Gravity Commons Podcast Yolanda Pierce: Black Faith Weaving Memory into Justice and Healing
Jan 13, 2026
Yolanda Pierce, Dean at Vanderbilt University Divinity School and author of "The Wounds Are the Witness," shares her insights on healing through memory. She explores how remembering a nation's wounds can facilitate justice and healing, drawing on biblical themes and personal narratives. Pierce challenges notions of cultural amnesia and emphasizes true healing through self-love and community responsibility. She highlights the transformative power of love and resilience within Black faith, calling for actionable faith over nostalgia.
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Raised In A Preaching Family
- Yolanda Pierce grew up in a devout Christian family with five generations of preachers.
- She values the upbringing but also let go of some practices as her faith matured.
Memory As Moral Obligation
- Memory is a moral obligation: remembering past wounds shapes present justice work.
- National amnesia hides harms like slavery but their effects persist and must be dredged up.
Tend Wounds Before Healing
- Healing requires tending wounds, not rushing to forget or forgive prematurely.
- Pierce compares spiritual healing to medical wound care: clean and attend before true healing happens.
