Rev. Dr. Bernice Powell-Jackson

Rev. Dr. Bernice Powell Jackson is an activist on behalf of human and civil rights, women’s rights, and has been an advocate for peace with justice and ecumenism around the world, including serving as president of the North American region of the World Council of Churches for nine years. She just finished her term as co-president of HOPE (Hillsborough Organization for Progress and Equality) and still chairs its Criminal Justice Committee.  Serving on the UCC national staff for nearly two decades, Pastor Bernice was the founding Executive Minister of Justice and Witness Ministries and one of five officers of the denomination. She also served as Executive Director of the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice. Prior to that, she served as the director of the Bishop Tutu Southern African Refugee Scholarship Fund, where she was also the Archbishop’s U.S. representative. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., she is a graduate of Wilson College and holds master’s degrees from the Columbia University School of Journalism and Union Theological Seminary and received honorary doctor of humane letters degrees from Defiance College and the Florida Center for Theological Studies.