Cami Dager

by Cami Dager

In a time when federal directives are challenging diversity and immigration efforts, I expected to sense fear at the recent Hope for the Future conference in Goshen, Indiana. That fear was present—but it was far outshone by courage. 

I was deeply moved by the bravery of leaders like Regina Shands Stoltzfus and Tobin Miller Shearer, who, in 1995, developed and led the Damascus Road Anti-Racism Process. Their work came at great personal cost, as they faced resistance from the very Mennonite institutions that had initially encouraged them. Yet they persisted. Their courage was echoed in calls to continue this essential work despite today’s challenges. As one speaker reminded us, courage doesn’t mean the absence of fear. It compels us to speak up in spite of it. 

Likewise, joy is not the absence of hardship. Though we heard painful stories of resistance and exclusion, the conference was also filled with celebration—expressed through vibrant music, dancing and shared hope. The gathering honored the pioneers of anti-racism in MC USA and their lasting impact. As keynote speaker Rev. Dr. Lerone Martin urged us, let’s keep moving forward because, as Miller Shearer pointed out, transformation is not just possible—it is already happening.