Rev. Dr. Yvette Wilson-Barnes ’97 Introduces Commencement Speaker Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II
Rev. Dr. Yvette Wilson-Barnes ’97 joined the CUNY School of Law as the Associate Dean for Student Affairs after nine years in the same role at Union Theological Seminary.
As the Law School’s Chief Student Affairs Officer, Rev. Dr. Wilson-Barnes provides visionary leadership, administration, coordination, and budgetary/financial oversight of the Office of Student Affairs and the Office of Career Planning.
She facilitates collaboration among Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, and other community partnerships to support students’ personal, social, and professional wellbeing, while creating a culture of belonging where students can thrive.
Rev. Dr. Wilson-Barnes is the former Executive Director of HELPUSA’s HELP Supportive Employment Center (HELPSEC)—a residential program shelter on Wards Island in New York City that served over 200 homeless men and women with histories of substance abuse and mental health conditions. She is also the former Chief Operating Officer of a housing counseling and economic development organization in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
Rev. Dr. Wilson-Barnes is engaged in the study of complex social issues from a sociological, political, legal, and theological lens. She is deeply concerned with how these perspectives affect personal agency and social change. It is her life’s work to empower individuals, communities, and families to act in the service of human needs.
Rev. Dr. Wilson-Barnes has been an ordained clergy leader since 2010. She holds a BA in International Studies: Culture and Communications; an MA in Sociology: Applied Social Research from the City University of New York Queens College; a JD from the City University of New York School of Law; a MDiv from Union Theological Seminary, which involved the study of psychiatry and religion and Social Ethics; and an EdD in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania, where she researched the diversity and inclusivity experiences of students attending progressive graduate theological schools who are deeply committed to diversity and striving to create inclusive campus environments.
Rev. Dr. Wilson-Barnes serves on the board of the Fair Housing Justice Center and formerly served on the board of Barrier Free Living. In 2014, she was honored with the Union Theological Seminary Teaching and Scholarship Trailblazer Award for her “unparalleled commitment to scholarship,” for her guidance and mentorship of students, for her “unwavering commitment to marginalized people across the globe,” and for her “willingness to push faculty, students, and staff beyond any and all limitations.”
Remarks
Good morning! It is so wonderful to be celebrating with all of you – the fierce and auspicious Class of 2021 – you are the authentic embodiment of our law school’s motto: law in the service of human needs.
I have been at CUNY Law as the Associate Dean for Student Affairs for two years and am also a proud alum. During my nine years as the Associate Dean for Student Affairs at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, of which I am also a proud alum, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting and getting to know the Reverend Dr. William Barber, II. I got to know Rev. Dr. Barber as a strategist and catalyst for bringing change in America. Unapologetically and boldly, Rev. Dr. Barber always goes deep into the trenches confronting systemic racism, poverty, and issues of injustices that impact us daily. In the spirit of Rev. Dr. King, Rev. Dr. Barber is unafraid to stand up, speak out, face, challenge, and fight the winds and heat of oppression.
I am profoundly honored to introduce to you our chosen Commencement Speaker, the Rev. Dr. William Barber, II.