Black Buddhist Experience in the Jodo Shinshu Sangha: A Conversation with Rev. Victor Ogundipe

“How Do We Meet Each Other? Black-Asian Dialogue in Buddhist America”

This conversation series brings Black and Asian-American Buddhist scholars and practitioners together for honest dialogue about what it means to practice Buddhism in America today. These conversation partners aim to create bridges and ask nuanced questions — about ancestral practices and culture, about appropriation and erasure, and about what it means to evolve the Buddhist tradition to meet the current moment.

Each conversation is also a practice in itself: honoring the cultural roots each person brings, building real political solidarity, and growing a Buddhist community rooted in both care and accountability.

This series is generously funded by the Henry J. Luce Foundation.

April 7, 2027: Black Buddhist Experience in the Jodo Shinshu Sangha: A Conversation with Rev. Victor Ogundipe

Victor A. Ogundipe Jr. is a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist priest who received Kyoshi ordination in January of 2026. He is a student in the Institute of Buddhist Studies (IBS) Master of Divinity program. Victor and his family – his wife of 15 years, Mylinda, and their 10-year-old daughter, Sati – lived the Bay Area but currently reside in Toledo, OH. Victor works as a data scientist at the University of Michigan. He enjoys learning new things, visiting new places (especially visiting Buddhist temples and sanghas), and he is very interested in exploring ways of sharing the Dharma through film and music.

Register at: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ychfpmZXTLaF_7dc7U5uVA