AAMIA's Mission
Members of African American Ministers in Action heed the call to be a prophetic voice to our communities and our country. We share an understanding that grace gives us both the responsibility and the courage to challenge systems of injustice that prevent God's children from reaching their potential. We embrace the Black Church's historical witness by speaking truth to power on behalf of the powerless. We reject cynical strategies that would use the moral authority of the Black Church to build power for political leaders pursuing an agenda that will further enrich the most fortunate and further impoverish the most disadvantaged. Together we raise our voices in pursuit of the broad justice vision championed by Martin Luther King, Jr. We advocate for public policies that support our vision, including advocacy for and against specific local, state and federal legislative proposals.
AAMIA Leadership
Chair: Reverend Timothy McDonald III
The Rev. Timothy McDonald has been an influential leader on People For the American Way’s Board of Directors since 1995. In 1997, he was a founder of the African American Ministers Leadership Council and is a driving force behind its vision and expansion. McDonald serves as pastor of First Iconium Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia and is President of Concerned Black Clergy, an ecumenical organization of Black and White clergy and lay persons working on behalf of the poor.
McDonald is deeply rooted in struggles for civil rights, economic and social justice and political empowerment in the African American community in Georgia—and is a major national spokesperson across the country. He previously served as Special Assistant for Community Concerns for Mayor Maynard Jackson. As National Director of Operation Breadbasket and Special Projects for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference from 1983-1989, McDonald spearheaded projects around drugs, economic empowerment, South Africa, Central America, the Middle East, homelessness, the death penalty, and AIDS. He also served as full-time Assistant Pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta (Dr. Martin Luther King’s church).
Among his numerous awards and achievements Rev. McDonald was named Outstanding Role Model by Youth Initiative Project, Inc., was honored by United Negro College Fund and American Cancer Society for exceptional volunteerism, and was named Humanitarian of the Year by the Citizen Coalition for Growth. In addition to PFAW Foundation, McDonald serves on the boards of directors of Atlanta Recovery Center, Concerned Black Clergy, FEMA United Way, Christian Council of Atlanta, Clergy and Laity Concerned, Sane/Freeze, Alternative Life Paths, and Georgia Public Assistance Coalition. He received a B.A. from Berry College in Rome, GA, holds a Master of Divinity from Emory University, and has completed some work towards a Doctor of Ministry from Emory University.
Vice-Chair: Reverend Dr. Robert P. Shine, Sr.
Dr. Shine is the Pastor and Founder of Berachah Baptist Church in the West Oak Lane section of Philadelphia, where he has been the Pastor for seventeen years. Dr. Shine is a very well respected, visible church and community leader throughout the Philadelphia area. He is the President of the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity and President of the Pennsylvania State Wide Coalition of Black Clergy. He is the chairman of the African American Association for Corporate Responsibility, (AAACR) and chairman and Charter member of the World Communications Charter School.
Dr. Shine is the Chairman of the Board of Manna bible Institute. Dr. Shine is a member of the Philadelphia Police Advisory Commission, (PAC), a member of the Board of the Campus Boulevard Corporation, (CBC), he's a member of the Advisory Board of the Barrister's Association of Philadelphia. He is also a member of the Philadelphia Association of Catholic Religious Investors, (PACRI). U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) appointed Dr. Shine as Congressional Black Caucus Chaplain and the National Association of Black State Legislators appointed him to head their Church and Clergy Division.
Sharon Lettman, Vice President for External Affairs
In June 2006, Sharon J. Lettman was named the Vice President for External Affairs for People For the American Way Foundation in Washington, DC. She serves also as the Director of National Programs and Outreach, overseeing the leadership development programs of the institution.
Sharon’s career began as the Executive Director of the Florida Student Association—the statewide advocacy organization for the 11 universities in the Florida State University System—where she was the chief administrator and senior lobbyist. She then pursued her entrepreneurial passion and established P&P Communications, Inc.--a Florida-based public affairs group founded in 1993 specializing in communications, public and community relations, political strategy and event management. Sharon has established herself as a public relations and political strategist nationwide.
For the 2004 election cycle, she served as the national field director for the Election Protection Project of People For the America Way Foundation. She led the Election Protection field strategy, which was executed in 17 states with a total of 56 field offices and 25,000 volunteers nationwide.
Personally, she is a motivational speaker and talent scout for young leadership. She donates countless hours to collegiate leadership development in her community, statewide and nationally. She gained most of her experience and focus through her Pan-Hellenic affiliation as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, formerly serving as the National Second Vice President and the national collegiate spokesperson (1990-92). She also served as the Florida Social Action Chairperson and spearheaded Delta Days at the State Capitol from 1995-1999. She is a life member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the FAMU National Alumni Association, and the NAACP.
Sharon’s passion is championing the upward mobility of African Americans and young people, and the power gained from being independently wealthy---spiritually and economically.
Aurelio DuPriest "AD" Givens, Director of African American Ministers Programs
AD Givens is a 1990 graduate of Francis Marion University with a Bachelor's degree in sociology. The Charleston native went on to earn a Master of Divinity degree from Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta and is currently in the final process of defending his dissertation for a Doctor of Ministry. Most recently, he served as the Chief Executive Officer and Director of Ministries for the Abundant Life Prayer, Praise and Worship Center in Camden, South Carolina. He also served as the Director of Multicultural Services for Francis Marion University. Aurelio is involved with a wide range of community and civic organizations, including the Kershaw and Aiken Counties Ministerial Alliance, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Kershaw County Home Health and Hospice Board of Directors, and the NAACP.
Givens was among the student leaders in South Carolina who led in the early protests to bring down the confederate flag in South Carolina. Often behind the scenes, Givens has served as special assistant to the Southeast Regional Director of NAACP, leading and coordinating several direct action campaigns and voter empowerment activities. Givens was humbled to most recently serve as the NAACP's principal organizer for the funeral services for Rosa Parks in Montgomery, Alabama. In addition, he led the coordination of logistics for the official NAACP delegation at the funeral services for Coretta Scott King. As the Chief Operations Officer of Brothers & Sisters United for Change, Inc. (BSUC), a grassroots community organization based in South Carolina whose mission is "Saving Black Youth: One at a Time," he has assisted in leading the expansion of organizing affiliates chapters across the state. Givens spearheads the planning for BSUC's annual Black Family Conference which attracts over 1,000 participants annually. Givens believes in ministry beyond the walls of the church and believes that the church is the empowering force for the people of the village.
Jernell Alexander, Program Planning and Development Manager (S7 Project Manager)
One of the newest additions to the National Programs and Outreach Department, Jernell Alexander develops and builds out programs designed to engage the African American community. Prior to joining PFAW Foundation, she served as the director of marketing and outreach for a housing non-profit organization where she provided strategic marketing outreach and secured funding/sponsorship for innovative housing initiatives. As the former project manager for Delta Academy, a mentoring program for disadvantaged young women in the African American community, she was responsible for program planning, curriculum development, and outreach. Jernell has also provided grassroots outreach for candidates in Maryland and the District of Columbia, and has led local voter registration and mobilization efforts.
She holds an MBA from Howard University School of Business and graduated from Bowie State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing. Ms. Alexander serves on the board of the Montgomery County Delta Alumnae Foundation and is a member of National Black MBA Association.
Nikki R. Hadder, Administrative Manager
Nikki has extensive corporate management skills through her former career in franchise management. She managed 120 employees of various ethnic backgrounds and generated approximately eight million dollars in revenue in 2004. She received a dual degree in Communication Studies and English Writing from Florida State University in 2000. Nikki has worked in community activism for most of her life, beginning in youth with the NAACP. While at Florida State University (FSU), she was an integral component in the revitalization of the FSU College Chapter of the NAACP. The pinnacle of Nikki's social action at FSU was her organization of the Tallahassee youth component of the March on Tallahassee on March 7, 2000 to protest Governor Jeb Bush's One Florida Initiative. As the chapter president, she led her chapter to receive the 2000 Collegiate Chapter of the Year at the NAACP 91st National Convention. Nikki also served on several committees at FSU designed to build a community of inclusion for all students amid social unrest, most notably as the Student Co-Chair of the university's Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration.