Danté Stewart is an essential voice speaking and writing on the intersections of faith, race, and social justice in contemporary America. His book Shoutin’ in the Fire: An American Epistle chronicles his spiritual and intellectual development and the radicalizing effect of white evangelical silence in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. As a critic and essayist, Stewart regularly appears in national publications and networks like Time, The Atlantic, ESPN, and CNN. I’m proud that Tupelo Quarterly Journal is the home of his first publication in poetry. In these poems, you’ll find the vulnerable, personal, essayistic voice also present in his prose along with the lyricism and perception that he brings to his work as a minister. Introducing a new poet is an honor and a moment to celebrate. Welcome, Rev. Stewart.
Rev. Danté Stewart is the author of Shoutin’ in the Fire: An American Epistle. He is an award-winning writer, whose work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Atlantic, New York Times, the Washington Post, TIME, ESPN, Andscape, Oxford American, Sojourners, NPR, CNN, MSNBC, and more. His forthcoming ESPN essay on what football means to one small Black rural town is being produced into an ESPN documentary, on which Danté also serves as a writer. He is a sought-after voice on matters of faith, heartbreak, justice and the power of telling the stories that matter and has spoken on these issues for NPR on several occasions. Named by Georgia Writers Association as “Georgia Writer of the Year”; by The Center for American Progress as one of “22 Faith Leaders to Watch in 2022”; and by Religion News Service as one of “Ten Up-And-Coming Faith Influencers.” He received his B.A. in Sociology from Clemson University and his MTS from The Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. He is an ordained minister, and lives with his wife and children in Georgia.