Hello God explores and shares knowledge about the ways that women and girls of color come to understand and use spirituality in their daily lives.  Spirituality is defined as the collection of beliefs, practices and values that shape our understandings of self and others in relation to unseen forces and an immaterial reality.  We are interested in the ways that faith is manifested daily – at work, at school, in relationships, and in life – and, we take a womanist approach by turning our lenses toward the spiritual knowledge, experiences and empowerment of this unique and powerful group.

Hello God highlights interactions between the spiritual and secular that are both commonplace and extraordinary. While spirituality is often initiated and cultivated by religion and practiced in community with others, we recognize that it is ultimately defined and lived out idiosyncratically, according to a person’s background, lived experiences and daily realities.  Thus, we seek to shed light on the various ways of knowing, being, and understanding those things that are spiritual and sacred, particularly within the Christian tradition. We welcome various perspectives and respectful disagreements.

Finally, Hello God is interested how today’s generation of youth think about God and God’s impact on their lives. How do they understand spirituality in racist, sexist, classist and heterosexist contexts?  It also looks at how youth relate to the Christian church in this era and the church’s impact within changing generations.

About Dr. Tifani Jones Blakes 

Dr. Tifani Jones Blakes is an independent scholar whose primary interest includes the spiritual development of women and girls of color. She is also a consultant to schools and churches seeking to create culturally relevant spaces and pedagogy for youth. As part of her interest is the role of the church in civic engagement and social activism. Lastly, she is a wife, mother, daughter and student to life.