Originally from the Atlanta Metro Area, Imani K. Bryant is a double alumna of Howard University where she received a bachelor of arts and master of arts in political science. In her undergraduate studies, she focused on the inclusion of Black queer individuals in conceptions of Black Power through the liberation theology framework. In her master's studies, she wrote her thesis on the political theology of white Christian nationalism. As a scholar activist, Imani believes in the power of combining theory with praxis in our imaginations of intersectional justice and liberation.

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As a student at Howard University, she was deeply involved in empowering and advocating for students. After four years of tirelessly advocating for students, Imani was awarded the inaugural Kamala Harris Public Servant Award, the HUSA Department and Director of the Year Awards, and the HUSA Policy Impact Award. 

 

As an academic, Imani focused her undergraduate honors thesis on Black Liberation Theology. This research was focused on the inclusion of Black LBGTQ people within Black Power using the Liberation Theology framework. She focused on this topic because of she is a Black Queer Christian that has experienced firsthand the alienation that can happen between these three identities. Through her work, Imani was recognized as an extraordinarily dedicated academic-in-training and was invited to join Pi Alpha Sigma: the National Political Science Honors Society. 

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Her master's thesis, entitled "Patriotism As Salvation: The Political Theology of White Christian Nationalism", explored how white Christian nationalism operates as a sociopolitical movement. She focused on how it intersects patriarchal norms, racist theology, and capitalist prosperity gospel. She intends to continue this research as a PhD student in the future.

 

Imani has worked as an Associate Project Consultant for CommunityBuild Ventures, where they focused on racial equity and political history research. This work has connected them to many Atlanta-based organizations that want to increase the racial equity analysis in their work. Imani has also worked as a program assistant for justice reform and election integrity at the Friends Committee on National Legislation. They lobbied on to reform the criminal legal system and to protect the fundamental right to vote for all Americans.

 

Currently, Imani is a Senior Associate at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights where she is part of the Census and Data Equity Team. She is also a Youth Organizing Fellow with Americans United. Imani is a self-described “scholar activist” who focuses on political theology and the role of the Christian church in empowering oppressed peoples.