Desiree McCray entered the world, hailing from Chicago, Illinois. A womanist scholar and writer, she channels her creativity into crafting poetry and scholarly research, delving into themes of race, gender, class, and the intersection of black religion and culture. She has presented “Black Women and Unintelligible Grief: Faith that Moves Us Forward” at Princeton Theological Seminary and the Race, Religion and Social Justice Conference by Tri-Faith Initiative and the University of Nebraska-Omaha. McCray also will engage as a scholar presenting independent research at the Black Feminist Symposium themed “Count It All Joy” hosted by the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee on the topic “Combating Black Trauma Porn: Black Joy as Resistance" (February 2024).

In addition, McCray released two collections of poems: "Hope Among Other Foods" (2021) and "Send A Refreshing" (2023). Their womanist work is forthcoming in "Femme Literati: Mixtape Anthology for Black Women Edition Three," "Gal's Guide Anthology," and "RAGE Zine." Her chapbook "My Sisters Look Like God" (June 2024) is highly anticipated with Abode Press. Armed with a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Missouri--Columbia (2018), McCray serves as a writer, minister of justice, and educator.

Desiree McCray (she/her/they/them) is a passionate and versatile professional who combines their skills and experience in writing, job placement services, trauma-informed pastoral care, community relations, and creative ideation to empower job seekers and faith communities. With over 10 years of preaching and over 5 years of working in the not-for-profit industry, Desiree has a proven track record of creating social impact and delivering dynamic messages.

Follow Des

Substack & IG: @blaccwhoaman

Pod: Prophetic Sista Girl