OUR LEADERSHIP

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Shardé N. Chapman is an assistant professor of Religious Studies at the University of Detroit Mercy. She teaches courses in African American Religion, as well a Women and Gender Studies. Her current research strategy combines social-scientific methods with black religious thought and critical theory to plumb and bring into view some of the depths, complexity and intricate movements of black religious formation and cultural life. At present, she is working toward her first monograph which links religion to black nerd communities and black cosplay. Her work has been published in the Huffington Post and various blogs addressing religion and hip hop, black women and embodiment, and social justice, and she as been a speaker in a number of capacities included black nerd conventions like BlerDCon, BlerdFest, and Atlantic Comic Con.

Chapman serves the community as an education activist and clergy ordained in the National Baptist Convention. In addition, she has worked with the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools program and the Presbyterian Church USA. Out side of academia she is also a professional photographer and novelist. Her photographic pursuits follow her research as she focuses on the lives and visual stories of black and LGBTQIA folx, particularly black nerds. When she is not working, she is an avid traveler and reader.

Chloe de Souza is delighted to serve as Music Director at Bethel United Church of Christ, where she brings her passion for music and community into the heart of worship. An accomplished pianist and dedicated educator, she is currently a Young Artist with DACAMERA in Houston and a teaching artist for the American Festival for the Arts (AFA).

Her most recent performances include appearances at the Wortham Theater Center, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and The Menil Collection, as well as an acclaimed recital in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. She has also been featured internationally as a concerto soloist and recitalist, with concert tours across India and collaborations with contemporary ensembles in the U.S.

In addition to her work at Bethel, de Souza serves on the music faculty at Texas Southern

University and Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (Kinder HSPVA), and she has taught piano masterclasses and workshops across the United States and abroad. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin Conservatory and a master’s degree from the Eastman School of Music, and is currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts at the Peabody Institute of

Johns Hopkins University.

Whether performing on stage or leading music in worship, de Souza is known for her warm personality, collaborative spirit, and commitment to creating meaningful musical experiences that bring people together.