Rev. Dr. Frederick Douglass Haynes, III, is a prophetic pastor, passionate leader, social activist, eloquent orator, and educator engaged in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, and fighting against racial injustice. Dr. Haynes is also committed to and has devoted his life to economic justice and empowerment in underserved communities and touching and transforming the lives of the disenfranchised. For the past 40 years, Dr. Haynes has served as a visionary and innovative senior pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas.

The Rev. Dr. James Alexander Forbes, Jr. is Senior Minister Emeritus of The Riverside Church and President of the Healing of the Nations Foundation. Forbes, who was installed as the fifth Senior Minister of Riverside on June 1, 1989, and retired on June 1, 2007, was the first African-American to serve as Senior Minister of this multicultural congregation. He is an ordained minister in the American Baptist Churches and the Original United Holy Church of America. 

Reverend Leslie D. Callahan, Ph.D.,  a native of Gary, West Virginia, experienced her first Christian education and formation at Apostolic Temple Church where she developed an enduring love for Jesus Christ and for Christ's body, the Church. Having experienced her call to ministry at an early age, Dr. Callahan began the public proclamation of the gospel at age 19.

Author, Life Visioning, Spiritual Liberation, The Answer Is You, and Transcendance Expanded

As one of the preeminent civil rights leaders of our time, Reverend Al Sharpton serves as the founder and president of the National Action Network (NAN), anchors Politics Nation on MSNBC, hosts the nationally syndicated radio shows Keepin’ It Real and The Hour of Power, holds weekly action rallies and speaks out on behalf of those who have been silenced and marginalized. Rooted in the spirit and tradition of the Rev. Dr.

Michael Eric Dyson, Ph.D., is one of the nation’s most renowned professors, gifted writers, inspiring preachers, knowledgeable lecturers, and prominent media personalities. As a teacher who earned a doctorate in Religion from Princeton University, Dyson has taught at some of the nation’s most distinguished universities, including Brown, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Columbia, DePaul, the University of Pennsylvania, and Georgetown University.

Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA, the 17th President of Howard University, is a scholar, surgeon, and researcher. The focal point of his research is to narrow the disparity in cancer-care outcomes between African-Americans and the larger population, particularly in the area of breast cancer. Dr. Frederick is most grateful that his matriculation, as a triple alumnus of Howard, allowed him to commit himself to the mission of Howard University.

Senior Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Ill., Dr. Otis Moss III is a preacher, activist, and author. Over the last two decades, Dr. Moss has practiced and preached a Black theology that unapologetically calls attention to the problems of mass incarceration, environmental justice, and economic inequality. A third-generation warrior for civil and human rights, Dr. Moss is committed to preaching a prophetic message of love and justice, which he believes are inseparable companions that form the foundation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Hale is the founder and Senior Pastor of the Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, Georgia. The Ray of Hope Christian Church is a congregation that has a vision to “impact and transform this present world into the Kingdom of God” through Housing, Healthcare and Education Initiatives. It is recognized in the book, Excellent Protestant Congregations: Guide to Best Places and Practices.

Bishop William J. Barber II, DMin, is a Professor in the Practice of Public Theology and Public Policy and Founding Director of the Center for Public Theology and Public Policy at Yale Divinity School. He serves as President and Senior Lecturer of Repairers of the Breach, Co-Chair of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call For Moral Revival, Bishop with The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries, and has been Pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Goldsboro, NC, for the past 29 years.