The 40th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Breakfast

A third-generation warrior for civil and human rights, Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, III, has built his ministry on community advancement and racial and social justice activism. As Senior Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Ill., since 2008, Dr. Moss routinely preaches and practices a Black theology that unapologetically calls attention to the problems of mass incarceration, environmental justice, and economic inequality.

Dr. Moss’ latest book project, Dancing in the Darkness: Spiritual Lessons for Thriving in Turbulent Times, released in November 2022, has been lauded as a “life-affirming guide to the practical, political, and spiritual challenges of our day.” Utilizing the scholarship of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Howard Thurman, alongside biblical texts, a bevy of religious traditions, Black culture, and his own personal experiences, Dr. Moss offer up a methodology on performing spiritual resistance by uniting two pillars of his ministry: love and justice.

Dr. Moss is part of a generation of ministers committed to preaching a prophetic message of love and justice, which he believes are inseparable companions that form the foundation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As part of his community engagement through Trinity United Church of Christ, Dr. Moss is currently providing vision for an ongoing-multi-year social project in Chicago called Imani Village. The goal of Imani Village is to develop and build a physical and social community at 95th & Cottage Grove, gateway to Chicago’s Pullman Community. The project is designed to provide all of the components a community would need to be whole, including a medical health center, lodging for tourists, housing for multiple generations, multiple options for fresh food and vegetables, and a sports and recreation center.

Host or Publisher Hartford Alumnae, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.