Emory University

University of Oxford

University of Virginia

Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at St. Luke's School

New York, New York, United States

Provide thought leadership and facilitate program development for the 2023 Smithsonian Folklife Festival on religious diversity in the United States. Wrote a grant proposal to the Lilly Endowment that received $1.5 million for the festival. The festival will attract more than 700,000 visitors to the National Mall in Washington, DC and more than 10 million people through online resources.

Smithsonian Institution

Senior Program Advisor, Living Religions in the United States

Report to the Head of School at this coeducational independent school. Established the vision for a multi-staffed DEI department and created job descriptions. Hired an additional DEI practitioner who reports to me. Provide DEI thought leadership. Mentor professional staff. Assist Board of Trustees and staff with DEI and social justice initiatives. Facilitate affinity groups.

St. Luke's School

Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer

Established an intercultural non-profit organization committed to social activism. Lead initiatives including Bahá'í, Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and religiously unaffiliated communities. The organization supports LGBTQ equality. Provide visionary oversight for a staff of 8 persons. The organization has raised more than $1.5 million to support its diversity and social justice initiatives.

The Open Church of Maryland

Founder

As a result of my experience in higher education, philanthropy, and social activism, the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy selected me as a 2018 Distinguished Visitor. I spoke at a faculty-student gathering and a public panel exploring the roles of faith and philanthropy in African American communities.

Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis

Distinguished Visitor, Lake Institute on Faith and Giving

Provided thought leadership, produced public programs, and collected artifacts relating to African American religion. Engaged in research projects on religion, diversity, and social justice. Managed five staff persons, five postdoctoral fellows, and a $10 million grant from the Lilly Endowment. Served as an expert on religion and African American history to educational and religious institutions, philanthropic organizations, governmental agencies, and the general public.

Director, Center for the Study of African American Religious Life & Supervisory Curator of Religion

Taught undergraduate courses on religion, diversity, and social justice in the 2017 fall semester. Mentored undergraduate students. Delivered the Martin Luther King, Jr. pedagogy lecture to Georgetown faculty and staff in the 2019 spring semester.

Georgetown University

Adjunct Lecturer

Taught graduate courses on religion, diversity, and social justice. Mentored graduate students, especially from underrepresented cultural groups. Received a faculty mentoring award from Harvard graduate students for my contributions to diversity and students’ success and well-being.

Harvard University

Lecturer

Managed the Ford Foundation’s $3.4 million annual investment in religious activism. Reviewed grant proposals and recommended to the Foundation’s senior leadership grant disbursements. Served as the Foundation’s thought leader on religion’s role in fostering diversity, inclusion, and social justice.

Ford Foundation

Program Officer - Religion in the Public Sphere

I was the first African American to come to SMU with an appointment to an endowed faculty chair. Conducted research on social inclusiveness and cultural diversity. Taught graduate courses on the role of religious practices in fostering diversity, inclusion, and social justice. Mentored graduate students, especially from underrepresented cultural groups.

Southern Methodist University

Lois Craddock Perkins Professor of Homiletics with Tenure

Organized a public conference on the role of religious rhetoric and ethics in public leadership and delivered keynote lectures. Conducted research on social inclusiveness and cultural diversity. Taught graduate courses on the role of religious practices in fostering diversity, inclusion, and social justice.

McCormick Theological Seminary

Distinguished Visiting Scholar

Provided pastoral and administrative leadership for large, ecumenical congregation. Managed 100+ staff persons. Oversight of $12 million annual budget. Ministries dealt with social justice issues such as strengthening early childhood education, reforming the criminal justice system, and alleviating poverty. Delivered keynote speech at an international conference uniting Muslims, Jews, and Christians.

The Riverside Church

Senior Minister

Supervised Ph.D. dissertation on religion and racial justice. Participated on a faculty task force examining cultural diversity and social justice in higher education. Chaired and served on successful search committees that enhanced the gender and racial/ethnic diversity of the faculty. Supervised departmental self-study comparing department to peer institutions. Taught graduate courses on the role of religious practices in fostering diversity, inclusion, and social justice. Mentored graduate students, especially from underrepresented cultural groups.

Vanderbilt University

Associate Professor of Homiletics and New Testament with Tenure

Chaired the School of Divinity’s accreditation steering committee. Supervised master’s theses on religion and social justice. Taught graduate courses on the role of religious practices in fostering diversity, inclusion, and social justice. Organized the School of Divinity’s Black Student Association. Mentored graduate students, especially from underrepresented cultural groups.

Wake Forest University

Jessie Ball duPont Assistant Professor of Homiletics and Biblical Studies

Provided pastoral and administrative leadership for mid-size, ecumenical congregation. Ministries included 50-acre residential camp for youth, moderate-income apartment complex, federal credit union, and interfaith dialogues with Baltimore’s Jewish community. Hired and managed a paid and volunteer staff of 10+ persons. Oversight of $750,000 annual budget.

Brad Braxton

Brad Braxton