Jennifer Chapman grew up in Washington DC. She is a 4th-generation Baha’i and currently serves as chair of the local governing council of the Baha’is of Washington DC that has been guiding efforts to address issues of race more deeply and proactively across the activities of the Baha’i and wider DC community. She works as a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Children’s National Hospital, where she serves as a faculty advisor to the hospital-wide Building Equity Initiative, and as an assistant professor of pediatrics at George Washington University School of Medicine. And always, she acknowledges with gratitude her diplomat father and Baha’i mother for instilling in her the passionate belief in the oneness of all people.
Rev. Freeman L. Palmer serves as Conference Minister for the Central Atlantic Conference United Church of Church. Rev Palmer began this call in February 2019 after serving nine years as Associate Conference Minister, Congregational Development, for the New York Conference of the United Church of Christ. Originally from Washington DC, Rev. Palmer is a second career minister, attending Seminary after a fifteen-year career with CBS Inc. After graduating from Georgetown Day High School in Washington, Rev. Palmer’s educational background includes a BA in Economics from Swarthmore College, an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and an M.Div. with honors from New York Theological Seminary. He lives in Baltimore with his spouse Donal and their new puppy, Pooh.
Yolanda Savage-Narva has twenty years’ experience working with public agencies and non-profit organizations to promote equitable access to public health, eldercare and pedestrian safety. She is a Centers for Disease Control (CDC)-trained public health specialist who has led community-based efforts in community health assessments for Indian Health Service, public education for the Alzheimer’s Association, pedestrian safety and advocacy for America Walks, and health equity for the National Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. Yolanda was also the Executive Director of Operation Understanding DC, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting understanding, cooperation, and respect while fighting to eradicate racism, anti-Semitism and all forms of discrimination.
In Yolanda’s current role she is leading the Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (REDI) work for the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ). She is also a member of the JewVNation cohort, a fellowship sponsored by the URJ, a 2019 Schusterman Fellow, a vice-chair of the Religious Action Center’s (RAC) Commission on Social Action, a co-chair of the Racial Justice equity committee for the RAC, a Fellow of the Federation of Greater Washington, a member of Temple Micah in Washington, D.C. and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority; an international Black sorority dedicated to community service and education.
Yolanda is a graduate of Tougaloo College (Sociology) and has a master’s degree in education from Jackson State University.
In her spare time Yolanda loves being outdoors, reading, birdwatching, playing sports and traveling with her family.
Imam Talib Shareef is President and Imam of the historic, Nation’s Mosque, Masjid Muhammad, in Washington, D.C. Imam Shareef is a retired U.S. Air Force member with 30+ years of service. He has a Doctorate Degree from Global Oved Dei Seminary and University, an MBA from American Intercontinental University, a Diploma from the Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University, and the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in Arabic and Middle East studies.
Imam Shareef served as Imam in five U.S. cities and seven military locations around the world. He is a former President and Chairman of the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington. Imam Shareef received the highest Royal Medal and honor from His Majesty Mohammed VI, the King of Morocco for his outstanding interfaith leadership. He was the first Imam with military service to open a session of the U.S. Congress. Among his many honors, he was recognized for his service by President Obama at the White House, offered the opening prayer on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for the 50th Anniversary of Dr. King’s March on Washington and spoke at Sojourner Douglass College memorial honoring human rights activist, Coretta Scott King. Imam Shareef and wife, Tahirah, have three children, seven grandchildren, are custodial parents of three others and have fostered several children.