The Beloved Community
Publication information:
Abstract
The Beloved Community is a poetic performance sharing a youth-led exploration of belonging co-founded by a 13-year-old. Prior to the conference, middle school girls from diverse backgrounds will gather for an interfaith dinner and respond to one question: When do you feel most comfortable and like you belong? Their reflections will be woven into a collaborative poem to be premiered during this session. This work engages an alternative spirituality that is embodied, relational, and lived. Rather than centering doctrine or institutional authority, it honors inner knowing, lived experience, and the wisdom of the body and community, while drawing from interfaith traditions. Through storytelling and spoken word, this performance invites audiences to listen to young people as knowledge-holders and to consider belonging as a spiritual practice shaped by attention, presence, and care.
Presenter Biographies
Paz is a curious, compassionate 13-year-old who finds joy in swimming, reading, creative writing and conversations with friends. A dedicated teammate and growing breaststroker, she loves the water as a place of calm and confidence. Paz approaches life with warmth, humor, and wonder, always eager to learn, explore, and dream boldly.
Imani Joye Samuels is the founder of HURU and creator of Elderberry, a contemplative AI companion rooted in multifaith wisdom. Her work explores rest, belonging, and alternative spirituality at the intersection of technology and human flourishing.