DR. MICHAEL W. WATERS

board member

Dr. Michael W. Waters is the founder and lead pastor of the Abundant Life A.M.E. Church in Dallas, Texas. A pastor, professor, author, activist and social commentator, Waters’ words of hope and empowerment inspire national and international audiences. He has appeared on major media broadcasts including ABC Nightline, NBC Nightly News, NPR, and the PBS Newshour and been featured in national print publications, including Essence Magazine, GQ Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. Waters’ five non-fiction and children’s books have garnered multiple national literary awards and his leadership efforts have been formally commended by the White House, the United States House of Representatives, and the Texas Legislative Black Caucus which honored him with an Outstanding Texan Award. He has been further honored with the Dallas Peace and Justice Center’s Peacemaker of the Year Award and Southern Methodist University’s Distinguished Alumni Emerging Leader Award. 

Dr. Waters is co-founder and principal of MYWaters Consulting, LLC, which provides racial equity training and resources to corporations, congregations and schools across the nation. A Democracy Fellow of the Emerson Collective, Dr. Waters is researching storytelling as pedagogy to encourage and strengthen civic action.