John Henderson Cartwright is a minister, and university administrator, was born in Houston, Texas, on August 17, 1933, he graduated from Phillis Wheatley High School in the city in 1950. Upon graduating with honors, he enrolled in Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, where a Bachelor … Read MoreJohn Henderson Cartwright (1933-2011)
Paul Timothy Roberts Sr., an academic fellow of the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey in Celigny, Switzerland, and an activist. He was born in Stamford, Connecticut, and grew up in the United Methodist Church in Bradenton, Florida. He graduated from Southeast High School in the city … Read MorePaul Timothy Roberts Sr. (1945- )
Jesuit priest, missionary, diplomat, orator, and theologian Antônio Vieira was born in Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal, on February 6, 1608, the first of the four sons of Maria de Azevedo, a mulatto woman and civil servant Cristóvão Vieira Ravasco. At age six, when … Read MoreAntônio Vieira (1608-1697)
Wavel Ramkalawan is a Seychelles politician and Anglican priest who has served as President of Seychelles since October 26, 2020. Wavel Ramkalawan was born on March 15, 1961 on Mahé, the main island of the Seychelles. His father was a metal worker and his mother … Read MoreWavel Ramkalawan (1961- )
On May 20, 2019, Reverend Lakeesha Walrond, Ph.D., made history when she was appointed President of the New York Theological Seminary (NYTS), founded in 1900 as the Bible Teacher’s College. Walrond is the first woman and first Black woman to serve as president of NYTS, … Read MoreLakeesha Walrond (1971- )
American sociologist, social worker, and minister Richard Robert Wright Jr. was born on April 16, 1878, in Cuthbert, Georgia to Richard Robert Wright, Sr., who had been born into slavery but graduated from Atlanta University and founded the National Freedom Day Association. Wright’s mother, Lydia … Read MoreRichard Robert Wright Jr. (1878-1967)
Allan Boesak is an award-winning South African theologian and political activist known for his participation in the anti-apartheid movement alongside Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela. Boesak was born in Kakamas, Northern Cape province on the eastern border of South Africa on February 23, 1946. He … Read MoreAllan Boesak (1946- )
The Rev. Dr. Regena Lynn Thomas is a former politician who formerly held the office of secretary of state for New Jersey and is the director of the Human Rights and Community Relations Department of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). Thomas was born and … Read MoreRegena Thomas (1957- )
DeForest Blake “Buster” Soaries Jr. is a minister, author, and former secretary of state for New Jersey. Soaries was born on August 20, 1951, in Brooklyn, New York. His parents were both West Indian immigrants and his father was a preacher. After graduating from high … Read MoreDeForest Soaries (1951- )
Francis Lewis Cardozo was a minister, educator, and politician, who was born free in Charleston, South Carolina, on February 1, 1836. Cardozo was of mixed ancestry, as his father, Isaac Nunez Cardozo, was a Sephardic Jew, and his mother, Lydia Williams Weston, was a free … Read MoreFrancis Cardozo (1836-1903)
