Snapshot of Her Story

Kwame has found herself immersed in justice movements surrounding transformative and revolutionary change. Her name is a dedication to a collective ancestor, Kwame NKrumah, first president of Ghana. It is also a reminder to her of the responsibility and the accountability she has towards her Ancestors which she holds in high stead, and to the journey of multiple faith belonging that she finds herself immersed. A native Chicagoan, Kwame began the deep dive into spirituality over 20 years ago personally; academically she initiated this journey in 2010, when she was accepted to the Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago-focused on Black Liberation and Womanist theology. She graduated in 2015 with her Master of Divinity (M.Div.) and ordained that same year. She continued this path in 2017 at the Chicago Theological Seminary with a Master of Sacred Theology (STM), focused on Black Ancestral theology, and received her degree in Spring 2021. Her thesis for her STM degree is entitled: The Oppression of Syncretism: The Erasure of Our Religious History and The Validity of These Traditions to Address Historical and Generational Trauma Due To Racism and Oppression.

 

As ordained clergy and a Womanist, she continues to be deeply involved in community justice at the intersection of food insecurity, mental health awareness and sacred space accessibility. On the practical side, she runs a mobile food pantry serving areas where African Americans, Caribbean and immigrant communities live as well as being a communal space to fight against socio-economic injustices to BIPOC communities and has created sacred space where people can find safety to worship Creator in whatever way is authentic for them.

 

Identifying as a Queer Woman of African descent, she continues her dual spiritual journey focusing on healing ritual work and decolonizing/normalizing African Traditional Religions and faith practices as one of many tools to address the generational and historical trauma that has impacted her people.