Primary Investigator:

Dale P. Andrews Ph.D
Dr. Dale P. Andrews joined the faculty of Vanderbilt University Divinity School and Graduate Department of Religion in 2010 as Distinguished Professor of Homiletics, Social Justice, and Practical Theology. Previously he served on the faculty of Boston University School of Theology as the Martin Luther King Jr. Professor of Homiletics and Pastoral Theology. Dr. Andrews earned his M.A. and Ph.D. at Vanderbilt University and M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary. He also was a visiting research fellow at the University of Oxford. An ordained minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Dr. Andrews has served AME Zion churches in Connecticut, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. In addition to an array of chapters in diverse volumes and journal articles, he has authored Practical Theology for Black Churches: Bridging Black Theology and African American Folk Religion (2002), and co-authored Listening to Listeners: Homiletical Case Studies (2004) and New Proclamation: Advent through Holy Week, Year A, 2004-2005 (2004). He also designed and co-edited Black Practical Theology (2015) and co-edited a multivolume lectionary commentary series, Preaching God’s Transforming Justice (2011, 2012, 2013). Dr. Andrews formerly served as co-editor to the journal Family Ministry, and now serves as co-editor of the journal Homiletic. Current research projects include a homiletics textbook based in apprenticeship pedagogy, and another addressing challenges facing black prophetic preaching.

Program Fellows:

   
Casey Miller, MDiv

Carlin Rushing, MDiv

Research Assistants:

Robyn Du
Robyn Du is a junior in the College of Arts and Science, majoring in Medicine, Health, and Society and minoring in Sociology. She hails from Columbus, Ohio (Go Bucks!), and is passionate about Beyoncé and Pokémon. She is engaged in racial justice curriculum work because she believes that it is everyone’s responsibility to fight for equality and wishes to create a mentorship program that will empower others to engage with racial justice advocacy.

Chukwupee Nzegwu
Chukwukpee Nzegwu is a senior from Maryland and doubles majors in Political Science and Spanish. He enjoys having meals with friends, playing Ultimate Frisbee, and hosting his weekly radio show, Unmuted. After taking a class on the politics of capitalism and acting in Vanderbilt University Theater’s production of How To End Poverty In 90 Minutes he gained a different perspective on social justice work and brings that to the project.

Malik D. Hollingsworth
My name is Malik D. Hollingsworth, and I am 4th year student majoring in Women’s and Gender Studies with a minor in Theatre from Memphis, TN. I started my Vanderbilt career as an Electrical Engineering major and began to notice the disconnect between myself and my professors, and how racial inequity was a major informant for that disconnect. I started doing racial justice work in order to examine how disconnects such as the one I and other students have felt can be managed and alleviated for other students. A fun fact about me is I have had a different job every year that I’ve been at Vanderbilt.

Rodrigo Robles

Advisory Committee:
Sandra L. Barnes                                                              
Professor and Associate Chairperson                                     
Department of Human and Organizational Development      
Peabody College of Education and Human Development                                

Dennis C. Dickerson
James M. Lawson Professor of History
Department of History
College of Arts & Science

Frank E. Dobson
Assistant Dean
Faculty Head of House, The Commons, Gillette House

Rolanda Johnson
Assistant Professor of Nursing     
The School of Nursing

Matthew Walker III
Associate Professor of the Practice of Bioengineering
School of Engineering

Daniel J. Sharfstein
Professor of Law, Professor of History & Chancellor Faculty Fellow
Co-Director, Social Justice Program
The Law School

Gretchen Person  
Associate University Chaplain  
Associate Director of Religious Life
Office of the University Chaplain and Religious Life