Katie Cannon: Wise Mentor and Beloved Friend

When I began my doctoral studies in Boston in the mid-1980s, I met Katie Cannon, who had begun teaching Christian social ethics after recently receiving her doctorate. It was a blessing to have a wise womanist mentor and friend in the formative period of my own PhD work. She would gather a small group of women of color to discuss our work and issues we faced in the church and academy. Coming from Hong Kong, these cross-racial conversations helped me understand the struggles of racial and ethnic minority women in US academia. Cannon was a trusted and beloved friend, and I could always count on her wise counsel when I had professional and other issues. I know she was particularly generous of her time in counseling junior scholars. During the session that honored her memory at the 2018 AAR annual meeting, women and men, young and old and from different racial groups gathered to celebrate her life and legacy.