Russell E. Thornhill, in fulfilling the requirements for an EdD in Educational and Professional Practice, has written and published a dissertation titled Loving-Learning-Leading-Living: A Scholarly Personal Narrative of a Black Gay Father.
Thornhill employs Scholarly Personal Narrative to examine Black gay fatherhood at the intersection of faith, family, and social justice. He weaves his lived experience as a parent and faith leader with social justice leadership, liberation theology, transformative learning theory, and lived-experience scholarship. Through thematic reflections and critical incident analysis, Thornhill highlights the resilience and leadership of Black Gay fathers as essential architects of justice-oriented change. He illustrates how Black gay fathers practice resilience, love, and community care while navigating church contexts and broader sociocultural forces. He argues for concrete reforms, including policy shifts, inclusive curricula, and intentional recognition of marginalized identities, in academic, institutional, and theological settings, positioning Black gay fathers as vital leaders in justice-oriented change.
Thornhill serves as full-time faculty at Antioch University Los Angeles and co-directs the Bridge Program, a zero-tuition initiative expanding access to higher education for historically excluded communities. A progressive theologian and social justice educator, he is an ordained minister and Elder in the Unity Fellowship Church Movement Global Ministries and previously served as CEO of the Minority AIDS Project in Los Angeles. He is also recognized as a Point BIPOC Scholar.
Read and download Thornhill’s dissertation, Loving-Learning-Leading-Living: A Scholarly Personal Narrative of a Black Gay Father, here.
