Uploaded April 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Reverend Dr. Jacqui Lewis is the first black and female senior minister at the multicultural Collegiate Church in Manhattan which was founded in 1628. In this episode of The Thread, Jacqui Lewis describes the formative years in her church-based family as “idyllic.” She recalls how it was not until kindergarten that she ever heard the “N-word.” Rather than allowing her to feel shame, her mother reacted by teaching her that it was “silly” to treat people badly if they were different in color or creed. Jacqui Lewis poignantly recalls the tragic assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, when she was only nine years old. This "killing of love" was her entry into the world of activism that has since informed her life’s work and led to her calling as a minister, a best-selling author and one of the nation’s most prominent progressive pastors.
Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Lewis is Senior Minister at Middle Collegiate Church in New York City and is the first African American and first woman to serve in that position, which dates to 1628. A graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary and Drew University, she is the creator of the MSNBC online show Just Faith, and the PBS show Faith and Justice, in which she led important conversations about culture and current events. Dr. Lewis is an activist, preacher, and fierce advocate for racial equality, economic justice, and LGBTQIA+ equality. Her activism for these issues has been featured in media such as The Today Show, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Essence, and The Huffington Post. In addition Dr. Lewis is the author of several books including, The Power of Stories: A Guide for Leading Multi-racial, and Multicultural Congregations (2008), 10 Essential Strategies to Grow a Multiracial, Multicultural Congregation (2018), the children’s book, You Are So Wonderful! (2020) and Fierce Love: A Bold Path to Ferocious Courage and Rule-Breaking Kindness That Can Heal the Word (2022).
Subscribe for access to interviews, series, films, and educational materials that address issues of social justice, history, politics, the arts, and culture by spotlighting relatable human stories of purpose and meaning. Learn about our work and how to support our mission here: lifestories.org/. For extended versions of these interviews and more, visit: youtube.com/@lifestoriesinterviewarchive
To teach using this episode go to: lifestories.org/learning/the-thread-2024
Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/lifestoriesdotorg
Chapter Markers:
00:00 - Opening
00:38 - Childhood
02:31 - Perfectionism
03:22 - Kindergarten Lessons and Racism
06:37 - Turning to Prayer
07:36 - Journey of Making Amends
10:42 - Wisdom from Pain
12:05 - Becoming An Activist
17:09 - Importance of Activists
19:21 - Overcoming Childhood Wounds
23:27 - Fierce Love
28:01 - Becoming A Person of the Cloth
29:28 - “We're the ones we've been waiting for.”
31:37 - Sharing Wisdom
Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Lewis, Author & Activist
Interviewed By: Nancy Steiner
Interview Date: October 13, 2022
© Kunhardt Film Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
#RevDrJacquelineLewis #lifestories
Reverend Dr. Jacqui Lewis is the first black and female senior minister at the multicultural Collegiate Church in Manhattan which was founded in 1628. In this episode of The Thread, Jacqui Lewis describes the formative years in her church-based family as “idyllic.” She recalls how it was not until kindergarten that she ever heard the “N-word.” Rather than allowing her to feel shame, her mother reacted by teaching her that it was “silly” to treat people badly if they were different in color or creed. Jacqui Lewis poignantly recalls the tragic assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, when she was only nine years old. This "killing of love" was her entry into the world of activism that has since informed her life’s work and led to her calling as a minister, a best-selling author and one of the nation’s most prominent progressive pastors.
Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Lewis is Senior Minister at Middle Collegiate Church in New York City and is the first African American and first woman to serve in that position, which dates to 1628. A graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary and Drew University, she is the creator of the MSNBC online show Just Faith, and the PBS show Faith and Justice, in which she led important conversations about culture and current events. Dr. Lewis is an activist, preacher, and fierce advocate for racial equality, economic justice, and LGBTQIA+ equality. Her activism for these issues has been featured in media such as The Today Show, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Essence, and The Huffington Post. In addition Dr. Lewis is the author of several books including, The Power of Stories: A Guide for Leading Multi-racial, and Multicultural Congregations (2008), 10 Essential Strategies to Grow a Multiracial, Multicultural Congregation (2018), the children’s book, You Are So Wonderful! (2020) and Fierce Love: A Bold Path to Ferocious Courage and Rule-Breaking Kindness That Can Heal the Word (2022).
Subscribe for access to interviews, series, films, and educational materials that address issues of social justice, history, politics, the arts, and culture by spotlighting relatable human stories of purpose and meaning. Learn about our work and how to support our mission here: lifestories.org/. For extended versions of these interviews and more, visit: youtube.com/@lifestoriesinterviewarchive
To teach using this episode go to: lifestories.org/learning/the-thread-2024
Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/lifestoriesdotorg
Chapter Markers:
00:00 - Opening
00:38 - Childhood
02:31 - Perfectionism
03:22 - Kindergarten Lessons and Racism
06:37 - Turning to Prayer
07:36 - Journey of Making Amends
10:42 - Wisdom from Pain
12:05 - Becoming An Activist
17:09 - Importance of Activists
19:21 - Overcoming Childhood Wounds
23:27 - Fierce Love
28:01 - Becoming A Person of the Cloth
29:28 - “We're the ones we've been waiting for.”
31:37 - Sharing Wisdom
Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Lewis, Author & Activist
Interviewed By: Nancy Steiner
Interview Date: October 13, 2022
© Kunhardt Film Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
#RevDrJacquelineLewis #lifestories
