ABOUT
About Me
〰️
About Me 〰️
Hi, My name is neichelle.
I’m Theodore and Della’s daughter. Vivian, Alice and Alvin’s granddaughter. These people were my first visions of love and divine possibility. Together, my parents and my grandparents taught me the importance of having faith, being kind, and bringing the fullness of my heart to everything I do. Between their witness and teachings, I was raised to believe that despite the hardships I may face, God is always there to help me recover and become a wiser and stronger iteration of myself. I have sought to nurture this powerful seed of faith throughout my life.
I am a Womanist theologian and practitioner, which means that Black women are my central and primary demographic of thought, word, and deed. My calling in this world is to inspire and uplift Black women against a backdrop of systemic, social and cultural antiblackness and misogynoir.. I’ve been inspired by the stories of Black women who’ve come before me, and I praise our vastness, deliberateness, and endless expressions of identity. It gives me great pride to participate in a lineage of public proclamation, activism, and social and personal transformation.
I have unapologetically pursued my passions, curiosities, and interests, seeking to create a full and integrated life that brings me joy, fulfillment and satisfaction. For the last 15 years, I have trained and worked in congregational, academic and public square settings. I have pioneered businesses that have enabled me to utilize various materials and methods for telling Black women’s stories. With the help of my community, I’ve overcome divorce, vocational trauma (TM), and difficult forays into the wilderness. Through all of this, I have learned the power of having a compelling vision for my life, and I’ve obtained an awareness of my moral and creative agency to manifest the life that I desire.
That’s Why I’m here.
For years, I have preached sermons, delivered lectures, and facilitated workshops that have aimed to inspire Black women to divest of the detrimental trope of suffering, to cultivate a vision of a beautiful life, and tap into their agency and faith to bring that vision into fruition. I have many years of life and study that inform my approach to coaching Black women who desire to expand into flourishing, healing, and spiritual wellness. I bring my professional experience in the church and the academy to consult with progressive organizations and institutions who are seeking to create safe, bold and nourishing spaces for Black women. If this sounds like you or your organization, please reach out to me. I’d love to chat.
I believe that this is serious, hard, and sacred work. It’s what I was created to do in this world, and I bring my entire heart to it.
On a more personal note, I am avid reader, and I count Zora Neale Hurston, J. California Cooper, and Daniel Black among my favorite writers. I am a fierce advocate of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and a lover of African-American people, history and culture. My musical taste ranges from Anita Baker, Sade, and Beyoncé to Moonchild, Donald Lawrence, and most all 90’s R&B,. I love to exercise, travel, wine, dine, and expand my horizons through learning. I’m a proud of member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, and I live in Atlanta, Georgia with my beautiful, wonderful husband, Olu.
the formalitiesEDUCATION + RECOGNITIONS
EDUCATION
2007 - Bachelor of Arts, Clark Atlanta University
2010 - Master of Divinity, Yale Divinity School
2017 - Doctor of Philosophy (Liturgical Studies, Homiletics Concentration), Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
Completed courses of coaching
2022 - Playing Big with Tara Mohr
2021 - The Coaching Way with Tara Mohr
2021 - Sophia’s Voice with Tara Mohr
2018 - 2019 - Iconic Womanhood Mastermind with Ekene Onu
RECOGNITIONS
2015 - 12 New Faces of Black Leadership, Time Magazine
2015 - Ebony Magazine Power 100
2016 - Ten Women of Faith Leading the Charge Ahead, Sojourners Magazine
2019 - William Sloane Coffin Alumni Award for Faith & Justice, Yale Divinity School
2020 - Inductee, Martin Luther King, Jr. International Chapel Collegium of Scholars, Morehouse College
COACHING CERTIFICATION
2022 - Iconic Womanhood Coaching Certification
MY VALUES
01womanism + Sisterhood
I became a practicing Womanist in seminary. As a womanist, I believe that Black women’s lives are a preeminent source for knowing and speaking of God. Womanism calls me to reckon with the systemic and cultural evils that disproportionately impact Black women and our communities, and to believe in the the God of the miraculous, who has kept and sustained my People over the ages. “Nothing shall be impossible with God,” the Scriptures state. I am grounded and guided by these four tenets of Womanist Theology, as originally articulated by Dr. Stacy Floyd-Thomas.
Furthermore, Womanism has helped me to see that God has worked through community to deliver and heal Black women. I have been healed by the Communion that I share in my sister-circles, and I have a deep reverence for the spiritual power that is harnessed with Black women come together.
02agency & radical subjectivity
Agency is the personal sense of control over one’s actions and outcomes. There are so many things beyond our control, but tapping into a sense of one’s agency allows one to assess what is within the control to transform. I strongly believe that of all the things that our within our control, the ability to choose, to love, and to advocate for ourselves is the highest expression of personal agency.
Radical Subjectivity is the recognition of one ability to live in a posture of refusal to external definitions of who and what they should be, and to all forms of injustice and evil. A sense of radical subjectivity imbues one with the power to self-define, to shape and design one’s desired life and to act courageously on behalf of themselves, their communities, and their causes.
03divine POssibility
I am well aware of the hardships that plague Black women. I, too, struggle to choose a personal narrative of empowerment and growth amidst such detrimental injustice. As a woman of faith, and an actively expanding woman, one of the holiest tasks is maintaining my hope in the Divine Possibilities that are ever present. God is always around. God is always within. There is the unwavering possibility that God will break into the mundane, match and exceed my efforts to grow and heal, and move seemingly immovable factors on my behalf and in my favor. It can happen at any moment. It happens often.
Not always.
But often.
MY VALUES
04
Holistic Wellness & Flourishing
Simply put, wellness is the state of being in good health. From my experience, wellness is an intentional lifestyle and one of the highest forms of self-love. It extends to the choices that are made in the physical, mental, social, emotional, spiritual and vocational arenas of our lives.
Wellness is essential to flourishing, which is defined as “to grow luxuriantly; to thrive.” I believe that flourishing is the birthright of all Black women, and that it is possible to flourish admidst and after devastating circumstances. It takes work and effort, and it begins by cultivating a centered, vibrant interior life. It begins with clarity about one’s beliefs and values, and a generative relationship to the stories that we tell ourselves. With the right tools and accountability across various arenas of our lives, we begin to flourish when our lives become more intentional and integrated across the full spectrum of our lives.
05
personal expansion
I know what it feels like to feel “stuck.” In my life, anytime I’ve felt immobilized, uninspired, lost, or “broken,” I have found my way forward by leaning into my curiosity, getting out of my comfort zone, and expanding beyond my familiar. I’ve found my way forward by reevaluating my belief systems, releasing the beliefs that I’ve outgrown, and incorporating ideas that promote healing and wholeness.
There is a power to returning to the heart space of a student, and even to a child, and actively seeking adventure and awe everyday. I see every experience and encounter as an opportunity to learn something new, to broaden my perspective, to deepen my relationship with myself and others, and to take up even more space.
06
fun & enjoyment of life
At all costs and at all times, enjoy your life.
Create moments of reverie and joy. Laugh. Dance. Sing. Eat. Keep sabbath. Take the trip. Be with your people. Love. Learn. Recover.
Then, do it all again.