course we designed a collaborative 
community-engaged final project that drew on an ethics 
of feminist praxis, an ethics grounded in respecting the 
evidence of experience that catalyzed the 1994 develop-
ment of the RJ framework by 12 black feminists organizing 
at a Chicago pro-choice political conference, including 
MacArthur Fellow Loretta Ross. My students applied their 
learning to the development of a public-facing virtual map 
of reproductive and perinatal support resources for the 
Parkland, Washington community in which PLU resides. 
Parkland is an unincorporated suburb of Tacoma located in 
Pierce County, and statistically has a higher population of 
people of color than the county overall, as well as a higher 
rate of people living under the poverty line. Parkland also 
has a very diverse immigrant community with more than 40 
languages spoken by students enrolled in the local public 
school system. After analyzing Parkland-specific census 
data alongside the county-by-county Maternal Vulnerability 
Index, students discovered that pregnant and birthing 
people as well as new parents were particularly at risk for 
postpartum mental health challenges, among other vulner-
abilities. To address this, we worked together to identify 
and map community-based resources that would be both 
helpful and easily accessed via public transportation, such 
as the Parent Resilience Program, a culturally-matched 
peer-based mental health support network for new parents 
organized by Perinatal Support Washington.
My passion for teaching reproductive justice arises from 
my scholarly curiosity, my political commitments, and also 
my personal experiences as a white, queer gestational 
33
parent. My partner and I were privileged to have access 
to quality care and experienced relatively few obstacles to 
determining our own queer reproductive paths. We had the 
financial means necessary to pursue assisted reproductive 
technologies in order to conceive, as well as to purchase 
donor sperm. And yet my experiences during pregnancy, 
labor and the perinatal period were not free from hardship, 
as most birthing people can attest. I had an early “missed” 
miscarriage in the spring of 2018, which required me to 
jump through a number of emotional and logistical hoops 
to self-advocate for a medically managed miscarriage 
through the oral administration of misoprostol, a medi-
cation now limited in almost half of states for its role in 
medical abortions. Sixteen months later, after a lengthy 
and painful postpartum healing process caused in part 
by a challenging delivery, I had become radicalized to 
the ways that our reproductive, birthing and postpartum 
healthcare systems undoubtedly fail to support the health 
and well-being of birthing people. 
As the cited history of racist forms of inequity in 
care attests, my white queer maternal difficulties with 
pregnancy loss and postpartum medical complications 
are small when set against the larger forms of medical 
discrimination, malpractice, and substandard care that 
families of color endure—a healthcare system that is 
wounding parents and children rather than embracing 
them in the loving care needed for this sacred time of tran-
sition. I tell this story to remind readers that researching, 
writing about and teaching reproductive rights arise from 
our intellectual curiosity, our political commitments, and 
also our rich and complicated personal experiences. To 
do ethical work in the field of reproductive justice we must 
therefore stay grounded in an awareness of our own posi-
tionality, as well as in the forms of embodied memory and 
various wounds that we may carry. 
In building inclusive community, co-learners in the 
reproductive justice classroom can draw on the feminist, 
queer and anti-racist values that foster heart-centered 
conversations about politics, faith, identity and power. 
Some of the pedagogical principles I’ve drawn on include:
• The creation of a welcoming space for story-telling and 
the sharing of personal experience as well as cultur-
ally-specific knowledges. As Loretta Ross and Vickie 
Solinger write, “To embrace the vision of reproductive 
justice, one must embrace polyvocality—many voices 
telling their stories that together may be woven into a 
unified movement for human rights.”11
• Incorporating a discussion of bodily autonomy as a 
way to link contemporary calls for equitable access 
to quality reproductive healthcare nationwide with 
concurrent battles to protect gender-affirming care for 
all people, regardless of income or state of residence. 
As Ross and Solinger remind us, “sexual autonomy and 
gender freedom for every human being” are founda-
tional human rights at the core of reproductive justice.
• The incorporation of a variety of examples, case studies 
and texts that show the true diversity of human reproduc-
tion and family, including those that center experiences of 
BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ persons and families. 
• The use of gender-inclusive language including the 
terms “birthing people” and “pregnant people” in 
course material and discussions as a means to foster 
an inclusive learning environment for all students 
regardless of gender identity. 
The reproductive justice framework is essential to a 
feminist and anti-racist undergraduate curriculum as it 
uniquely illustrates the ways that social systems shape 
individual experiences and intersecting structures of power 
mark bodies, intimate relationships, and families. As 
students and faculty, we must remain mindful of the reality 
of social differences shaping our reproductive lives. In doing 
so, we can foster the skill of being present to each other 
when entering into difficult dialogues across differences—
bearing witness to the complexities and contradictions that 
shape our individual reproductive journeys.
Endnotes
 1. Ross, Loretta and Rickie Solinger. Reproductive Justice: An 
Introduction. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2017. 9.
 2. Smith, Andrea. “Beyond Pro-Choice and Pro-Life: Women of 
Color and Reproductive Justice”
 3.  “A Social Statement on: Abortion”
 4.  “A Social Statement on: Abortion”
 5.  Ross and Solinger, 9.
34     Intersections | Spring 2023
 6.  Gutiérrez, Elena. Fertile Matters: The Politics of Mexican-
Origin Women’s Reproduction. Austin, TX: University of Texas 
Press, 2008. 37.
 7.  https://msmagazine.com/2021/12/09/
immigrants-ice-detention-center-georgia-irwin-women-
reparations-sexual-violence/
 8.  https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/02/magazine/abortion-
parent-mother-child.html?action&amp%3B
 9.  Add citations
10. https://www2.census.gov/ces/wp/2022/CES-WP-22-55.pdf
11. Ross and Solinger, 59.
CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
Fall 2023 “Vocation and the Flourishing of Educators”*
SPRING 2021FALL 2023
Intersections
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We invite pieces on how educators,* broadly construed to mean all 
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in conversation about an idea that is brewing, please be in touch with 
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Turning to a Reproductive Justice Framework for Inclusive Dialogue across Differences

Mohammed, Zamzam

Augustana College 
Augustana Digital Commons 
Augustana Center for the Study of Ethics Essay 
Contest Prizewinners 
Spring 2023 
Environmentalism: Flint Michigan Water Crisis 
Zamzam Mohammed 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/ethicscontest 
Environmentalism: Flint Michigan Water Crisis
Zamzam Mohammed
Professor Michelle Wolff
Christian Ethics
December 13, 2022
1
Theologian James Cone describes, “the image of live black women’s bodies stretched
along roads in North Carolina in order to block dump trucks from carrying toxic soil into their
neighborhoods and destroying their gardens stays with me.”1 This portrayal of environmental
injustice within the Black community highlights the systemic and racial silencing of oppression
that Black individuals face daily. One example of White supremacists’ lack of value towards the
Black community is the Flint, Michigan Water Crisis in 2014. This event was not only racially
based but was constructed to attack and undermine the residents of Flint, Michigan, who are
predominantly Black and African American. The lack of clean water and high rates of pollution
in the community created a health hazard that affected tens of thousands of children and adults.
Black communities should not be exploited as economic commodities or used for monetary gain
to benefit White supremacy. In the essay, I will implement the praxis of womanist ontology and
environmentalism to demonstrate the Flint, Michigan Water Crisis as an issue of racial
discrimination. First, I will apply Emilie Townes’ idea of systematic evil to portray how White
supremacists abuse their privilege to exploit the residents of Flint. Next, I will use Katie
Cannon’s concept of ontological silences and social class, which aims to give a voice to the
oppressed and deconstruct the class system that keeps Black communities subordinate in society.
Additionally, I will implement Toni Morrison’s portrayal of Baby Suggs, which strives to
dismantle oppression and silencing through ontological wholeness. Lastly, I will use Melanie
Harris’s approach to ecowomanism to connect social justice, environmental justice, and
ecological reparations. Her use of religion and spirituality centers around ecowomanism and
works to confront racism, classism, and environmental justice.
1 Melanie L Harris, Ecowomanism: African American Women and Earth-Honoring Faiths (Maryknoll (NY): Orbis
Books, 2017), 58.
2
The Flint Michigan Water Crisis was a pronounced event that affected a community of
Black and African American residents. This event struck as overly concerning in 2014 because
of the health hazard it has caused for children and adults. The cause of this event was the switch
of water sources from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department to the Karegnondi Water
Authority to save money for the economically struggling city of Flint.2 Before they could switch
the water source, the city authorities instead decided to use the Flint River as the water source for
the time being. This has caused an uproar because of the lack of clean water distributed to the
community. The residents of Flint complained that the water appeared brown because of the
elevated levels of lead that contaminated the pipelines. Even after the Environmental Agency
notified the city of the health hazard, the city authorities and the government did not take
precautions to resolve the issue. Not only was this event racially based, but it is evident that the
lack of care for Flint residents contributed to an unethical abandonment of the urban area to save
expenses.
Understanding the core meaning of evil is understanding that humans and their actions
construct evil. Ethicist Emilie Townes defines evil as something that is culturally produced; the
actions done by humans lead to systematic oppression and result in evil. The cultural production
of evil deprives African Americans of value and worth and degrades them to a romanticized and
stereotypical narrative portrayed by Whites. The form of contemporary racism has been
normalized and structured to be subjective. The false narratives and perceptions of Black
individuals create a space for nonblack individuals to be biased and cause hatred merely over
skin color. As a result, the violence and oppression towards the Black community continue to
follow a cycle. The problem identified is that Black and African American communities are
2 History.com Editors, “The Flint Water Crisis Begins,” HISTORY, April 25, 2019,
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-flint-water-crisis-begins.
3
subordinate due to oppression and socioeconomic limitations. Therefore, environmental injustice
is primarily a problem for Black and African American communities.
In Emilie Townes’ book To Be Called Beloved: Womanist Ontology in Postmodern
Refraction, the author posits, “whether proslavery or antislavery, the major political parties and
their respective constituents believed Blacks to be inferior.”3 Segregation grew more prominent
in the North; Black communities were oppressed, lynched, disrespected, and dehumanized.
Ultimately, Black and African American communities face socioeconomic problems that
economically disadvantage them and force them to experience environmental injustice. As a
result, the Flint, Michigan Water Crisis is an example of environmental injustice caused by
White supremacy exploiting Black communities for commodity gain. Townes posits, “in rural
areas, planters sometimes used lynching for coercion and increased profit…lynching persisted as
much to reaffirm solidarity and demonstrate power to whites themselves as to punish and
intimidate blacks.”4 The issues targeting African Americans continue to this day but have a
different appearance. The framework of environmental injustice forms a sense of violence. The
health hazard and the limitation of clean water have become a direct means of control, targeting
African-Americans. Townes postulates, “in contemporary era, such control is systematic…rural
poverty and urban blight are representations of conditioned segregation and control.”5  Society
has devalued Black communities because it has deemed Black individuals as unworthy of living
in lavish or expensive neighborhoods because of the portrayal that they are poor or
underqualified. Therefore, to be White means to own power and authority, and with that comes
the privilege of being untouched and valued in society. At the same time, the privileged
5 Ibid,190.
4 Ibid, 190.
3  Emilie M. Townes, “To Be Called Beloved: Womanist Ontology in Postmodern Refraction,” in Womanist
Theological Ethics: A Reader, ed. Katie G. Cannon and Angela D. Sims. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox
Press, 2011), 190.
4
experience societal appreciation and praise, while poor, run-down Black communities are
targeted and used in place of toxic waste facilities.
Melissa Denchak’s article on the Flint, Michigan Water Crisis exemplifies Emilie
Towne’s idea of evil. Denchak presents the actions of the state’s chief medical executive, Dr.
Eden Wells, “who allegedly threatened to withhold funds for a project after researchers began
looking into the Legionnaires’ outbreak.”6 Sadly, the city authority’s use of a cheap water source
ignores the needs and wants of the community because, in the end, they seek to profit from this
unethical behavior. Black communities become “social prey for ill-advised or ill-conceived
income generators such as toxic waste sites and industrial pollution…when the air is bad,
communities suffer from higher risks of emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and other chronic
pulmonary diseases.”7 The sad truth is that Black and African Americans must live in a society
that contributes to their economic struggle and make it the norm. There is no sympathy towards
the community because they are the outliers of society, thrown on the back burner to be left to
survive in a world that does not claim them. In this case, evil has been constructed by city
authorities and government officials to attack the residents of Flint who are of Black and African
American descent.
Undoubtedly, social class and institutionalized injustice are the core aspects of
environmental injustice for Black and African Americans. Katie Cannon, author of “Unearthing
Ethical Treasures: The Intrusive Markers of Social Class,” signifies the framework of ontological
silences and the endless cycle of class inequality. In this case, the Flint, Michigan Water Crisis is
important to implement within class inequality because of the structural silencing that restricts
Flint's Black and African American residents. Before the water crisis became evident, Flint was a
7 Emilie Townes, “To Be Called Beloved”,193.
6 Melissa Denchak, “Flint Water Crisis: Everything You Need to Know,” NRDC, November 8, 2018,
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/flint-water-crisis-everything-you-need-know.
5
flourishing area in the mid-20th century that housed 200,000 residents, many of whom were
“employed by the booming automobile industry.”8 In the 1980s, the rise of oil and automobile
imports decreased profit and many individuals were laid off from work.9 This caused the
population of Flint to decrease immensely because many residents relocated and many homes
were abandoned. Most residents who could not afford to relocate were African Americans, and
45% of these residents were under the poverty line.10 Fast forward to 2013, when Flint faced
millions in a cash deficit, leading to the tragic water crisis in 2014. Flint residents raised
concerns and protested in front of the City Hall. Still, their demands for clean water were not
considered, mainly because city authorities valued saving money rather than valuing the needs
and health of their community. When denied livable and healthy environments, city authorities
lose the trust and respect of their community from the lack of protection the community deserves
and should be given. Katie Cannon introduces Joanne Naiman to explain class power and
ownership; she posits, “it is the owning class that hold ultimate control over the economy, it is
the owning class that can exert the ultimate pressure over state agencies, and it is the owning
class that is the dominant influence over ideology.”11 The greater control over the capitalist
system the White community possesses, the more Black individuals face inequalities and societal
oppression. The advancement of capitalism continues the cycle of unemployment and forces
African Americans “to combat structural barriers that confine large segments of Black people in
less than desirable physical surroundings, reduced housing and residential options, and limited
mobility.”12 Therefore, White communities continue to advance in status and wealth because they
12 Emilie M. Townes, “To Be Called Beloved”, 193.
11 Katie G. Cannon, “Unearthing Ethical Treasures: The Intrusive Markers of Social Class,” in Womanist
Theological Ethics: A Reader, ed. Katie G. Cannon and Angela D. Sims. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox
Press, 2011), 239.
10 Ibid.
9 Ibid.
8 Melissa Denchak, “Flint Water Crisis”
6
do not allow Black individuals access to financial empowerment through businesses and
economic gain. Katie Cannon’s usage of ontological silencing is used to expose the
discriminatory and alienating inequalities that attack marginalized communities in society.
Additionally, to counter Cannon’s idea of ontological silencing, Toni Morrison’s portrayal
of Baby Suggs works to dismantle oppression and racial discrimination. Katie Cannon and Baby
Suggs work to shed light on the ways Black communities are silenced and not given a chance to
voice their thoughts and ideas and, more importantly, voice their struggles. Black communities
are dehumanized and degraded to a lower status no matter how qualified and wealthy they
present themselves in society. Ultimately, the idea of ontological wholeness deconstructs the
notion of particularity and expresses “self-love.” Baby Suggs posits, “they ain’t in love with your
mouth…they will see it broken and break it again. What you say out of it they will not heed.
What you scream from it they do not hear.”13 It is important to realize what it means to “love
one’s heart.”  Emilie Townes notes what it means for African Americans to love themselves and
be loved by others. To love one’s heart is to care for one’s environment and to draw on the
community of resistance and solidarity. Black individuals are worthy of love not because they do
something, not because of their culture, but because they are human. Emilie Townes states,
“understanding the other is not predicated on how the individual (or the group) makes the shift
from certainty of her inner experiences to the unknowable person.”14 Townes explains that often
these notions create romanticization and trivialization; the former meaning something that is
idealized or unrealistic and the latter meaning something of less importance. Much of the
discourse that relies on racism and classism are the stereotypes and false narratives delineating
marginalized groups. Emile Townes argues these narratives tie “blackness as equivalent to
14 Ibid, 186.
13 Ibid, 190.
7
poverty and destitution.”15 In hopes of eradicating racial discrimination and social inequalities,
White supremacists must deconstruct this narrow-minded narrative of what Black individuals are
supposed to be like or how they should live based on their false perceptions. Therefore, applying
the idea of womanist ontology means society must work as a community to regulate equality and
value for one another. Structural evil is evident because individuals are not holding each other
accountable for their unethical behaviors. It is also evident because they are not paving new ways
or changing laws to provide better options for Black individuals who need better education,
health benefits, or living environments.
The analysis of ecowomanism based on Melanie Harris’s article “Ecowomanism: Black
Women, Religion, and the Environment” establishes “an interdisciplinary discourse in womanist
thought that reflects upon black women’s religious orientations and connections with the
earth.”16 Essentially, ecowomanism confronts racism, classism, and environmental justice while
making connections to social justice.17 Melanie Harris’s idea of ecowomanism is essential when
discussing the Flint, Michigan Water Crisis because it analyzes the socioeconomic issues that
cause Black communities, such as Flint, to be exploited, stolen, and destroyed for commodity
gain. Nihilism becomes apparent when White supremacists ignore the economic struggle that
Black communities experience when exploiting their environments. The lack of development in
Black communities proves that White supremacists only care for their own monetary gain,
especially when Black individuals are not part of the new growth or economic growth that White
supremacists experience.
17 Ibid, 27.
16 Melanie L. Harris. “Ecowomanism: Black Women, Religion, and the Environment,” The Black Scholar 46, no. 3
(2016): 32. Doi: 10.1080/00064246.2016.1188354, 27.
15 Ibid, 186.
8
Melanie Harris implements the idea of ecological reparations that works to restore
ecological violence in communities such as Flint. The aim of ecowomanism when identifying the
issues of environmental injustice within the Black community is to practice the earth-justice
paradigm. Individuals must love and respect others the same way they should love and respect
the earth. Melanie Harris connects to environmental ethics and the environmental justice
paradigm by explaining “many African and Native American cosmologies, for example, that
honor women’s wisdom include an ethical mandate to care for the earth based on an
understanding that human, nature, and spiritual realms are connected. Honoring the earth, means
honoring community (human and non-human) is central to honoring self.”18 Initially, the
oppressed, which in this case are the residents of Flint, must question the mindset of White
supremacists to dismantle the dualistic ideologies set in society. Ecological reparations look to
validate the struggles and perspectives of African Americans and work to reassert “values of
interconnectedness and interdependence.”19 Ecowomanist ideologies only work when racism,
classism, and oppression are eradicated and when White supremacists take accountability for
their racist, narcissistic, and unethical disparities in Black communities. 
The Flint, Michigan Water Crisis exemplifies structural evil within the Black community.
The atrocious decision-making from city authorities of the Flint community acknowledged the
problematic health hazard it has caused individuals, mainly African Americans. The ideologies
of ecowomanism, ontological silencing, and ecological reparations work to combat and bring
awareness to the economic inequalities and racial discrimination that African Americans
experience within society’s subjective views. The direct means of control and violence through
manipulating and utilizing unhealthy water in the Black community is a form of oppression and
19 Ibid, 62.
18 Ibid, 28.
9
racial discrimination. In order to combat these issues, society must dismantle the inaction of evil
and work to implement ontological wholeness in society.
10
Bibliography
Emilie M. Townes, “To Be Called Beloved: Womanist Ontology in Postmodern
Refraction,” in Womanist Theological Ethics: A Reader, 186-193. Edited by Katie
G. Cannon and Angela D. Sims. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press,
2011).
History.com Editors, “The Flint Water Crisis Begins,” HISTORY, April 25, 2019,
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-flint-water-crisis-begins.
Katie G. Cannon, “Unearthing Ethical Treasures: The Intrusive Markers of Social Class,”
in Womanist Theological Ethics: A Reader, 239. Edited by Katie G. Cannon and
Angela D. Sims. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011).
Melanie L Harris, Ecowomanism: African American Women and Earth-Honoring Faiths
(Maryknoll (NY): Orbis Books, 2017).
Melanie L. Harris. “Ecowomanism: Black Women, Religion, and the Environment,” The
Black Scholar 46, no. 3 (2016): 27-62. Doi: 10.1080/00064246.2016.1188354.
Melissa Denchak, “Flint Water Crisis: Everything You Need to Know,” NRDC,
November 8, 2018,
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/flint-water-crisis-everything-you-need-know.


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