Civil rights leader Jay Augustine joins PartnersGlobal’s Board of Directors

  November 4, 2020

The Reverend Dr. Jonathan C. Augustine—pastor, lawyer, author, and renowned national civil rights leader—has joined PartnersGlobal’s Board of Directors, bringing timely insights as the organization looks to unite its international work with US-based networks working for racial justice, police reform and national peacebuilding.

“Jay brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our Board,” says PartnersGlobal President & CEO Julia Roig. “Increasingly, we are reminded that the challenges around justice, equity, and inclusion that we encounter in our work abroad are still all too present here at home. We look forward to Jay’s contributions as we make new connections and find common purpose with those tackling these challenges in the US.”

Based in Durham, NC, Augustine serves as the senior pastor of St. Joseph AME Church and as national chaplain of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. His ministry is filled with a history of leadership and service in addressing some of the 21st century’s most pressing social issues, bringing the church into the community and the community into the church. Immediately prior to his assignment at St. Joe’s, Augustine was senior pastor of Historic St. James AME Church in New Orleans, the birthplace of African Methodism in the Deep South and oldest predominately Black, Protestant church in the city. He was also an adjunct law professor at Southern University.

Among his many achievements in advancing civil rights in the US, Augustine successfully represented a class of plaintiffs in Carter v. St. Helena Parish School Board, one of the oldest desegregation cases in the country, which was originally filed by Thurgood Marshall, then-counsel for the NAACP. In 2016, he received President Barack Obama’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in civil rights and community leadership.

As the newest member of the PartnersGlobal Board of Directors, Augustine says he looks forward to working collaboratively toward the continued implementation of peacebuilding models to sustain democracies around the world.

“It’s a delight to join such an amazing team of experienced professionals in working to support PartnersGlobal, both internationally and domestically, in building capacity for democratic operations and conflict management. I believe my experience and perspectives will be an asset to the team’s mission.” he says.

Augustine earned an economics degree from Howard University, along with an active duty commission as a U.S. Army infantry officer. Following four years of decorated military service, he earned his Juris Doctorate from Tulane University and served as a law clerk to Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice (then-Associate) Bernette Joshua Johnson. He later earned his Master of Divinity from United Theological Seminary, as a Beane Fellow and National Rainbow-PUSH Foundation Coalition Scholar, before completing a fellowship at Princeton Theological Seminary. Augustine also earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from Duke University.

About PartnersGlobal

PartnersGlobal is working to transform the way we collectively approach building a more peaceful and democratic world. Our efforts across the globe bring diverse actors together—government officials, civil society leaders, activists, bilateral donors, security forces, international organizations, and businesses, among others—to build trusting relationships and collaborate on common goals.

Read more about Jay here: https://www.jayaugustine.com/