Led by: Rev. AW Shields

March 20 & 27, April 3 & 10

9:30-10:45 a.m. In-person, Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, Room 310

Sponsored by the Anti-Racist Task Group of Pullen

This series will explore a brief history of Christian theology, the prominent thinkers and core tenets of Liberation Theology, and key concepts found in Liberation Theology that also show up in anti-oppression and justice work. These foundations offer a theological and spiritual formation necessary to prepare for engaging justice and anti-oppression work. As we journey through Lent, this series will offer space for meaningful discussion by participants.

Rev. AW Shields MDiv., MSW, LCSW

Rev. AW Shields is the founder of Root Cause Collective, a collective of health and wellness professionals committed to liberative, interdisciplinary and preventative wellness services that center anti-oppressive mental model development. With 10 years’ experience in the mental health field, AW leaned into her experience as a psychotherapist, chaplain, graduate adjunct faculty, and community organizer to found the Root Cause Collective and offer a unique, interdisciplinary approach to anti-oppression model development that pays close attention to the nuanced intersections of social identity, belief systems, and mental health.

Pulling from all her educational experiences—a Master of Divinity from Columbia University, Union Theological Seminary in New York City, a Masters of Social Work from the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work and a certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy from the Denver Family Institute— she specializes in leadership mental health, staff wellness and retention, organizational wellness equity and anti-racist change management for organizations, with a passion for life transition coaching, religious trauma recovery and work/life balance support for individuals clients. She is ordained in the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ.

Heavily involved in community organizing for racial justice, and now spouse of a Deputy Sheriff, AW Shields understands the complexity and nuance of community mental health and wellness support. She has been called upon to respond to a number of crises across the country to offer psychological, spiritual and emotional support for community leaders involved, including but not limited to, the Ferguson Uprising of 2014, the Charlotte Uprising of 2016, Hurricane Harvey in 2017, and Hurricane Florence in 2018. She co-led an affirming LGBTQ+ Christian Support Group through Sanctuary, a non-profit organization that helps churches and individuals welcome the LGBTQ+ community, and currently leads Deborah’s Table, a preventative mental wellness group for Black women who’ve experienced religious and race-based trauma.