International African American Museum Appoints Dr. Harry H. Singleton III as New Lilly Director of Faith-Based Education and Engagement

June 5, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: IAAM’s New Faith-Based Director Dr. Harry H. Singleton III

Contact: Paul Holston, Marketing & Communications Manager at [email protected]; IAAM Marketing Division at [email protected].

International African American Museum Appoints Dr. Harry H. Singleton III as New Lilly Director of Faith-Based Education and Engagement

Charleston, S.C. — Effective June 2, the International African American Museum (IAAM) formally announces the appointment of Dr. Harry H. Singleton III as its new Lilly Director of Faith-Based Education and Engagement. Dr. Singleton is a distinguished scholar and activist with a career dedicated to bridging the racial gap in America through liberating faith and bringing a profound depth of experience to this pivotal position.

“After an intentional and thorough search, I am so excited to welcome Dr. Singleton to the museum as team member and colleague,” said IAAM’s Chief Learning and Engagement Officer Malika N. Pryor. “Dr. Singleton brings a wealth of experience, wisdom and energy to the position of Lilly Director of Faith-Based Education and Engagement, and I look forward to all that he will do and that we will do together to deepen and expand the role of spirituality and faith traditions in the African American and African Diasporic journeys. We are so grateful to the Lilly Endowment for their support, not only of this position, but of the museum’s efforts to engage faith communities and elevate critical history.”

A native of Conway, South Carolina, Dr. Singleton is a scholar of religion whose work is rooted in the Black liberation tradition, focusing on deconstructing theological perspectives that sanction oppression and solidifying Christian theology’s task of establishing human liberation.

Prior to his appointment, Dr. Singleton served in the African American Studies and Religious Studies departments at the University of South Carolina, his alma mater, since 2013. He has taught cross-listed courses such as Religions of the African Diaspora, Martin King and Malcolm X – Religion and Human Liberation, Social Justice and Religion, and Introduction to African American Religion, all demonstrating his commitment to faith seeking justice. In 2021, he was appointed to the President’s Commission on University History, which was tasked with examining the university’s racial past and recommending names for campus buildings. This commission’s efforts led to the naming of the first building in the university’s history after an African American, Celia Dial Saxon.

Dr. Singleton’s extensive academic career also includes 22 years at Benedict College, where he achieved the rank of Full Professor and served as Religion/Philosophy Program Coordinator and Faculty/Staff Representative to the Board of Trustees. During his tenure as Religion/Philosophy Division Chair, he expanded course offerings to include African American Religious History, Black/Womanist Theology, and the Religious Thought of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X. He holds a Bachelor of Science in statistics from the University of South Carolina, a Master of Divinity from The Morehouse School of Religion of the Interdenominational Theological Center, and a Doctor of Philosophy from The Graduate Theological Union.

“The adoption of a faith that liberates sits at the heart of the African Diasporic experience,” said Dr. Singleton. “I look forward to sharing my knowledge of that faith as we celebrate the richness of the Diaspora in the quest for authentic human freedom and steady ourselves for the challenges that lay ahead.”

Dr. Singleton’s public recognitions include the Modjeska Simkins Leadership Award from the South Carolina Conference of the NAACP, a citation from the Baltimore City Council for his consultant work with the NAACP, Who’s Who Among American Teachers, the National Council of Negro Women’s Trailblazer Award, the Renaissance Foundation’s Passing The Torch Award, and the key to his hometown of Conway.  _____________________________________________________________________________

About the International African American Museum

The International African American Museum (IAAM) explores the history, culture, and impact of the African American journey on Charleston, South Carolina, the nation, and the world, shining light and sharing stories of the diverse journeys, origin, and achievements of descendants of the African Diaspora. Located at the historically sacred site of Gadsden’s Wharf, IAAM honors the untold stories of the African American journey. Learn more at www.iaamuseum.organd follow IAAM on Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, TikTok, andLinkedIn.