Instructor Spotlight: Cynthia Perry

Tell us about your background and what inspired you to teach this course

I am an aspiring Womanist theologian. I am deeply passionate about the intersection of sports, spirituality, and social justice. Growing up, I was very active in sports as a child and teenager, and later, I worked in college athletics in various capacities.

A transformative experience building playgrounds in Haiti and Mexico inspired me to explore how sports can serve as a pathway for community building and development. This realization led me to study social justice from a theological perspective.

As part of this journey, I co-founded The Black Sports Ministry Network, Inc., where I facilitated two online mini-courses on sports and spirituality in partnership with Boston University School of Theology. I felt compelled to integrate social justice into this work to inspire a new generation of social change agents and activists who are passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion within sports.

How would you describe the connections between sport, religion, and social justice to those who might see the three concepts as fundamentally separate?

This is a great question! Sports, religion, and social justice, like many things in life have positive and negative impacts on society, however all three involve human connection and community and in most cases the collective effort to better oneself or others to reach a certain goal.

What do you hope that students will take away from your course?

My greatest hope is that they will recognize that many facets of society are interconnected and can impact and influence many in our local and greater communities. I hope this class will help them become critical thinkers and ethical leaders wherever their career path leads them.