Earning a Master of Arts in Theology & Ministry and a Doctor of Letters from Drew
March 2026 – Sharon Kimberly Williams T’19, G’22 has recently published her first book, titled Breath, Voice, Fire, a compilation of three creative nonfiction essays written in response to the rise of anti-Black violence and the existential crisis of blackness currently at the forefront of social unrest in America.
Williams earned a Master of Arts in Theology & Ministry from Drew Theological School and a Doctor of Letters from Drew’s Caspersen School of Graduate Studies. She is a Clinical Lecturer of Religion and Cultures and Director of Peace and Justice Studies at Iona University where she specializes in interdisciplinary courses in religion and cultures developed from the Africana, Black Church, and global south traditions.
The concept of Williams’ book is based on a creative writing trope (breath, voice, fire) that connects the violence as a result of anti-Black racism to the notion of systemic racism in America. Her work contrasts literature from the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Lives Matter movement, Russian literature, biblical narrative, and postmodern existentialist philosophy to construct an understanding of the zeitgeist or the “spirit of the times” with rare insight.
Breath, Voice, Fire is ideal for scholars of African American studies, theology, philosophy, and literature; educators teaching about race, justice, or narrative; activists and community leaders; and readers seeking a work that engages the present moment with honesty and artistry.
Williams’ work focuses on the intersectionality of race, class, and gender. Her clinical research training was completed at Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School through a partnership with Drew’s Religion and Global Health Forum, where she served as a doctoral research associate.
Williams’ was recently featured on the Collegium Booster Shot podcast, where she details the premise of her book in detail.
