About D. Danyelle Thomas
IF I DIDN’T DEFINE MYSELF FOR MYSELF, I WOULD BE CRUNCHED INTO OTHER PEOPLE’S FANTASIES FOR ME AND EATEN ALIVE.
— AUDRE LORDE
D. Danyelle Thomas, MPP is a public theologian, speaker, spiritualist, and cultural strategist reimagining faith at the crossroads of Black liberation, religious deconstruction, and ancestral wisdom.
She is the founder of Unfit Christian, a digital faith movement for those reclaiming the sacred beyond fear, empire, and respectability.
“I don’t translate for empire. I disrupt it.”
🔥 The Work
Danyelle’s work confronts the religious harm caused by white supremacy, patriarchy, and institutional control. In its place, she offers a liberating vision of faith—rooted in culture, memory, and the sacred rhythms of Black life.
She creates space for those who have always felt something divine but lacked the language to name it. Through writing, speaking, and storytelling, she gives spiritually curious Black folks the clarity, courage, and sacred permission to come home to themselves.
“I show what else is possible when holiness is rooted in freedom—not fear.”
📣 As Seen In
Her commentary on Black spirituality and liberation has been featured in:
Essence, Rolling Stone, HuffPost, The Root, Ebony, Sojourners, Religion News Service, and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
🎓 Credentials That Hit
Danyelle holds a Master of Public Policy and a B.A. in Africana Studies from Georgia State University. Her scholarship and street-sense are fused with Spirit, making her voice equally at home in lecture halls, pulpits, and protest lines.
Her debut book, The Day God Saw Me as Black (Row House Publishing), was released on October 29, 2024 and is already shaping the next wave of conversations on faith, identity, and divine belonging.
📬 Work With Danyelle
Ready to invite Danyelle to speak, moderate, or co-create an event with your community or organization? Tap here or email her at speak[at]unfitchristian.com