The Reverend Earle J. Fisher to Serve as Guest Speaker for the Claflin University Fall 2026 Matriculation Day Convocation

The Reverend Earle J. Fisher to Serve as Guest Speaker for the Claflin University Fall 2026 Matriculation Day Convocation

The Reverend Earle J. Fisher, Ph.D., will be the keynote speaker for Claflin University's Fall 2026 Matriculation Day Convocation on Tuesday, September 8, at 11 a.m. at the Whitaker V. Middleton Fine Arts Center. Fisher is a distinguished theologian, author, pastor, professor, and civic leader whose work stands at the intersection of Black faith, prophetic tradition, and grassroots civic engagement. For more than two decades, he has challenged systemic injustice while helping cultivate people-centered power, particularly within Black communities in Memphis, Tenn., and across the country.

Due to limited seating, the Matriculation Day Convocation will be live streamed on Claflin University's official Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/ClaflinUniversity1869/

Fisher serves as senior pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church in Memphis, affectionately known as "The Blackest Church in Memphis and Shelby County." Under his leadership, Abyssinian has emerged as a vital spiritual and social hub committed to theological integrity, radical hospitality, unapologetic Blackness, and community-centered liberation.

Fisher founded UPTheVote901, a nonpartisan voter empowerment initiative focused on political education, civic formation, and sustained engagement among historically disenfranchised communities. Through this work, he has helped mobilize voters, strengthen grassroots networks, and reframe public conversations around Black political power and democratic responsibility.

In the academy, Fisher is an associate professor of Religious Communication and Africana Studies and the inaugural dean of Chapel at LeMoyne-Owen College, where he also provides institutional leadership through the Chapel Soul Sessions. He has taught courses in religion, Africana Studies, ethics, and communication at institutions including Rhodes College, Philander Smith University, Claflin University, Eden Theological Seminary, and Memphis Theological Seminary. His pedagogy is rooted in Black radical traditions and emphasizes Black theology, Africana ethical consciousness, and prophetic ministry.

Fisher is the author of "The Reverend Albert Cleage Jr. and the Black Prophetic Tradition: A Reintroduction of The Black Messiah" (Lexington Books, 2021), which reclaims Cleage's theological and rhetorical legacy within Black liberation theology. His scholarship consistently bridges the academy and the community, illuminating the sacred dimensions of struggle and the political implications of faith. He is currently at work on a new book project, "The Soul of Black Preaching," which explores sermonic militancy, prophetic friendship, and the future of Black preaching.

A sought-after preacher, speaker, and writer, Fisher is known for sermons and public commentary that combine cultural clarity, spiritual depth, and political urgency. His recent chapter, "The Sermonic Militancy of Jeremiah Wright," appears in "Black Prophetic Patriotism" (Lexington Books).

A proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Fisher is, at his core, a devoted family man. He is married to his wife Denise, father to his son Jalen, and "Papa" to Karter Ann "Lil Mama" Fisher.

Whether from the pulpit, the classroom, or the public square, Rev. Earle J. Fisher, Ph.D., remains steadfast in his sacred calling: to help set the captives free.