2026-02-21T12:02:00
The NorcalMLK Foundation’s 2026 International Colloquium Series in Europe (ICS-Europe) builds on a growing global initiative dedicated to connecting African American religious thought with international scholarly communities.
Rooted in the Foundation’s broader mission to advance justice, community, and cross-cultural understanding, the ICS was developed to create sustained exchange around the most pressing moral and social questions of our time. In 2026, that vision comes to life across leading European institutions, including The Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven), The Catholic University of Lyon (UCLy), and the University of Geneva (UNIGE). In addition two public-facing events, a special Beloved Community event at the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity (The American Cathedral in Paris) and a Jazz Vespers gathering in Geneva, Switzerland, blend sacred experience, culture, and community.
At its core, ICS-Europe brings scholars together to explore what “community” means in an age shaped by uncertainty. Through interdisciplinary dialogue across ethics, philosophy, systematic theology, and epistemology, the series invites both academic and public audiences into deeper reflection and shared learning.
The 2026 cohort of scholars includes Raymond Carr, Ph.D., President of the Society for the Study of Black Religion and curator of the Codex Charles H. Long Papers at Harvard University; Valerie Miles-Tribble, D.Min., Ph.D., Professor of Ministerial Leadership and Practical Theology at Berkeley School of Theology; and Aaron Grizzell, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Convener of ICS and Executive Director of the NorcalMLK Foundation. Together, they anchor a transatlantic dialogue designed to expand knowledge, deepen relationships, and cultivate new frameworks for understanding community, faith, and human belonging in a rapidly changing world.
ICS2026-Europe Scholars
ICS2026 Europe is a collaborative undertaking, sponsored by the Tabernacle Community Development Corporation, the Episcopal Diocese of California, The Watters Living Trust, Grace Cathedral, Pepperdine University, and the Graduate Theological Union, with the following university and academic partners University of Geneva (UNIGE), Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Catholic University of Lyon (UCLy), Institut Romand et Systématique et d’Éthique (French-Speaking Institute of Systematic Theology and Ethics) (UNIGE), and The Centre for Liberation Theologies (KU Leuven), and community partners, The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity (The American Cathedral in Paris), Emmanuel Episcopal Church (Geneva, CH), La Communauté du Chemin Neuf en France (The Chemin Neuf Community in France), along with our ICS2026 hotel partner MGallery Collection, an Accor Luxury Hotel.
