Ella Baker founded the MFDP in 1964. It was conceived as a parallel political party designed to simultaneously encourage Black political participation while challenging the validity of Mississippi’s lily-white Democratic Party.
Bishop Teresa Snorton is the Ecumenical Bishop and Program Development Officer for the CME Church. She previously served as Presiding Bishop of the Fifth Episcopal District of the CME Church, which includes the states of Alabama and Florida (2011-2022) and as Presiding Bishop of the Eleventh Episcopal District, which included ten counties in Central and Eastern Africa (2010-2011). She is a lecturer and mentor in the Doctor of Ministry program at Payne Theological Seminary.
She is the former Executive Director of the Emory Center for Pastoral Services in Atlanta, Georgia and former Director of Pastoral Services at Crawford Long Hospital. Her vocational work also includes serving on the faculty of the Patient Counseling Program at the Medical College of Virginia and as Director of the Emory Center for Pastoral Services at Emory University, and serving as a Psychiatric Staff Chaplain and CPE Educator at Central State Hospital, Louisville, Kentucky.
Bishop Snorton has a B.A. degree from Vanderbilt University, a Master of Divinity degree from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, a Master of Theology in Pastoral Care from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, a Post-Graduate Certificate in Patient Counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University, and the Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.
Bishop Snorton is the immediate past Chair of the Board of Trustees of Miles College, Fairfield, Alabama and immediate past Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Interdenominational Theological Center. She serves on the Pan-Methodist Council, the governing board of the National Council of Churches (Chair from 2020-2023), a former President of Churches Uniting in Christ, a member of the World Council of Churches and as Chair of the Family Life Committee of the World Methodist Council.
She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and a life member of the NAACP. She has received numerous awards and recognitions for her work as a Clinical Pastoral Educator, bishop and author.
She is frequently a guest preacher at churches of all denominations and lecturer and speaker for hospitals, seminaries, conferences, leadership schools and retreats on religion and health, multicultural, ethical and gender issues, pastoral care and spiritual development and program development. She is the author of several articles, chapters and book reviews on topics related to pastoral care and ministry, including chapters in Women Out of Order: Risking Change and Creating Care in a Multi-Cultural World, In Her Own Time: Women and Developmental Isssues, Through the Eyes of Women: Insignts for Pastoral Care, Professional Spiritual and Pastoral Care: A Practical Clergy and Chaplain’s Handbook, and Courageous Conversations: The Teaching and Learning of Pastoral Supervision.
Bishop Snorton has two adult sons and two grandchildren.
Dr. Jackson-Weaver is Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees at Princeton Theological Seminary and Chair of the Student Life Committee. She is a licensed minister in the American Baptist Churches of America and her career in ministry has spanned over two decades. Most recently, she served as the Associate Regional Director of New Church Development in the American Baptist Churches of New Jersey (ABCNJ). In this role, Dr. Jackson-Weaver oversaw a state-wide learning community of pastoral leaders with a focus on pastoral well-being, spiritual health, vitality, and innovation in ministry. She is also the former Co-Chair of the Theology of Martin Luther King Jr. Group in the
the American Academy of Religion and Founding Convener of Freedom Summer 2020: Making Black Lives Matter-Race, Religion, and Voting Rights in America. Dr. Jackson-Weaver has been an academic leader in global higher education for over 25 years. Prior to her current Vice Presidency at NYU, she was a Visiting Scholar/Dean-in-Residence at the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University, and an Academic Dean at Princeton University’s Graduate School and Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She is a historian and a religious scholar with a focus on religion, ethics, and politics. For nearly a decade, she served as the Series Editor for the Teaching Religious Studies Series produced by Oxford University Press and the American Academy of Religion. Dr. Jackson-Weaver earned her Bachelor’s Degree at Princeton University (BA); a Master’s degree (Ed.M.) at Harvard University; and a Master of Arts (MA), a Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) and a Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in American History from Columbia University. She completed her Postdoctoral work at Princeton Theological Seminary, where she was selected to be one of two Engle Scholars, and has dedicated her to career to women’s leadership in the academy and the church.
Dr. Cathy L. Royal is a Human and Organization Development professional with specialties in leadership, Appreciative Inquiry (AI), social justice, and organization evaluation and transformation. She is the owner and senior consultant of Royal Consulting Group, an organization and community development practice in Lanham, Maryland. She is an adjunct professor at Colorado Technical University (CTU). She is the 2023 Gestalt Institute Outstanding Graduate. In 2015 CTU honored her as the 2015 Woman of the Year for Women’s History month. Dr. Royal is recognized as a subject matter expert in Appreciative Inquiry, social justice and inclusion,
Organization Development (OD), Use of Self, Gender and Race Identity construction, and leadership development. Dr. Royal has been an evaluator for course content and design for universities and textbook developers. In 2011, during the United Nations Year of People of African Descent, she was selected to present at the UN sanctioned African Family Reunion in Cali, Colombia, South America. Dr. Royal presented her work on affirmative identity, gender, and Appreciative Inquiry at the 2014 Johannesburg, South Africa and the 2009 Katmandu, Nepal, Appreciative Inquiry World Summits. She facilitates executive teams and senior management through Appreciative Inquiry and solution focused methodologies. She has been a consultant with the World Bank Group (WBG) conducting workshops and training for the WBG in Africa and the United States. Dr. Royal was the primary evaluator and program lead for the Bureau of Public Enterprise for the Government of Nigeria. She developed a leadership program for young professionals and provided recommendations on leadership and succession planning initiatives. Dr. Royal developed the Quadrant Behavior Theory (QBT) ©. A dynamic theory and experiential program that supports change agents in expanding their understanding of the behaviors that create and sustain exclusion in societies and systems. She has created the Triple T theory for leaders and citizens as they consider collaborative work efforts for positive impact in their systems and communities. She delivers a master class on QBT for colleges, communities, and trainers. Her most recent presentation was for Evergreen College. Dr. Royal is a founding Elder of the Council for Global Ancestor Reverence (C4GAR). The council is an organization of African traditional religious (ATR) practitioners dedicated to the education, elevation and advocation for understanding the importance of ancestors in the spiritual lives of people across the diaspora.
Tawnicia Ferguson Rowan is passionate about literacy, education, spiritual activism, and womanist thought. She earned a B.A. in English from Spelman College, an M.A. in English Literature from Vanderbilt University, and an M.Div. from the Interdenominational Theological Center. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Rev. Tawnicia aspired to return and serve her community. With 20-plus years of higher education experience in Miami-Dade County she currently holds a dual appointment as a professor of English and Religion and Philosophy at Florida Memorial University. In 2022 she was licensed as a minister and joined the staff at theUniversal Truth Center. She is working toward ordination. Rev. Tawnicia is a faculty member at the Johnnie Colemon Theological Seminary and the Unity Urban Ministerial School. She chairs the DEI Board of Directors of Unity World Headquarters. She is editor of Lessons on Living Abundantly: Reflections on the Life and Ministry of the Rev. Dr. Johnnie Colemon and a contributing author to Women of Color Pray: Voices of Strength, Faith, Healing, Hope and Courage. Her Well-Written Words, LLC, a writing and editing consultancy, helps aspiring authors achieve literary dreams; clients include the National YoungARTS Foundation, the City of Miami, Miami Dade County Public Schools, the Pan-African Art & Book Expo, and others. Rev. Tawnicia is a member of the South Florida People of Color, the Miami Chapter of the Girl Friends, Inc., the Dade County Chapter of the Links, Inc., and the Miami Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. In 2022, she was selected as a fellow of Princeton Theological Seminary’s 9th Annual Black Theology and Leadership Institute.
Alchemist, Activist, and Bestselling Author of Do Better and All I Need to Be
Rachel Ricketts (she/they) is a globally renowned spiritual activist, alchemist, and award-nominated author of the international instant bestseller Do Better: Spiritual Activism for Fighting and Healing from White Supremacy, which was named one of the San Francisco Chronicle’s 10 Books to Pick of 2021 and Book Riot‘s 12 Essential Books About Black Identity and History. Her other work, a mindfulness picture book titled All I Need to Be, was chosen as a Read With Jenna 2024 Jr Summer Reading List pick for kids and inner kids alike.
Hailed as a revolutionary offering and called “groundbreaking” by Good Morning America, Do Better addresses inequity from an intersectional and spiritually aligned perspective. Part memoir, part actionable guidebook for anyone & everyone, Do Better illustrates how to engage in mindfulness-based practices to get embodied & fight white supremacy from the inside out, in our personal lives and communities alike.
As an intersectional social justice leader, collective mirror, and recovering attorney, Ricketts envisions a world where queer, trans and/or disabled Black and Indigenous folx are and feel deeply cared for. To that end, she supports individuals and organizations that lead with love and unapologetically center Black & Indigenous femmes to support collective change, healing, and liberation.
Ricketts supports those desiring to do the deep, inner shadow work required for personal and collective transformation and healing; and helps people to both remember their innate wisdom & unlock the love, dignity and divine feminine power that systems of oppression tried to take from them. In short – she thinks about revolutionary shit in a revolutionary way, and supports others to do the same.
Offering virtual and in-person workshops and keynotes for nearly a decade, Ricketts is known for her mix of vulnerability, humor, and real talk fused with compassionate wisdom and practical takeaways. She is also trained and well-versed in a variety of ancestral healing modalities—including Reiki, meditation, breathwork, and yin yoga—all of which she’s been facilitating for over a decade.
Born and raised in Vancouver, BC, Canada, Ricketts followed her deep desire to address the injustices of the world through law, receiving a Juris Doctorate from one of Canada’s most prestigious law schools, the Allard Hall School of Law at the University of British Columbia. She also holds a degree in Psychology and certification in Intercultural Education and Training.
Her work has been featured in outlets such as The New York Times, People, Forbes, Essence, The Atlantic, Elle, The Root, Glamour UK, and Cosmopolitan and she’s made appearances on shows such as Good Morning America and Today.
Rachel loves donuts, dancing, and divine disruption (ideally all at once).
A New York City native, Bishop Robin Dease is a graduate of Claflin University Orangeburg, SC (B.S. in Elementary Education), Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, DC (Masters of Divinity & Doctor of Ministry Degrees).
Bishop Dease was ordained in the South Carolina Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.
After serving many churches boards, schools and agencies of the UMC, Bishop Dease was elected Bishop in 2022 and is now assigned to serve The North and South Georgia Annual Conferences of The United Methodist Church.
Pamela Ayo Yetunde, J.D., Th.D., is a pastoral counselor, author, advocate, and artist. Her Buddhist leadership training was through the Community Dharma Leaders program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California. Ayo is the author of four books on Buddhism, two using Womanist theologies, and Casting Indra’s Net and Black and Buddhist. Pamela is the principal co-founder of the Buddhist Justice Reporter(www.buddhistjustice.com) and is an associate editor with Lion’s Roar.
Rev. Sindile Mathebula, is an ordained minister with the Disciples of Christ denomination. Presently, she serves as a Service Learning Teaching Associate with the Howard University Center for Drug Abuse Research and is a Professional Chaplain at Grady Memorial Hospital. As an International Psychologist, her research interest explores the impact of psychosocial stressors on maternal mental health. She is passionate about servant leadership and in the broader community serves as a board director with the Daughters of the African Atlantic Fund, The Believe Center for Change, and is a Founding Director for the African Caribbean Faith-Based Leadership Council. She is of Southern African descent and is currently based in Atlanta Georgia.
The Rev. Nontombi Naomi Tutu knew from early in life that the one thing she would never be is a priest. She has always said, “I have my father’s nose, I do not want his job” However, after years spent as a development consultant, educator and race and gender activist she accepted her call to ordained ministry. She is an Episcopal priest who most recently was Associate Rector at All Saints, Beverly Hills.
The challenges of growing black and female in apartheid South Africa have been the foundation of Naomi’s life as an activist for human rights. Those experiences taught her that our whole human family loses when we accept situations of oppression, and how the teaching and preaching hate and division injure us all.
Rev. Tutu is the third child Archbishop Desmond and Nomalizo Leah Tutu. She was born in South Africa and had the opportunity to live in many communities and countries. She was educated in Swaziland, the US and England, and has divided her adult life between South Africa and the US. Growing up the ‘daughter of …’ has offered Naomi Tutu many opportunities and challenges in her life. Perhaps one of the greatest challenges she has struggled with is the call to ministry. This call refused to be silenced, even as she carried her passion for justice into other fields, the call to preach and serve as an ordained clergyperson continued to tug at her. Finally, in her 50’s she responded to the call and went to seminary.
Her professional experience ranges from being a development consultant in West Africa, to being program coordinator for programs on Race and Gender and Gender-based Violence in Education at the African Gender Institute at the University of Cape Town. In addition, Rev. Tutu has taught at the University of Hartford, University of Connecticut and Brevard College in North Carolina. She served as Program Coordinator for the historic Race Relations Institute at Fisk University and was a part of the Institute’s delegation to the World Conference Against Racism in Durban.
She started her public speaking as a college student at Berea College in Kentucky in the 1970’s when she was invited to speak at churches, community groups and colleges and universities about her experiences growing up in apartheid South Africa. Since that time, she has become a much sought-after speaker to groups as varied as business associations, professional conferences, elected officials and church and civic organizations.
As well as speaking and preaching Rev. Tutu has established Nozizwe Consulting. Nozizwe means Mother of Many Lands, in her mother tongue Xhosa and is the name she was given by her maternal grandmother. The guiding principle of Nozizwe Consulting is to bring different groups together to learn from and celebrate their differences and acknowledge their shared humanity. As part of this work, she has led Truth and Reconciliation Workshops for groups dealing with different types of conflict. She has also offered educational and partnership trips to South Africa for groups as varied as high schools, churches, hospices, K-12 teachers, and women’s associations. These trips emphasize the opportunities to share our stories and experiences.
Rev. Tutu is the recipient of four honorary doctorates from universities and colleges in the US and Nigeria. She has served as a curate at Christ Church Cathedral and as Canon Missioner for Racial and Economic Equity, and Canon Missioner for Kairos West Community Center for the Cathedral of All Souls, in Asheville, NC. She is the single mother of two daughters and a son.
Dr. Beverly Wallace, an ordained Lutheran clergywoman, received her Master of Divinity from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, South Carolina. She received her doctorate in Family Social Science/ Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Minnesota. Ordained for 25 years this year, Dr. Wallace is one of only two African American Lutheran Women teaching theologians in the ELCA.
Formerly the Assistant to the Bishop for the Southeastern Synod, most recently the Associate Professor of Congregation and Community Care at Luther Seminary in Minnesota after teaching for years at two Historical Black Theological Institutions – the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta and Shaw University Divinity School – Dr. Wallace recently accepted a call to serve at the Director of Lifelong Learning at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary of Lenoir-Rhyne University in Columbia, SC.
Dr. Wallace has authored several articles and book chapters including: “The Women Gathered – Stringing Beads of Resistance: Identity, Lament, and Hope in The Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Religion; “Hush No More: Constructing an African American Lutheran Womanist Ethic” in Mary Streufert’s edited volume, “Transformative Lutheran Theologies: Feminist, Womanist, and Mujerista Perspectives; and is also a contributor to “Luther’s Small Catechism with African Descent Reflections”. She is also the co-author of the book “African American Grief”.
Dr. Wallace is the creator of the ELCA Womanist Initiative designed to provide opportunities of learning in Womanist theology for seminarians, laypersons and clergy with an expansive vision to work with college age students introducing them to understandings and experiences of global African perspectives. Her new project, “Ela Viveu” (She Lives), working with women scholars in Portugal and Brazil incorporates this vision. Dr. Wallace is also working with United Theological College in Zimbabwe as the coordinator the U.S.- Zimbabwe Theological Collaboration Coordinator.
Dr. Wallace is a member of the steering committee of the Theological Roundtable and the Lutheran Association of Teaching Theologians and was on the board of Lutheran Women in Theology and Religious Studies. She is also a member of the Conference of International Black Lutherans as well as the Society for the Study of Black Religion and was also inducted into the MLK Collegium of Scholars.
Faith Adiele is the author of four experimental chapbooks about her Nigerian-Nordic-American heritage and Meeting Faith, an account of becoming Thailand’s first Black Buddhist Nun that won the PEN Open Book Award, routinely makes Best Of listicles, and is widely taught in American universities. Her media credits include My Journey Home, a PBS documentary about finding her family in Nigeria, HBO-Max’s A World of Calm, and Sleep Stories for the Calm meditation app. Adiele is co-editor of Coming of Age Around the World: A Multicultural Anthology, and her essays appear in O: The Oprah Magazine, Essence, OkayAfrica, Smithsonian Folklife, and numerous anthologies. She founded the USA’s first writing workshop for travelers of color and African Book Club at San Francisco’s Museum of the African Diaspora. Named one of Marie Claire magazine’s “Five Women to Learn From,” Adiele chairs the Writing & Literature Program at California College of the Arts and speaks and teaches around the world.
D. Danyelle Thomas, MPP is a Black faith and spirituality speaker, author, public theologian, spiritualist, and activist.
Danyelle’s work centers on the intersection of faith and social justice, particularly with regards to issues of race, gender, and sexuality. She passionately highlights the experiences and perspectives of Black religious experience and is committed to uplifting the voices of marginalized communities within it.
Founder of Unfit Christian, her approach is deeply grounded in the Christian tradition and reclamation of integrative African spiritual practices. She emphasizes the importance of actively working towards social change and liberation for all people. Through her speaking, writing, and teaching, Danyelle challenges her audiences to engage with difficult questions around our faith and the dynamics of power, oppression, and resistance.
Danyelle holds both a Bachelor of Arts in Africana Studies and a Master of Public Policy with a specialization in Social Policy. Her blend of urban flair and intellectual prowess makes her the divine truth to tune into during this upcoming season of faithful rebellion to conventional belief systems. As a public theologian, she continues to push the boundaries of what it means to live out a faith that is committed to justice and liberation for all.Danyelle proves to know the word on the street and the language of the canon as well. Her words and work have reached audiences across the world in Rolling Stone, Essence, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture, Rewire.News, Splinter, & NBC News. Her book, The Day God Saw Me as Black (Row House Publishing), debuts September 24, 2024.