Rev. Joanne M. Braxton, PhD

A fourth generation Lakelander, Joanne M. Braxton, PhD, is an ordained minister in the Southern Conference of the United Church of Christ on assignment to the Braxton Institute for Sustainability, Resiliency and Joy, where she serves as president of the board. Dr. Braxton is also Professor Emeritus at William and Mary, the oldest university in the South, and Adjunct Professor of Family and Community Medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School. Braxton is a member of the Society for the Study of Black Religion, the Association of American Medical Colleges Fundamental Role of the Arts and Humanities in Medical Education (FRAHME) Initiative and a Fellow of the Hastings Center for Bioethics, among other organizations and societies. She curates and moderates the Braxton Institute Community Dialogues on Resisting and Thriving and facilitates workshops and trainings in contemplative practice, reflective writing and the cultivation of moral resiliency. Dr. Braxton received the “Recognition of a Warrior” from the Weyanoke Association for Red-Black History and Culture, where she is known as Mama Sage, as she is also known in healing circles.