August 7, 2025 • 23 mins
Lakisha R. Lockhart, PhD is Associate Professor of Christian Education at Union Presbyterian Seminary.
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Nancy Lynne Westfield (00:00):
Hello, I am Nancy Lynn Westfield,
Director of the Wabash Center.
Welcome to Dialogue onTeaching, a Silhouette
Interview.
The Silhouette Conversationsare sparked from a list of
standardized questions.
We have the good fortune tohear firsthand from teaching
exemplars about their teachingand teaching life.
(00:22):
Today, our Silhouette guest isDr.
Lakeisha R.
Lockhart.
Dr.
Lockhart is Associate Professorof Christian Education at Union
Presbyterian Seminary inRichmond, Virginia.
Notice I said AssociateProfessor because she was just
tenured on April 24, 2025, andwe are so proud and so excited
(00:43):
and eager for you to become inthe ranks of tenured faculty.
So welcome, Lakeisha.
Thank you.
Hello.
Lakisha Lockhart (00:51):
Hello.
Thank you so much.
I am So excited.
And it's still sinking in.
So thank you.
Thank you.
Let
Nancy Lynne Westfield (00:57):
it sink in and celebrate, celebrate,
celebrate, right?
So there should be multiplecelebrations.
Lakisha Lockhart (01:02):
Just like been mass celebrations since April.
So it's great.
That's right.
No,
Nancy Lynne Westfield (01:06):
it's well-earned, well-achieved, not
to be taken lightly, right?
So congratulations.
Lakisha Lockhart (01:12):
Thank you.
But they don't tell you what todo once you get it.
You're like, what?
What?
Oh, okay.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (01:16):
There is that.
You both feel the same anddifferent.
It's like, what just happened?
I just crossed the street.
I'm on the same street.
I'm on the other side of thestreet.
What's different?
Yeah, I do know that.
Exactly.
Exactly.
But you will grow into it.
Be not dismayed.
You will grow into it.
Lakisha Lockhart (01:35):
I look forward to it.
I look forward to the growthand all the new spaces I can
expand.
So I'm excited.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (01:39):
That's right.
That's right.
And take on that authority,right?
So there's new authority, newresponsibility.
Lakisha Lockhart (01:46):
I'm trying to figure out what that new
authority voice looks like now.
I don't have to do the yes allthe time just because I'm junior
and I need to prove.
Now I feel like I can just kindof say no a little more.
And so I'm excited about that.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (01:59):
Say yes to what you want to say yes to
and no to what you, and thencreate whatever you want to
create, right?
You can put your energies byyour agenda, not by somebody
else's agenda.
Lakisha Lockhart (02:10):
See, that is exciting and scary all at the
same time, but I'm lookingforward to that kind of energy.
I'm really looking forward tocurating, right? Yes!
Nancy L (02:21):
I have confidencince in you.
I have confidence.
Lakisha Lockhart (02:22):
Thank you.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (02:23):
So let's get started on our profile.
Our 14 questions are at theready.
Here we go.
When you were a child, what didyou want to be when you grew
up?
Lakisha Lockhart (02:34):
I wanted to be a physical therapist.
I was always into sports andhelping people.
And so like I was the one thatwould like wrap bandages.
My older sister was also intosports.
So she would come home withlike ankles messed up, knees
messed up.
And so I would always like wrapthem and I would ice them.
And so I really thought Iwanted to help people and help
people get better.
And so I thought I was going togo into physical therapy.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (02:54):
So why did you know what a physical
therapist was?
Like not a nurse, not a doctor,not a surgeon, a physical
Cause my, I thought my sister was getting banged up every two seconds. Aphysical therapist.
Well, so because they were alsoin sports, so she did like
basketball and volleyball andshe's like seven years older
than me.
So I saw
her.
Yeah.
They literally saw those peoplein that profession.
Lakisha Lockhart (03:17):
Yeah.
It's like the team had aphysical therapist and like she
had to go to physical therapybecause she like pulled
something in her knee.
I think it was like, I'm notsure if it was ACL.
I have to remember correctly,but then she had to have surgery
And so I just remember hersaying like her physical
therapist helped her so much andlike regained something.
So it's like I knew from a veryearly age, like I wanted to be
in something that was going tohelp people and impact lives.
(03:38):
But it was that journey of thephysical therapy piece I really
liked of helping people get backsomewhere, not just the
surgery.
It was just the helping peopleget back to a good place.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (03:49):
I have a friend who says mobility is
life.
Lakisha Lockhart (03:51):
I mean, hey, I'm working on that now.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (03:55):
He might be right.
Lakisha Lockhart (03:57):
Absolutely.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (03:58):
Who was proud of you when you became a
teacher?
Lakisha Lockhart (04:00):
Oh, my goodness.
Oh, let's see.
So many people.
But I would probably say themost proud, probably in order is
my spouse, who I feel like he'sjust been amazing.
This amazing human who is likealways known.
I love for teaching.
I've known him since highschool.
We want names.
(04:20):
Name these people.
I call him Husbae.
That's the nickname.
But his name is Edward.
Edward Rush.
He is the Husbae.
And he...
Yeah, he knew me when I wasvery young.
And he always kind of said, oh,you're just teaching this,
you're teaching that.
But I never, in my mind, Inever put that together.
So even like when I got myletter to Boston College to go
(04:43):
for the PhD, he was so excited.
And just my sister, again, eventhough she was getting beat up,
she's a writer.
So she was super excited forme.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (04:50):
Names, we want names.
want names.
Lakisha Lockhart (04:51):
n Sorry, it's right.
Denisha Little was so excitedfor me.
My mother, Barbara Hanna.
She was over the moon, as wellas my dad, Dwight Hanna.
I mean, they were both just...
Tears of joy, all the tears.
So excited.
My sister, Everleen, EverleenRutherford was also excited.
She was just like, I'm gladyou're at a school girl.
Cause it's, you've been inthere for a long time.
(05:12):
And I was like, true sis, true.
So I've just, I've had abeautiful community that's
supported me and we're always sohappy.
They didn't understand it inthe beginning, but once I got
there, they were like, wegot you.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (05:25):
y What's the best thing your
mother taught you?
Lakisha Lockhart (05:28):
Oh my goodness.
She taught me so many things.
I'm trying to think what wasthe best.
Okay.
So the best thing is how tomake beef jerky.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (05:39):
That is hysterical.
Lakisha Lockhart (05:41):
Literally.
I mean, like it's me, like youhave to soak it in teriyaki and
brown sugar.
You had to put it on thehydrator.
It brings lots of happiness tolots of people.
So that makes me very happy.
But I feel like more than justthe jerky, I feel like she
taught me how to sustain life,right?
Like with food, withnourishment, like just these
like processes, like it's not aneasy process to make jerky.
(06:02):
She taught me patience.
She taught me like the lessonsin the lessons.
So I'm saying jerky, but when Isay that, I really mean just
patience and process.
And like, I feel like, youknow, nowadays they would say
like, let it cook.
Just like, let it cook, right?
Like, how to let yourselfmarinate when you need to and to
sit and be patient in thewaiting.
Because it's-
Nancy Lynne Westfield (06:21):
Why does mama know how to make beef
jerky?
Lakisha Lockhart (06:23):
Look, I don't know.
I don't know if grandma made mejerky or not, but it was
banging growing up.
And I have now, like all of ushad to get dishes that they have
passed down to us.
And so now I know how to makeit too.
And yeah.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (06:39):
I love it, right?
I love it.
Who has influenced yourteaching for the better?
Lakisha Lockhart (06:44):
Oh my goodness.
I would say, of course I'mthinking of, you know, people
that are scholars, right?
Like Palo Frere and Bell Hooks,like their scholarship, I think
has made me a better educator.
But if I had to say like peoplethat I'm super, that I'm close
to, I would say my, my kids andmy students have made me a
better educator.
I feel like, My kids remind me,you know, because I feel like I
(07:07):
do a lot around play andaesthetics, but even in days
that are hard, like they areconstant, beautiful reminders of
finding these beautiful nuggetsof teaching moments through
play and through all of thesemeans.
So they're constant remindersof that and how I can show up in
different spaces and bringthese tools to the classroom.
And my students, just becauseI've had so many students from
(07:27):
various backgrounds and walks oflife, they keep me accountable.
They keep me on my toes.
They keep me guessing becauseif there's something that I
don't know, I will find out forthem.
And so I feel like they've mademe better and I've grown
because I want all of them tosucceed.
I want all of them to have whatthey need to go be successful
in ministry or whatever endeavorthey're reaching.
And more than anything, I wantus to be free.
(07:48):
And so I'm like, the more theypush me, the more I will show
up.
So, yeah.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (07:54):
What has surprised you about teaching or
the teaching life?
Lakisha Lockhart (08:00):
What has surprised me about the teaching
life or teaching life?
I would probably say theexhaustion.
I just, the teaching partitself is what I'm so deeply
passionate about, right?
I actually love planning asyllabi.
I love getting it.
I love going in there.
I love making these beautifulmoments.
(08:21):
But all of the other thingsthat come with that like all the
faculty committees, all of the,you know, department meetings,
all of the behind the scenesthings, all of that can be
really exhausting sometimes whenyou're just like, I just want
to show up.
And so sometimes that can bemore exhausting.
I think that was a surprisewith something that I feel so
passionate and that I love sodeeply is that it's also so
(08:44):
draining at the same time.
And so just as much as I'mgiving, I just, ends of
semesters now are just muchharder than I think they used to
be.
And so, yeah, I think that wasprobably my biggest surprise at
how exhausted I am.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (08:56):
There is an element of grind that you
can't anticipate, particularlynow, right, in this season.
Yes.
And the grind is to be avoidedif possible.
Lakisha Lockhart (09:07):
Right.
I'm trying.
I'm trying to make moments ofrest, but I'm like, where,
where, when?
Nancy Lynne Westfield (09:15):
What's a favorite nickname by which you
are called by a loved one?
Lakisha Lockhart (09:19):
Hmm.
Hmm.
Hmm.
So I'm actually going to saythis because I feel like it's a
beautiful memory.
And I feel like I used to notsay this at all because I was so
embarrassed.
But I had a nickname, Cootie,like Cootabug, because I used to
scoot around.
And that my dad, who died manyyears ago now, may he continue
(09:40):
to rest well.
He named me Cootie.
And my brothers and my cousins,my grandma, everybody caught
on.
Like to this day, my family inLake Providence, Louisiana, on
my dad's side, Willie Earl,Willie Earl Lockhart, and my
family on my dad's side inLouisiana, to this day, if they
call tech, it's still cootie.
No matter how many degrees, youstill cootie.
(10:00):
And it's the most loving,beautiful thing that I was
ashamed of in high school.
But now I'm like, oh, I loveit.
I love it.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (10:07):
The joy of family, right?
The joy of family.
Y What profession other thanteaching would you like to
attempt?
Lakisha Lockhart (10:17):
You know, I think I would be an amazing
event planner.
I feel like in another world,like I actually have been the
secret plan in my mind for myentire family.
My entire family are likegifted in so many ways.
My mother does like these,Barbara Hanna does these flower
arrangements.
My father, Dwight Hanna does hehe does he used to work in like
um insurance so he could hookyou up my other sister does like
(10:40):
resin art my other sister's awriter so literally i'm like yo
we could plan we just get like alocation plan all these events
it could be amazing because i'mridiculously organized so i am
very much the color-coded youknow write it in the planner i
mean even when i was planningour wedding color-coded the my
spouse he had a a whole folderlike his boys were like oh Oh,
(11:01):
this is real.
It was like, yes, you need toknow what you're getting into.
Any trip that we planitinerary, even with the family,
they all know where's theitinerary.
Like, no.
So I think I could be aplanner.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (11:14):
There's an LLC in your family's future.
I
Lakisha Lockhart (11:17):
think so.
I feel like we could, we coulddo some things.
I'm thinking of cute names.
So we'll see.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (11:22):
Do you enjoy writing in longhand?
And if so, what's yourpreference of ink pen or writing
utensil?
Lakisha Lockhart (11:29):
Oh my goodness.
That is a great question.
I do prefer writing inlonghand.
It's something about thetactileness of writing that I
love.
And I have a pencil.
It's like a gel.
It's like a gel pilot, I think.
It writes so crisp andbeautifully.
And I love to do colors.
I don't like to do just black.
I like the purples and thegreens and the blues and the
(11:51):
reds.
So depending on what I'mwriting, it depends on the
color.
And every now and then, I alsojust like to write with crayon.
I like to just...
I just, I love the feel of thecrayon on the paper and like the
scratch of it.
Just, yeah, the waxiness of it.
It just, it feels good.
Cause I also like to doodle.
So it's like, depending on thatto get the ideas out until it
finishes, like I'll just likedoodle things too.
So the pen or the crayon isusually my, my go-to when I,
(12:15):
when I longhand.
And I really do love to, beforeI put anything on the computer.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (12:18):
I love the smell of crayons when I'm
writing a crayon.
Lakisha Lockhart (12:21):
Oh, right.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (12:22):
Yeah.
Lakisha Lockhart (12:22):
Oh, it's just like this instant nostalgia.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (12:26):
What's your superpower?
Or in your case, plural, whatare your superpowers?
Because I know you a littlebit, so.
Lakisha Lockhart (12:35):
What are my, oh my goodness.
What are my superpowers?
My superpower is that I am likemultiple, multiple, I don't
know if it's multiple people orwhat do you call like multiple
places at one time or doing manythings, whatever that
superpower would be.
Because I like when I'm, whenI'm going and I'm productive,
(12:55):
man, I get a lot of things done.
I am, Shape shifter,
Nancy Lynne We (12:59):
multidimensional traveler.
Lakisha Lockhart (13:00):
Let's go with that because I promise you the
amount of things I can get donein like a two hour span is
ridiculous, especially comparedto, you know, other people are
like, um, what happened here?
Like, oh no, I just did this,this, this, this, and this.
I'm good.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (13:15):
That makes sense to me.
That makes
Lakisha Lockhart (13:17):
sense.
So yeah.
So I would say that I love thatshape shifter.
Yeah, there we go.
Let's go with that.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (13:21):
So now number 10 is either our
notorious question or infamousquestion.
It is our question.
You might want to take a beatbefore you answer, but it might
be the most important questionthat we ask any of our guests.
The question is, what's yourfavorite cuss word?
Lakisha Lockhart (13:39):
Oh, that's not, that's easy.
It's shit.
I just, it's such a good one.
I mean, it just rolls off sobeautifully.
It can be good or bad.
Like, oh, you did shit.
Or like, or, oh, that's someshit.
Like you can just use it inmultiple ways and it always
works.
fits.
Yeah.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (13:58):
I love that, right?
It's all about the tone, right?
Lakisha Lockhart (14:01):
The inflection, the inflection, just
how you use it, you know, it'sbeautiful.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (14:08):
How have you survived certain violences
in teaching?
Lakisha Lockhart (14:12):
Oh, oh, that's good.
First and foremost, shout outto therapy.
That's a beautiful thing.
I'll just say that.
And I'll also say having havingspace to come in like and talk
about it.
My spouse is actually Edward.
I mentioned Edward Rush.
(14:33):
I mentioned earlier is not atall in anything theological at
all.
He's I.T.
He's as far away from theology,which is a beautiful thing.
And so just genuinely beingable to talk about things to
very like walk them through whathappened.
How did this hurt?
How does it show up?
But talking through so much ofthat has, has helped just so I'm
(14:54):
not carrying it into ourpartnership or into this house
with our children.
And so I can really name someof that.
So being able to talk thatthrough, whether it's with him
or some of my girlfriends or mytherapist has been wonderful.
And just like, taking a beat torealize when it is a violence
and being okay to name it asthat was what happened.
(15:15):
I feel like for the better partof my career, they would
happen, but I would dismiss itas, oh, this is just the
beginning part.
This is just what juniorfaculty have to go through.
This is just what happens.
But I realized, no, it doesn'thave to happen.
And it's okay to name that thiswas violent and it didn't need
to be and that it was hurtfuland And that it's okay for me to
(15:38):
give myself time.
It's okay for me to name it asviolence.
And it took me a while to getthere.
And so I think space to nameit, space to digest it and to
breathe through it is helpful.
I'm also a dancer.
So I love to do Zumba in myliving room.
I literally just put on a song,make up some choreography and
that helps.
I cry and dance often, which iswonderful and beautiful just
(16:01):
because it gets in my body.
It gets in my bones and mymarrow and it has to get out.
So that's been...
wonderful and helpful.
And I recently got intokickboxing and that's been
glorious.
So yeah, of course I just needto kick it and punch something
sometimes.
And it's been wonderful.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (16:19):
Yeah.
Successful tenure, right?
Kickboxing helps that process.
Exactly.
So you, you started talkingabout it a little bit, but the
next question is what healingshave you witnessed or received
in teaching or the teachinglife?
Unknown (16:35):
Hmm.
Lakisha Lockhart (16:36):
This is a really good question.
So I feel like I know I havebeen called as an educator to be
a bit disruptive, right?
I know kind of how I do what Ido and what I've called to do is
not the norm, right?
I know I do ungrading.
I do lots of practices that areunusual and that especially
(16:57):
students, sometimes if they'recoming back second career or
different things are not as opento.
And so...
I just think about the momentswhere I hear back from students
that have experience and maybethe experience in the classroom
was not great for them or greatfor me.
And they come back and I getthese emails or one person
(17:20):
actually wrote me a handwrittenletter.
And just these beautifulmoments where folks are like, I
didn't get it then, but it haschanged my life now.
Like it has impacted the way Ido ministry.
It has helped me understand mychildren, right?
Like, cause I do a lot aroundplay and, you know, just, you
know, I've become a more playfulperson, right?
Like them telling me this andhow it's impacted their ministry
(17:42):
and their home life and them,like, those are the healings.
Those are the, When all of thethings are happening, like this
is how I know I'm still calledto this.
This is how I know.
And it just helps hearing that,seeing that.
And the moments I invitestudents now to do
self-evaluations at the end ofevery class.
You're going to evaluate me.
You're going to evaluateyourself too.
So let's do this.
So they do a self-evaluation.
(18:04):
And part of that is also themseeing themselves reflected in
their own work has been, thathas been healing.
Like now that I'm adding thatto classes, that has been, okay.
I mean, more so than I everthought it was.
It's just beautiful to see themheal.
So it's just so many beautifulmoments, I feel like, that I've
just been holding on to.
I keep a little folder on mycomputer where I just keep
(18:26):
everything in it.
And so when the days get hard,I visit that folder.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (18:31):
It's a good folder, right?
It's a good folder.
What have you enjoyed mostabout the teaching life?
I
Lakisha Lockhart (18:42):
think I have enjoyed...
I mean, I enjoy the teaching.
I enjoy the students, butcolleagues, I, I was always
worried that like, I would endup with like just horrible
colleagues that just didn't likeme or I didn't like, you know,
you just never know who yourcolleagues are going to be.
And realizing that yes, I havecolleagues at my institution who
are wonderful.
(19:03):
Literally we send like, I havea couple of colleagues, we send
voice, hilarious, ridiculousvoice memos and emojis and gifts
and, and not just at theinstitution I'm at now, but like
just over time, as you go toconferences, as you go to
things, just finding out thatyou're not alone in this and
being able to have these timeswhere you can plan together,
where you can just cackletogether, you get to show up
(19:23):
together.
When you have rough days in theclassroom, you can be like,
Hey, this is what happened.
And they're like, Girl, me too.
Right.
And just, oh, that has beensuch a gift.
And I think, yeah, itdefinitely makes this teaching
thing wonderful.
And I, yeah, it's probably oneof my favorite parts is having
(19:43):
beautiful, wonderful colleaguesto both commiserate with and
celebrate with and to just behas been such, such a gift to
this teaching.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (19:52):
Last question.
It is not a question about now.
It's a question about thefuture.
At the conclusion of yourteaching career, so in 50 or 60
years, I'm going to give you 50
Lakisha Lockhart (20:07):
years.
Sorry.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (20:09):
Okay, maybe 40.
There
Lakisha Lockhart (20:13):
we go.
We'll go with that.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (20:14):
What miracles will you have
performed?
Lakisha Lockhart (20:18):
Oh, my goodness.
That's such a heavy question.
What miracles?
What miracles will I haveperformed?
Oh, goodness.
I will miraculously have gottenthe entire theological
education to stop using gradesand use ungrading because we
(20:38):
realize that at this point, whyare we grading?
Because we just want to show upand be present.
So that's one miracle.
Unknown (20:44):
Yeah.
Lakisha Lockhart (20:44):
is that we've shifted theological education,
that we have, oh my goodness, ohmy gosh, brought more play and
fun back into classroom spaces,to ministry, to life, to
remember that we've been createdby a creative creator.
So why aren't we creating?
Why aren't we having fun?
And I mean, just cackling andjust having a good time, I would
(21:05):
hope.
But I guess probably thebiggest thing, right, is I just,
I hope the biggest miracle isthat I will have raise two
amazing little humans that seethemselves deeply and utterly
loved by God and in the image ofthe divine and that just want
to make the world better andthat show up that way every day.
(21:25):
So that's always the bestmiracle, right?
Yeah.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (21:30):
Associate Professor Lakeisha Lockhart,
thank you so much for stoppingby.
Lakisha Lockhart (21:35):
Thank you for having me.
This has been amazing.
Thank you, thank you, thankyou.
Hello, I am Nancy Lynn Westfield,
Director of the Wabash Center.
Welcome to Dialogue onTeaching, a Silhouette
Interview.
The Silhouette Conversationsare sparked from a list of
standardized questions.
We have the good fortune tohear firsthand from teaching
exemplars about their teachingand teaching life.
(00:22):
Today, our Silhouette guest isDr.
Lakeisha R.
Lockhart.
Dr.
Lockhart is Associate Professorof Christian Education at Union
Presbyterian Seminary inRichmond, Virginia.
Notice I said AssociateProfessor because she was just
tenured on April 24, 2025, andwe are so proud and so excited
(00:43):
and eager for you to become inthe ranks of tenured faculty.
So welcome, Lakeisha.
Thank you.
Hello.
Lakisha Lockhart (00:51):
Hello.
Thank you so much.
I am So excited.
And it's still sinking in.
So thank you.
Thank you.
Let
Nancy Lynne Westfield (00:57):
it sink in and celebrate, celebrate,
celebrate, right?
So there should be multiplecelebrations.
Lakisha Lockhart (01:02):
Just like been mass celebrations since April.
So it's great.
That's right.
No,
Nancy Lynne Westfield (01:06):
it's well-earned, well-achieved, not
to be taken lightly, right?
So congratulations.
Lakisha Lockhart (01:12):
Thank you.
But they don't tell you what todo once you get it.
You're like, what?
What?
Oh, okay.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (01:16):
There is that.
You both feel the same anddifferent.
It's like, what just happened?
I just crossed the street.
I'm on the same street.
I'm on the other side of thestreet.
What's different?
Yeah, I do know that.
Exactly.
Exactly.
But you will grow into it.
Be not dismayed.
You will grow into it.
Lakisha Lockhart (01:35):
I look forward to it.
I look forward to the growthand all the new spaces I can
expand.
So I'm excited.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (01:39):
That's right.
That's right.
And take on that authority,right?
So there's new authority, newresponsibility.
Lakisha Lockhart (01:46):
I'm trying to figure out what that new
authority voice looks like now.
I don't have to do the yes allthe time just because I'm junior
and I need to prove.
Now I feel like I can just kindof say no a little more.
And so I'm excited about that.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (01:59):
Say yes to what you want to say yes to
and no to what you, and thencreate whatever you want to
create, right?
You can put your energies byyour agenda, not by somebody
else's agenda.
Lakisha Lockhart (02:10):
See, that is exciting and scary all at the
same time, but I'm lookingforward to that kind of energy.
I'm really looking forward tocurating, right? Yes!
Nancy L (02:21):
I have confidencince in you.
I have confidence.
Lakisha Lockhart (02:22):
Thank you.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (02:23):
So let's get started on our profile.
Our 14 questions are at theready.
Here we go.
When you were a child, what didyou want to be when you grew
up?
Lakisha Lockhart (02:34):
I wanted to be a physical therapist.
I was always into sports andhelping people.
And so like I was the one thatwould like wrap bandages.
My older sister was also intosports.
So she would come home withlike ankles messed up, knees
messed up.
And so I would always like wrapthem and I would ice them.
And so I really thought Iwanted to help people and help
people get better.
And so I thought I was going togo into physical therapy.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (02:54):
So why did you know what a physical
therapist was?
Like not a nurse, not a doctor,not a surgeon, a physical
Cause my, I thought my sister was getting banged up every two seconds. Aphysical therapist.
Well, so because they were alsoin sports, so she did like
basketball and volleyball andshe's like seven years older
than me.
So I saw
her.
Yeah.
They literally saw those peoplein that profession.
Lakisha Lockhart (03:17):
Yeah.
It's like the team had aphysical therapist and like she
had to go to physical therapybecause she like pulled
something in her knee.
I think it was like, I'm notsure if it was ACL.
I have to remember correctly,but then she had to have surgery
And so I just remember hersaying like her physical
therapist helped her so much andlike regained something.
So it's like I knew from a veryearly age, like I wanted to be
in something that was going tohelp people and impact lives.
(03:38):
But it was that journey of thephysical therapy piece I really
liked of helping people get backsomewhere, not just the
surgery.
It was just the helping peopleget back to a good place.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (03:49):
I have a friend who says mobility is
life.
Lakisha Lockhart (03:51):
I mean, hey, I'm working on that now.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (03:55):
He might be right.
Lakisha Lockhart (03:57):
Absolutely.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (03:58):
Who was proud of you when you became a
teacher?
Lakisha Lockhart (04:00):
Oh, my goodness.
Oh, let's see.
So many people.
But I would probably say themost proud, probably in order is
my spouse, who I feel like he'sjust been amazing.
This amazing human who is likealways known.
I love for teaching.
I've known him since highschool.
We want names.
(04:20):
Name these people.
I call him Husbae.
That's the nickname.
But his name is Edward.
Edward Rush.
He is the Husbae.
And he...
Yeah, he knew me when I wasvery young.
And he always kind of said, oh,you're just teaching this,
you're teaching that.
But I never, in my mind, Inever put that together.
So even like when I got myletter to Boston College to go
(04:43):
for the PhD, he was so excited.
And just my sister, again, eventhough she was getting beat up,
she's a writer.
So she was super excited forme.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (04:50):
Names, we want names.
want names.
Lakisha Lockhart (04:51):
n Sorry, it's right.
Denisha Little was so excitedfor me.
My mother, Barbara Hanna.
She was over the moon, as wellas my dad, Dwight Hanna.
I mean, they were both just...
Tears of joy, all the tears.
So excited.
My sister, Everleen, EverleenRutherford was also excited.
She was just like, I'm gladyou're at a school girl.
Cause it's, you've been inthere for a long time.
(05:12):
And I was like, true sis, true.
So I've just, I've had abeautiful community that's
supported me and we're always sohappy.
They didn't understand it inthe beginning, but once I got
there, they were like, wegot you.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (05:25):
y What's the best thing your
mother taught you?
Lakisha Lockhart (05:28):
Oh my goodness.
She taught me so many things.
I'm trying to think what wasthe best.
Okay.
So the best thing is how tomake beef jerky.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (05:39):
That is hysterical.
Lakisha Lockhart (05:41):
Literally.
I mean, like it's me, like youhave to soak it in teriyaki and
brown sugar.
You had to put it on thehydrator.
It brings lots of happiness tolots of people.
So that makes me very happy.
But I feel like more than justthe jerky, I feel like she
taught me how to sustain life,right?
Like with food, withnourishment, like just these
like processes, like it's not aneasy process to make jerky.
(06:02):
She taught me patience.
She taught me like the lessonsin the lessons.
So I'm saying jerky, but when Isay that, I really mean just
patience and process.
And like, I feel like, youknow, nowadays they would say
like, let it cook.
Just like, let it cook, right?
Like, how to let yourselfmarinate when you need to and to
sit and be patient in thewaiting.
Because it's-
Nancy Lynne Westfield (06:21):
Why does mama know how to make beef
jerky?
Lakisha Lockhart (06:23):
Look, I don't know.
I don't know if grandma made mejerky or not, but it was
banging growing up.
And I have now, like all of ushad to get dishes that they have
passed down to us.
And so now I know how to makeit too.
And yeah.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (06:39):
I love it, right?
I love it.
Who has influenced yourteaching for the better?
Lakisha Lockhart (06:44):
Oh my goodness.
I would say, of course I'mthinking of, you know, people
that are scholars, right?
Like Palo Frere and Bell Hooks,like their scholarship, I think
has made me a better educator.
But if I had to say like peoplethat I'm super, that I'm close
to, I would say my, my kids andmy students have made me a
better educator.
I feel like, My kids remind me,you know, because I feel like I
(07:07):
do a lot around play andaesthetics, but even in days
that are hard, like they areconstant, beautiful reminders of
finding these beautiful nuggetsof teaching moments through
play and through all of thesemeans.
So they're constant remindersof that and how I can show up in
different spaces and bringthese tools to the classroom.
And my students, just becauseI've had so many students from
(07:27):
various backgrounds and walks oflife, they keep me accountable.
They keep me on my toes.
They keep me guessing becauseif there's something that I
don't know, I will find out forthem.
And so I feel like they've mademe better and I've grown
because I want all of them tosucceed.
I want all of them to have whatthey need to go be successful
in ministry or whatever endeavorthey're reaching.
And more than anything, I wantus to be free.
(07:48):
And so I'm like, the more theypush me, the more I will show
up.
So, yeah.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (07:54):
What has surprised you about teaching or
the teaching life?
Lakisha Lockhart (08:00):
What has surprised me about the teaching
life or teaching life?
I would probably say theexhaustion.
I just, the teaching partitself is what I'm so deeply
passionate about, right?
I actually love planning asyllabi.
I love getting it.
I love going in there.
I love making these beautifulmoments.
(08:21):
But all of the other thingsthat come with that like all the
faculty committees, all of the,you know, department meetings,
all of the behind the scenesthings, all of that can be
really exhausting sometimes whenyou're just like, I just want
to show up.
And so sometimes that can bemore exhausting.
I think that was a surprisewith something that I feel so
passionate and that I love sodeeply is that it's also so
(08:44):
draining at the same time.
And so just as much as I'mgiving, I just, ends of
semesters now are just muchharder than I think they used to
be.
And so, yeah, I think that wasprobably my biggest surprise at
how exhausted I am.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (08:56):
There is an element of grind that you
can't anticipate, particularlynow, right, in this season.
Yes.
And the grind is to be avoidedif possible.
Lakisha Lockhart (09:07):
Right.
I'm trying.
I'm trying to make moments ofrest, but I'm like, where,
where, when?
Nancy Lynne Westfield (09:15):
What's a favorite nickname by which you
are called by a loved one?
Lakisha Lockhart (09:19):
Hmm.
Hmm.
Hmm.
So I'm actually going to saythis because I feel like it's a
beautiful memory.
And I feel like I used to notsay this at all because I was so
embarrassed.
But I had a nickname, Cootie,like Cootabug, because I used to
scoot around.
And that my dad, who died manyyears ago now, may he continue
(09:40):
to rest well.
He named me Cootie.
And my brothers and my cousins,my grandma, everybody caught
on.
Like to this day, my family inLake Providence, Louisiana, on
my dad's side, Willie Earl,Willie Earl Lockhart, and my
family on my dad's side inLouisiana, to this day, if they
call tech, it's still cootie.
No matter how many degrees, youstill cootie.
(10:00):
And it's the most loving,beautiful thing that I was
ashamed of in high school.
But now I'm like, oh, I loveit.
I love it.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (10:07):
The joy of family, right?
The joy of family.
Y What profession other thanteaching would you like to
attempt?
Lakisha Lockhart (10:17):
You know, I think I would be an amazing
event planner.
I feel like in another world,like I actually have been the
secret plan in my mind for myentire family.
My entire family are likegifted in so many ways.
My mother does like these,Barbara Hanna does these flower
arrangements.
My father, Dwight Hanna does hehe does he used to work in like
um insurance so he could hookyou up my other sister does like
(10:40):
resin art my other sister's awriter so literally i'm like yo
we could plan we just get like alocation plan all these events
it could be amazing because i'mridiculously organized so i am
very much the color-coded youknow write it in the planner i
mean even when i was planningour wedding color-coded the my
spouse he had a a whole folderlike his boys were like oh Oh,
(11:01):
this is real.
It was like, yes, you need toknow what you're getting into.
Any trip that we planitinerary, even with the family,
they all know where's theitinerary.
Like, no.
So I think I could be aplanner.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (11:14):
There's an LLC in your family's future.
I
Lakisha Lockhart (11:17):
think so.
I feel like we could, we coulddo some things.
I'm thinking of cute names.
So we'll see.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (11:22):
Do you enjoy writing in longhand?
And if so, what's yourpreference of ink pen or writing
utensil?
Lakisha Lockhart (11:29):
Oh my goodness.
That is a great question.
I do prefer writing inlonghand.
It's something about thetactileness of writing that I
love.
And I have a pencil.
It's like a gel.
It's like a gel pilot, I think.
It writes so crisp andbeautifully.
And I love to do colors.
I don't like to do just black.
I like the purples and thegreens and the blues and the
(11:51):
reds.
So depending on what I'mwriting, it depends on the
color.
And every now and then, I alsojust like to write with crayon.
I like to just...
I just, I love the feel of thecrayon on the paper and like the
scratch of it.
Just, yeah, the waxiness of it.
It just, it feels good.
Cause I also like to doodle.
So it's like, depending on thatto get the ideas out until it
finishes, like I'll just likedoodle things too.
So the pen or the crayon isusually my, my go-to when I,
(12:15):
when I longhand.
And I really do love to, beforeI put anything on the computer.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (12:18):
I love the smell of crayons when I'm
writing a crayon.
Lakisha Lockhart (12:21):
Oh, right.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (12:22):
Yeah.
Lakisha Lockhart (12:22):
Oh, it's just like this instant nostalgia.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (12:26):
What's your superpower?
Or in your case, plural, whatare your superpowers?
Because I know you a littlebit, so.
Lakisha Lockhart (12:35):
What are my, oh my goodness.
What are my superpowers?
My superpower is that I am likemultiple, multiple, I don't
know if it's multiple people orwhat do you call like multiple
places at one time or doing manythings, whatever that
superpower would be.
Because I like when I'm, whenI'm going and I'm productive,
(12:55):
man, I get a lot of things done.
I am, Shape shifter,
Nancy Lynne We (12:59):
multidimensional traveler.
Lakisha Lockhart (13:00):
Let's go with that because I promise you the
amount of things I can get donein like a two hour span is
ridiculous, especially comparedto, you know, other people are
like, um, what happened here?
Like, oh no, I just did this,this, this, this, and this.
I'm good.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (13:15):
That makes sense to me.
That makes
Lakisha Lockhart (13:17):
sense.
So yeah.
So I would say that I love thatshape shifter.
Yeah, there we go.
Let's go with that.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (13:21):
So now number 10 is either our
notorious question or infamousquestion.
It is our question.
You might want to take a beatbefore you answer, but it might
be the most important questionthat we ask any of our guests.
The question is, what's yourfavorite cuss word?
Lakisha Lockhart (13:39):
Oh, that's not, that's easy.
It's shit.
I just, it's such a good one.
I mean, it just rolls off sobeautifully.
It can be good or bad.
Like, oh, you did shit.
Or like, or, oh, that's someshit.
Like you can just use it inmultiple ways and it always
works.
fits.
Yeah.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (13:58):
I love that, right?
It's all about the tone, right?
Lakisha Lockhart (14:01):
The inflection, the inflection, just
how you use it, you know, it'sbeautiful.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (14:08):
How have you survived certain violences
in teaching?
Lakisha Lockhart (14:12):
Oh, oh, that's good.
First and foremost, shout outto therapy.
That's a beautiful thing.
I'll just say that.
And I'll also say having havingspace to come in like and talk
about it.
My spouse is actually Edward.
I mentioned Edward Rush.
(14:33):
I mentioned earlier is not atall in anything theological at
all.
He's I.T.
He's as far away from theology,which is a beautiful thing.
And so just genuinely beingable to talk about things to
very like walk them through whathappened.
How did this hurt?
How does it show up?
But talking through so much ofthat has, has helped just so I'm
(14:54):
not carrying it into ourpartnership or into this house
with our children.
And so I can really name someof that.
So being able to talk thatthrough, whether it's with him
or some of my girlfriends or mytherapist has been wonderful.
And just like, taking a beat torealize when it is a violence
and being okay to name it asthat was what happened.
(15:15):
I feel like for the better partof my career, they would
happen, but I would dismiss itas, oh, this is just the
beginning part.
This is just what juniorfaculty have to go through.
This is just what happens.
But I realized, no, it doesn'thave to happen.
And it's okay to name that thiswas violent and it didn't need
to be and that it was hurtfuland And that it's okay for me to
(15:38):
give myself time.
It's okay for me to name it asviolence.
And it took me a while to getthere.
And so I think space to nameit, space to digest it and to
breathe through it is helpful.
I'm also a dancer.
So I love to do Zumba in myliving room.
I literally just put on a song,make up some choreography and
that helps.
I cry and dance often, which iswonderful and beautiful just
(16:01):
because it gets in my body.
It gets in my bones and mymarrow and it has to get out.
So that's been...
wonderful and helpful.
And I recently got intokickboxing and that's been
glorious.
So yeah, of course I just needto kick it and punch something
sometimes.
And it's been wonderful.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (16:19):
Yeah.
Successful tenure, right?
Kickboxing helps that process.
Exactly.
So you, you started talkingabout it a little bit, but the
next question is what healingshave you witnessed or received
in teaching or the teachinglife?
Unknown (16:35):
Hmm.
Lakisha Lockhart (16:36):
This is a really good question.
So I feel like I know I havebeen called as an educator to be
a bit disruptive, right?
I know kind of how I do what Ido and what I've called to do is
not the norm, right?
I know I do ungrading.
I do lots of practices that areunusual and that especially
(16:57):
students, sometimes if they'recoming back second career or
different things are not as opento.
And so...
I just think about the momentswhere I hear back from students
that have experience and maybethe experience in the classroom
was not great for them or greatfor me.
And they come back and I getthese emails or one person
(17:20):
actually wrote me a handwrittenletter.
And just these beautifulmoments where folks are like, I
didn't get it then, but it haschanged my life now.
Like it has impacted the way Ido ministry.
It has helped me understand mychildren, right?
Like, cause I do a lot aroundplay and, you know, just, you
know, I've become a more playfulperson, right?
Like them telling me this andhow it's impacted their ministry
(17:42):
and their home life and them,like, those are the healings.
Those are the, When all of thethings are happening, like this
is how I know I'm still calledto this.
This is how I know.
And it just helps hearing that,seeing that.
And the moments I invitestudents now to do
self-evaluations at the end ofevery class.
You're going to evaluate me.
You're going to evaluateyourself too.
So let's do this.
So they do a self-evaluation.
(18:04):
And part of that is also themseeing themselves reflected in
their own work has been, thathas been healing.
Like now that I'm adding thatto classes, that has been, okay.
I mean, more so than I everthought it was.
It's just beautiful to see themheal.
So it's just so many beautifulmoments, I feel like, that I've
just been holding on to.
I keep a little folder on mycomputer where I just keep
(18:26):
everything in it.
And so when the days get hard,I visit that folder.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (18:31):
It's a good folder, right?
It's a good folder.
What have you enjoyed mostabout the teaching life?
I
Lakisha Lockhart (18:42):
think I have enjoyed...
I mean, I enjoy the teaching.
I enjoy the students, butcolleagues, I, I was always
worried that like, I would endup with like just horrible
colleagues that just didn't likeme or I didn't like, you know,
you just never know who yourcolleagues are going to be.
And realizing that yes, I havecolleagues at my institution who
are wonderful.
(19:03):
Literally we send like, I havea couple of colleagues, we send
voice, hilarious, ridiculousvoice memos and emojis and gifts
and, and not just at theinstitution I'm at now, but like
just over time, as you go toconferences, as you go to
things, just finding out thatyou're not alone in this and
being able to have these timeswhere you can plan together,
where you can just cackletogether, you get to show up
(19:23):
together.
When you have rough days in theclassroom, you can be like,
Hey, this is what happened.
And they're like, Girl, me too.
Right.
And just, oh, that has beensuch a gift.
And I think, yeah, itdefinitely makes this teaching
thing wonderful.
And I, yeah, it's probably oneof my favorite parts is having
(19:43):
beautiful, wonderful colleaguesto both commiserate with and
celebrate with and to just behas been such, such a gift to
this teaching.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (19:52):
Last question.
It is not a question about now.
It's a question about thefuture.
At the conclusion of yourteaching career, so in 50 or 60
years, I'm going to give you 50
Lakisha Lockhart (20:07):
years.
Sorry.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (20:09):
Okay, maybe 40.
There
Lakisha Lockhart (20:13):
we go.
We'll go with that.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (20:14):
What miracles will you have
performed?
Lakisha Lockhart (20:18):
Oh, my goodness.
That's such a heavy question.
What miracles?
What miracles will I haveperformed?
Oh, goodness.
I will miraculously have gottenthe entire theological
education to stop using gradesand use ungrading because we
(20:38):
realize that at this point, whyare we grading?
Because we just want to show upand be present.
So that's one miracle.
Unknown (20:44):
Yeah.
Lakisha Lockhart (20:44):
is that we've shifted theological education,
that we have, oh my goodness, ohmy gosh, brought more play and
fun back into classroom spaces,to ministry, to life, to
remember that we've been createdby a creative creator.
So why aren't we creating?
Why aren't we having fun?
And I mean, just cackling andjust having a good time, I would
(21:05):
hope.
But I guess probably thebiggest thing, right, is I just,
I hope the biggest miracle isthat I will have raise two
amazing little humans that seethemselves deeply and utterly
loved by God and in the image ofthe divine and that just want
to make the world better andthat show up that way every day.
(21:25):
So that's always the bestmiracle, right?
Yeah.
Nancy Lynne Westfield (21:30):
Associate Professor Lakeisha Lockhart,
thank you so much for stoppingby.
Lakisha Lockhart (21:35):
Thank you for having me.
This has been amazing.
Thank you, thank you, thankyou.
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