Christena Cleveland, Ph.D.

Christena Cleveland, Ph.D. is a social psychologist, public theologian, author, and activist. A weaver of Black liberation and the Divine Feminine, Dr. Cleveland embraces the archetype of the Black Madonna as she guides people of all races and genders into freedom, wholeness, and embodied justice. Her latest book is God Is a Black Woman which details her 400-mile walking pilgrimage across central France in search of ancient Black Madonna statues, and examines the relationship among race, gender, and cultural perceptions of the Divine. In addition to nurturing a virtual, global Black Madonna community, Christena is currently working on her fourth full-length book in which she is exploring the miraculous, liberating, and zany ways that the Black Madonna has protected, empowered, and nourished people around the globe and throughout history. An award-winning researcher and former professor at Duke University’s Divinity School, Christena lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

  • THE BLACK MADONNA
    Hay House, 2026
  • GOD IS A BLACK WOMAN
    HarperOne, 2022