Reconciliation in Action: 2025 Peace Summit Recap

Reflecting on the past to build a more peaceful future

As a conclusion to Black History Month, Belmont partnered with Fisk University and Queen’s University Belfast to host the inaugural Peace Summit: A Reflection on the Past, A Call to Action Feb. 26-28. The event focused on the shared struggles and triumphs of sister cities Nashville, Tennessee and Belfast, Northern Ireland — both of which have been deeply shaped by their histories of conflict and resilience.

The Peace Summit, a university initiative led by Belmont’s Interdisciplinary Studies and Global Education (ISGE), was held at Fisk on Thursday and the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts on Friday.

“It’s not just about peace — it’s about dynamic engagement,” said Belmont President Greg Jones during a panel discussion in the historic Fisk Memorial Chapel with Dr. Agenia Clark. “Peace is often mistaken for something passive, but real peace is active, sometimes uncomfortable and requires deep listening and willingness to do the hard work of the next step.” 

The Summit featured a variety of presentations encouraging attendees to investigate the past, pay homage to peace-seeking sacrifices made in the name of equality and celebrate their victories. Even in the darkest periods of history, hope and civility have endured against hate and evil — a tradition we all share responsibility to maintain. 

“Reconciliation is not about living in the past but aiming toward both action and transformation,” said Clark. 

Themes of peace, civility and love were examined through multiple cultural lenses including religion, art, politics, storytelling, academia and community activism. The result was two days of stories and honest discussion highlighting how to live harmoniously with our neighbors, regardless of race, political affiliation or religion.

Achieving Peace Through a Political Lens 

In a panel discussion, Lord Mayor of Belfast Micky Murray and Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell examined how both cities have confronted violent pasts while working toward peace. 

The Troubles, an era in Northern Ireland encompassing the late 1960s through 1998, saw political and religious differences among its countrymen lead to riots, violence and death. The Belfast/Good Friday Agreement of 1998 ended The Troubles, although the nation is still grappling with healing and physical infrastructure that reminds its people of hostility and division. 

“Every city has its own struggles, but if we don’t invest in these communities, the walls — both physical and in people's minds — will never come down," said Murray. 

O'Connell drew a parallel to physical barriers causing division, noting how I-40's construction through the predominantly Black 32708 zip code disrupted the area during Nashville's Civil Rights Movement. 

“We're trying to take the broken and harmful past of the area that I-40 tore through, which created generational economic and cultural harm, and give it a much better, brighter future,” said O’Connell.

Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential biographer and historian Jon Meacham echoed O’Connell’s sentiment of moving our society forward, noting that it will take a conscious and collaborative effort.

“The good news is that any problems we have created, we can solve, but we have to want to do it,” Meacham said. “We have to make a moral decision, and democracy is incredibly difficult because it requires this moral decision.”

Former congressman and U.S. Special Envoy for Northern Ireland Joe Kennedy III suggested a posture to take to achieve this progress rooted in Biblical teachings.

Achieving Peace Through an Artistic Lens

Belmont’s Director of Choral Activities and Professor Dr. Jeffery Ames participated in a panel alongside author, songwriter and producer Alice Randall to discuss the intersection of music and protest. 

“I think the simplest thing about songs is it takes what's too hard to bear and turns it into beauty,” said Randall. “Music makes the hard bearable, then eclipse-able.” 

Two days before the Summit, Ames conducted his masterwork “Requiem for Colour” in the Fisher Center, a performance honoring the experiences of generations of Black people and their descendants while celebrating their future.

“It’s necessary to teach our young students the importance of empathy,” said Ames. “We are all guilty of seeing things in our world and saying, ‘that situation doesn’t affect me.’ But if you can put yourself in another person’s shoes and walk that path, even if it’s only for half a semester, it’s a good experience for them to have.” 

The Peace Summit also featured performances from the Fisk Jubilee Singers® and the Belmont Chamber Singers, as well as a civil rights bus tour of Nashville. Additionally, Fisk and Belmont Global Honors students in the Fisk-Belmont Social Justice Collaborative presented posters during a session titled, "Bridging Histories, Building Futures."

Achieving Peace Through a Storytelling Lens

Belmont’s Chief Creative Officer and Executive Director of the Creative Arts Collective Rick Rekedal sat down with Howard Gentry, criminal court clerk of Davidson County’s Twentieth Judicial District, to discuss the power of storytelling to incite change. 

“Every single one of us is a born storyteller because you can tell somebody else who you are, what you stand for, why you stand for it and how you want to leave them,” shared Rekedal. 

Gentry told his story as a Black man who grew up during segregation in Nashville. He spoke about the many trials he faced as a boy and how he is inciting change for his community through his profession. 

“There was a period of time in my life where I wanted to throw bricks and rocks and march, but I had to stop that mentality,” Gentry said. “I had to start becoming more civil in my thinking. I had to become more diplomatic in the way I talk, and I ended up around the table. Now, I’m inside and I get to do the work from the inside. I use the law and statutes to make legal change.” 

Achieving Peace Through Education 

Dr. Joe Duffy, professor of social work and inclusion at Queen’s University Belfast, hosted a presentation alongside Dr. Amy Hodges Hamilton, director of undergraduate core curriculum and professor of English and Global Honors, detailing his work in progressing peace at the university level.

Likewise, Hodges Hamilton uses her writing courses at Belmont to not only tell people’s stories but incite change and growth. 

“We encourage students to think about the ways that we can become a change we hope to see in the world through listening, writing and honoring stories that might be different from our own,” said Hodges Hamilton. 

The Summit demonstrated that achieving harmony across different backgrounds requires both acknowledging painful histories and actively pursuing transformation. The inaugural event established a foundation for ongoing dialogue and collaboration, inviting all participants to carry forward the essential work of building peace through dynamic engagement in their own communities and spheres of influence. 

“Congressman John Lewis famously said that freedom is not a state; it is an act,” said Dr. Jim McIntyre, dean of the College of Education and assistant provost for academic excellence who leads ISGE. “In creating this Peace Summit as a marvelous opportunity for collaboration, learning and inspiration, Belmont and our partners have taken purposeful action to contribute to a more peaceful world and a more just society.”