Yolanda Pierce is a professor of religion and literature and dean of the Howard University School of Divinity in Washington, D.C. A widely-published author, her work focuses on the historical and contemporary significance of the African American religious tradition. She served as the Founding Director of the Center for African American Religious Life at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, and was honored in 2015 as one of The Root 100 Most Influential African Americans. Pierce works tirelessly to bridge the gaps between pulpit, pew, and academy. A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and a native New Yorker, she was raised in the Church of God in Christ and still maintains a close connection to her Pentecostal roots.