Biography
Darla Schumm, Ph.D, is the Interim Associate Provost and Professor of Religious Studies at Hollins University—a small liberal arts college for women nestled amid the Blue Ridge Mountains in Roanoke, Virginia. Darla received her B.A. in interdisciplinary studies with concentrations in history, psychology, and women’s studies from Goshen College, her M.A. in Social Ethics from the Pacific School of Religion, and her Ph.D in Religion, Ethics, and Society from Vanderbilt University. Darla’s current research focuses on intersections between religious studies and disability studies. She is the co-editor of four volumes on religion and disability, most recently Disability and World Religions: An Introduction, Baylor University Press, 2016. She is currently working on a monograph tentatively titled: Religion and Disability in America, which is a sociologically based study of the experiences of people with disabilities in religious communities and organizations in the U.S. Darla has served in a variety of regional and national AAR leadership roles including President of the Southeastern Commission for the Study of Religion (SECSOR), an original member of the Status Committee for People with Disabilities (PWD) in the Profession for seven years, and as chair of the PWD committee (2018-2020).
Candidate Statement
In this era of protests and a pandemic—each bringing into bold relief how centuries of unjust structures, organizations, and systems not only cast aside black, brown, disabled, queer, and all non-normative bodies, but also promulgate and often celebrate death-dealing practices, policies, and procedures—I am ever mindful of the necessity of the transformational work of the four status committees of the American Academy of Religion (AAR). Together, the Status Committee for Women in the Profession (SWP), the Status Committee for Racial and Ethnic Minorities in the Profession (CREM), the Status Committee for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Persons in the Profession (LGBTQ), and the Status Committee for People with disabilities in the Profession (PWD) remind the guild where and when it does not uphold its commitment to justice and inclusion, while also pointing to possible ways for doing better. The scholars, activists, and teachers who freely give their time to the work of these committees prophetically lead the way to a more just and equitable future for AAR.
I was honored to be a member of the PWD committee at its inception, and to serve as chair for the last three years of my term. I witnessed how these committees work collaboratively and individually to promote safety policies and procedures, best practices for hiring and professional conduct, accessibility and inclusion for all AAR members, and more. It was my privilege to plan and participate in sessions at the annual meeting highlighting the cutting-edge research of minoritized scholars. More than once, AAR members commented that the special topic fora (STF) of the status committees are among the most dynamic and thought-provoking conversations in the guild. Yet, these sessions remain largely unnoticed by most AAR members.
The Status Committee Director (SCD) plays a critical advocacy role as the liaison between the status committees and the AAR board and staff. As a member of the AAR board, the SCD ensures that the concerns of contingent and under-represented faculty, activists, and scholars are present at the table. I believe that as the AAR navigates the rapidly changing realities of the twenty-first century and attempts to be a voice in the public square advocating for justice, civic engagement, and ethical deliberation, the role of the status committees, and by extension the SCD, increases in import.
As I rotate off the PWD committee, I would be honored and humbled to assume the role of the SCD and continue the work I found so satisfying over the past seven years. It is my hope that someday the status committees and the SCD will no longer be necessary because the values for which we advocate will be central features of every aspect of AAR. My dream is that justice, equity, inclusion, and accessibility become unquestioned and enduring principles infused throughout the AAR and no longer simply the concerns of a few committees and people. Until that happens, I commit to working hard to realize this future.