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JACKSON, Tenn. — March 3, 2021 — DiAnne Malone answered the questions, “What does the gospel have to do with Black History Month, and what does all that have to do with discomfort?” during the Black Heritage Month Celebration March 2 in the Carl Grant Events Center.

The event was sponsored by the Office of the President and the Great Commandment Collaborative, an advisory committee with collaborative leadership to further racial reconciliation and diversity initiatives across campus and community.

Malone, associate dean for student and faculty services for Union’s Memphis College of Urban and Theological Studies and associate professor of English for MCUTS adult programs, spoke on the topic of “The Gospel and Discomfort.” Malone also teaches African American studies at the University of Memphis. Malone’s research and publication interests are her family history, specifically her ancestors and their lives as enslaved people.

When looking at the history of black people in America, one must talk about discomfort, Malone said. She drew connections to the discomfort of gaining a degree — the studying, exams and stress — and the eventual “gospel,” the good news, of receiving that degree. She also pointed to the truest and most beautiful gospel: Jesus knew there would be suffering and discomfort in coming to earth, including death on the cross, but also that there was good news at the end of his suffering. Believers can use Jesus’ journey toward the good news as a pattern to follow, she said.

Malone said Americans struggle with letting race into a place of discomfort; they are hesitant to reconcile with their history of slavery and racism and are uncomfortable looking back at the recent past such as George Floyd’s death.

“The immediate past is the hardest to look upon, but we must, because what I just talked about is not just black history, it is American history,” Malone said. “A history of celebration and sin, of triumph and tragedy, a history of festivities and fatalities, sometimes happening at the same time.”

Although Malone admitted this would not put the audience in a celebratory mood, she said: “We have to look at and value the gift of discomfort — there is no true celebration without it.”

She pointed back to the death of Christ as a constant reminder that believers do in fact have something to celebrate — there is a journey of death, burial and resurrection, and she views her own personal challenges in this way.

“This is how I’ve begun to understand what it means to be more like Christ, and once I’ve gone through the process of putting to death those habits and ideas and actions that are not pleasing to God, then I have cause to celebrate a little bit, to look at my challenges with new eyes,” Malone said.

This is the time where community members can kill the parts of their flesh that have yielded to the sin of racism, heal from the sullied past and take responsibility to be catalysts for transformation, Malone said.

“The excuse of not wanting to feel uncomfortable does not work anymore, not here, especially if you are called to build God’s kingdom, build community,” she said.

Malone said Union President Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver established the GCC to help members of the Union community discover their discomfort about race and diversity, to be honest about why those triggers are there and to do something about it once they got to the root of the issue. She invited the audience to get uncomfortable and join the GCC this year in more events concerning racial justice and reconciliation.

“Let’s get the work done together knowing that at the end of the journey of discomfort is a celebration of community we can all enjoy,” Malone said.

The evening also included comments from members of the GCC leadership team, Faith Zamamiri-Davis, associate professor of biology, and Frank Anderson, the Stephen Olford Chair of Expository Preaching; a poetry reading by the executive team of Union’s Black Student Union; a video of faculty, staff and students addressing why conversations about race are uncomfortable; a speaker introduction by Mary Ann Poe, dean for the School of Social Work and a part of GCC leadership; closing remarks and prayer by Oliver; and songs performed by Department of Music faculty, a recent alumnus and student.