Although the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is the most well-known Black leader who emerged from the Black church, he is among a legion of Black leaders rooted in the church.
L. Michelle Smith, a TCU alum and former member of the Bob Schieffer College of Communication Board of Visitors, has examined how the Black church shapes people in her book, “Call and Response – 10 Leadership Lessons from the Black Church.”
Smith will discuss how the Black church makes leaders who are heart-centered, courageous, emotionally intelligent, innovative and masters of building community during a talk on Feb. 17 in the Robert Carr Chapel.
“These are the kinds of leaders we need today,” Smith said. “No matter what color you are.”
Smith interviewed 155 successful Black leaders, 76% of whom attributed their leadership skills to lessons learned in the Black church.
Cynt Marshall, the former CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, and Carla Harris, a senior client advisor at Morgan Stanley, were among the leaders Smith interviewed.
Smith also wants to give students a chance to voice their feelings at the event and why they do or do not go to a physical church. She plans to take that information to ministries to see how they will respond.
Smith believes some of the biggest things young people can benefit from are a church setting, which creates meaningful human connections, community and collaboration with their peers across generations.
Rev. Dr. Shonda R. Jones, the executive vice president and academic dean of the Brite Divinity School, said she and Smith attended TCU together.
Jones founded TCU’s Word of Truth Ministries gospel choir, which Smith sang in as a student. At the time, it was directed by Fort Worth resident and popular gospel musician Kirk Franklin.
In addition to learning about leadership, Jones said she hopes her friendship with Smith will help students understand the “power of connection and friendship as TCU alums.”
Jones hopes that TCU students will be able to connect with other students and make meaningful relationships, even if life takes them on different paths. She believes that Smith and she showing their relationship in person as impactful leaders will inspire students to do the same.