ABSTRACT
This thinking essay considers the embodied connection between citizenship, belonging, and race in both the ancient and contemporary world. It weaves together theology, critical race studies, and classical studies to ask what vulnerable bodies in antiquity might tell us about our contemporary moment. In this essay, Christopher-Rasheem McMillan argues that the black body in contemporary North America is akin to noncitizen bodies during the Roman Empire and that the United States functions as an empire. For the purposes of this thinking essay, the contemporary police officer performs the function of a Roman soldier, with a primary purpose of defending, protecting, and expanding the empire. McMillan proposes and seeks to answer the question: How do black bodies testify and thrive under “Roman” occupation?
