Reverend Dr. Timothy Tyler
Pastor of Shorter Community African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church Denver, CO Award Year: 2021As Pastor of Shorter Community African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, Dr. Timothy Tyler leads one of the largest Black congregations in Colorado. During the Great Recession, he created an economic empowerment program and raised money for Black families struggling to eat or pay their bills. He continues to focus on social and economic justice. As the son of parents who worked with Medgar Evers at the NAACP, he was taught from an early age about the importance of protest. He led the fight for justice for Marvin Booker, a homeless man who was unjustly killed by Sheriff’s deputies in a Denver jail in 2010. He also helped train and counsel a new generation of Freedom Riders who went to Ferguson, Missouri following Michael Brown’s death. Dr. Tyler engages the church in advancing racial justice, including the Black Lives Matter movement, as a testament to his belief that the church and community are called to work together for social justice. Dr. Tyler serves on a community advisory committee for the Denver District Attorney.
Dr. Tyler is using his award to support the work of Race Talk University, a community that is designed to teach people of all races how to lead their networks, friends and colleagues in talking about race, racism and white supremacy with the goal of creating new cultural systems that are equitable.
He also upgraded his production studio with state-of-the-art equipment that enables Race Talk to continue its mission on social platforms. Race Talk’s speakers have included Senator Raphael Warnock, Mr. Bakari Sellers, and Rev. Traci Blackmon.