Last weekend I returned to my alma mater, Grinnell College, for Black Alumni Weekend.
Yes: Even in the face of attacks on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB), higher-ed, and increasingly pervasive anti-Blackness, we still got to celebrate ourselves in public. There is an old adage that where you spend your money reflects your values. It was overwhelmingly cool to not just “think” but to know that in 2025, the college values Black people and Black culture.
While Grinnell is a pretty secular school, it’s hard to deny the importance of the Black church in Black culture. On Friday afternoon, we had the privilege of hearing Nigerian artist Anthony Nsfosor talk about his work in the new Renfrow Hall. During his talk, he made a fascinating Biblical reference: Black Americans are Joseph, who, although he was sold into slavery by his brothers, overcame his condition and ended up saving Israel (Biblical reference to the patriarch Jacob, not the modern country. Also important to note that “Zion” in the African diaspora refers to Africa, not the present-day country of Israel). Then I remembered that Joseph also saved Egypt, his enslavers, from famine in the old testament story.
Could we? Should we?
