Amplifying Latine Voices in Theological Discourse
Open Plaza helps marginalized Latine theologians, early-career public scholars, and faith-rooted activists achieve cultural authority and transformative influence in religious and societal discourse.
Join Our MovementOur Vision & Values
Amplification
We elevate marginalized voices that are often excluded from mainstream theological discourse, creating platforms where their unique perspectives can flourish.
Community
We build supportive networks that connect scholars, activists, and communities, fostering collaboration and mutual growth.
Justice
We advance theological perspectives that challenge systemic inequities and promote liberation for marginalized communities.
Authenticity
We honor the full complexity of Latine identities, embracing the richness of cultural, linguistic, and theological diversity.
Transforming Theological Discourse
For too long, mainstream theological institutions have excluded or tokenized Latine voices, creating gaps in understanding that affect communities and limit perspectives on faith and justice.
Our vision is to create a world where marginalized Latine scholars are recognized and valued as thought leaders, where their work is no longer dismissed as "just ethnic studies" but fully integrated into theological discourse.
Through digital platforms, collaborative storytelling networks, and public theology training, we're building a movement that centers marginalized voices, equips believers with language to engage in public discourse, and creates spaces for meaningful conversations across differences.
Open Plaza has transformed how we understand the intersection of theology and social justice by centering voices that have traditionally been marginalized in academic discourse.
Our Journey
Open Plaza has evolved from a vision to a vibrant platform for theological discourse. Here are some key milestones in our development:
The Beginning
Open Plaza was launched as an initiative of the Hispanic Theological Initiative with support from the Lilly Endowment Foundation, created to address the lack of Latine voices in theological discourse.
Digital Expansion
Expanded to include multimedia content with the launch of the OP TALKS podcast series, providing accessible theological content in multiple languages.
Framework Development
Developed the Pain to Power Framework to systematically address the challenges faced by marginalized scholars and transform them into avenues for influence.
Community Growth
Reached 200+ contributors and 50,000+ monthly readers, demonstrating the hunger for diverse theological perspectives.
New Initiatives
Launched specialized programs including the Holy Subversion Guides and Nested Identities series to address specific community needs and create transformative resources.
The Pain to Power Framework
Our unique approach transforms systemic challenges into transformative influence through a structured methodology:
How We Transform Challenges into Opportunities
The Pain to Power Framework is our revolutionary approach that identifies the systemic barriers faced by marginalized Latine scholars and activists, then transforms these challenges into pathways for influence and change.
Identify the Pain Points
We actively listen to the challenges faced by marginalized scholars, from tokenization to the pressure to conform to narrow academic standards.
Create Effective Solutions
We develop specific resources and platforms designed to address these challenges, from peer-reviewed ensayos to impact tracking tools.
Deliver Targeted Impact
Our solutions create measurable change in four key areas: Cultural Authority, Career Sustainability, Institutional Transformation, and Existential Relevance.
Measure Transformation
We track how our work converts challenges into platforms for influence, documenting both personal and systemic changes.
The Pain to Power Framework transformed my experience as an Afro-Latina scholar. What was once a source of marginalization is now the foundation of my most influential work.
Our Commitments
Open Plaza is dedicated to creating lasting change through these key commitments:
Short-Term Objectives
We are focused on expanding our contributor network to include more diverse voices, especially from underrepresented communities within the Latine experience. We aim to increase our monthly readership to 100,000+ and develop partnerships with 10 additional academic institutions by the end of 2025.
Additionally, we're developing new series including Holy Subversion Guides and Radical Rituals to provide practical theological resources for justice-seeking believers.
Diversity & Inclusion
We are committed to representing the full diversity of Latine experiences, including Afro-Latine, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, and other intersectional identities that are often marginalized even within Latine spaces.
Our editorial policies prioritize perspectives that have been historically excluded, and we actively recruit contributors from diverse backgrounds, regions, and theological traditions.
Ethical Guidelines
We maintain rigorous standards for academic integrity while creating accessible content. All contributors receive fair compensation for their work, and we ensure proper attribution and recognition.
Our partnerships are evaluated based on shared values and genuine commitment to amplifying marginalized voices, not tokenistic inclusion or performative diversity.
Stories of Transformation
Hear from members of our community about the real impact of Open Plaza:
Through Open Plaza, Elena's groundbreaking work connecting Black liberation theology with Latina feminist perspectives gained visibility beyond traditional academic channels. Her series of articles was later developed into a book that has been adopted by 15 seminary programs.
More importantly, Elena found a community of scholars facing similar challenges who provided both emotional support and intellectual collaboration. Today, she serves as a mentor to emerging scholars and continues to publish work that challenges theological conventions.
Carlos leads a community organization serving immigrant families in Chicago. When tensions arose with local religious institutions over immigration advocacy, the theological frameworks provided by Open Plaza helped bridge the divide between faith traditions and justice work.
Using the Holy Subversion Guides, Carlos helped his community develop liturgical practices that honored their cultural traditions while addressing contemporary challenges. The result was stronger community cohesion and more effective advocacy work.
Westmont Seminary partnered with Open Plaza to address the lack of diversity in its theological curriculum. By incorporating Open Plaza content and bringing contributors as guest lecturers, the seminary expanded the perspectives represented in its programs.
This partnership led to curriculum reforms, faculty development initiatives, and eventually, changes in hiring practices. Over three years, the seminary increased its Latine faculty representation from 5% to 25% and saw a 40% increase in Latine student enrollment.
Join Our Movement
Whether you're a scholar, activist, reader, or supporter, there's a place for you in the Open Plaza community. Take the next step in creating meaningful change together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about Open Plaza:
Open Plaza is uniquely focused on amplifying Latine voices in theology while creating space for complex intersectional identities. Unlike traditional platforms that might tokenize diverse perspectives, we center these voices and provide comprehensive support through our Pain to Power Framework.
We also bridge academic rigor with community accessibility, ensuring that theological insights reach beyond academic circles to impact communities directly.
No, Open Plaza values diverse forms of knowledge and expertise. While we welcome contributors with formal education, we equally value community practitioners, activists, and those with lived experience.
Our focus is on the quality of ideas and their relevance to our mission rather than formal credentials. We provide editorial support to help contributors shape their insights into impactful content.
We publish a wide range of content including academic articles, personal essays, theological reflections, interviews, podcasts, video content, creative writing, and practical resources like our Holy Subversion Guides.
Content can be in English, Spanish, Portuguese, or indigenous languages of the Americas. We encourage multimedia and innovative formats that make theological insights accessible to diverse audiences.
Institutions can partner with us in several ways, including curriculum integration, joint research initiatives, speaker exchanges, and collaborative publishing projects.
We work with seminaries, universities, religious organizations, and community groups to develop tailored partnerships that advance our shared commitment to amplifying marginalized voices. Contact us at partnerships@htiopenplaza.org to explore possibilities.
Open Plaza is made possible by the generous support of the Lilly Endowment Foundation and the Hispanic Theological Initiative (HTI), along with individual donors and institutional partners.
We maintain editorial independence and ethical funding practices to ensure our platform truly serves marginalized voices. We're committed to financial transparency and sustainable growth that doesn't compromise our mission.