Duke Divinity School will hold a public lecture, "Not Without Sanctuary: Black Church Studies in the Digital Age," by Melva L. Sampson, assistant professor of preaching and practical theology at Wake Forest University School of Divinity in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Rev. Dr. Sampson holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Religion with a concentration in homiletics from Emory University. Her research interests include Black preaching women’s embodiment, African heritage spiritual traditions, Black girls’ ritual performance, and the relationship between digital proclamation and spiritual formation.

She is a leading practitioner in digital Black religion and is the creator of Pink Robe Chronicles™, an online spiritual gathering that circumvents interlaced oppressive religious structures, doctrines, and theologies. In October 2022, the Smithsonian National Museum for African American History and Culture acquired and accessioned artifacts from Pink Robe Chronicles into their collection.

Rev. Dr. Sampson has taught at Emory University and the Interdenominational Theological Center. She is currently working on her first book-length project entitled, Going Live: Black Women Preaching in the Digital Age.