Abstract

Taking a page from the leadership work and spirituality of Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, the work of antiracist leadership has to confront the problems of credibility and collaboration without relying simply on authority and obedience. A spirituality rooted in care, openness, and inclusivity, one rejecting judgment, control, and exclusivity, is an essential component of antiracist leadership. It looks to the linkages between care for the natural environment and care for our fellow human beings, between the economic exploitation of some and the racist oppression of others, and between our communities linked by history, culture, and language and their distorted reflection in “racial” identities as all-important steps along the way. The task is to walk together, sharing stories, courageously leading and following in turn, speaking boldly and listening attentively, and pursuing mercy and forgiveness in all our actions toward each other. The work of expanding diversity, equity, and inclusion, of strengthening antiracist leadership, cannot be achieved otherwise.