Rhetoric Race and Religion
R3 Editor
When I first received notice about his death, I just could not believe what I had read. In the form of a text message, it read, “I’m sure you heard about Rex.” I responded, “No, what happened?” fearing the worst because I knew he suffered from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. My fears were realized when “He died this morning,” came buzzing through my phone. I paused as I read the message, said a quick prayer for his family, other relatives and close friends, and send back my response, “Damn!”
I first met Dr.Rex Crawley when I attended my first National Communication Association (NCA) meeting in Boston in 2005. As I tried to navigate around NCA, Dr. Crowley was one of the scholars who took me in, and immediately, began to encourage and support me in my efforts to complete my PhD. He always made his way to the graduate students to meet them and ask them about their research. Since that meeting, I always looked forward to seeing my friend Rex at NCA to fellowship, laugh and catch up on the previous year.
However, another part about Rex’s life that I personally remember was Rex’s spirituality. Rex was one who served his church and one who felt God’s call on his life. Just a cursory reading of his blog, A Healthy Disregard of the ImpossibleII, will attest to the deep spirituality and God-centeredness that helped shape his life. He just did not “work” as the Assistant Dean of the School of Communication andInformation Systems at Robert Morris, co-direct the Black MaleLeadership and Development Institute, and lead the UzuriThink Tank, Rex saw these positions as calls or vocations. In short, he felt God’s presence and call upon his life.
In reading his blog, I began to reflect on a conversation we had over dinner at one of the NCA conferences. As people around us were talking, Rex and I began to have a deep conversation about faith. He shared with me a tension he felt early on with the balancing of his faith and his profession. However, as time went on, it became easier for him. He understood that navigating a faith walk sometimes could be a hard thing to do within the academy. He knew that not all shared his convictions—even people who shared his same faith traditions.
However, I believe that it became easier for him because his faith was an integral part of who he was. In short, it was not a performance, but part of his authentic persona—a part of his being and/or essence. Therefore, his faith guided him, helped him discern the good and the bad, and strengthen him to be a husband, father, teacher, mentor and friend.
This is why Rex can now cry out with the Psalmist, “Therefore, prove me, O Lord, and test me; test my heart and mind. For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to you.” I imagine Rex said on that faithful Monday morning, “Even when I couldn’t see my way, I walked in faithfulness to you. Even when I felt all alone, I walked in faithfulness to you. Even when I could not make it to church and serve as I wanted to, I walked in faithfulness to you. Even when I didn’t understand it all and became afraid, I walked in faithfulness to you.”
Therefore, I thank God for Dr. Rex Crawley. I thank God for his life and legacy. I thank God, for his love of the Division and Caucus of NCA. I thank God for his family and the lives that he touched along the way. I thank God for the talks on religion and faith. I thank God that God allowed me to meet such a man. I thank God that our paths crossed. I thank God for his scholarship, relationships, mentorships and friendships.
I thank God for Rex Crawley and we at the African American Communication and Culture Division and Black Caucus of NCA indeed are blessed because we had the pleasure to know him and call him friend.
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