Rev. Vanessa R. Cummings

Rev. Vanessa Cummings has always stood up for the rights of others, even when it placed her position or status in jeopardy. As a young child, she recalls asking questions and challenging the history taught in elementary school. While attending the University of Alabama, she fought injustices and participated in a march with the civil rights movement. While working in Alabama, she challenged the discrimination practices of her employer and worked with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the city’s Civil Service Commission to address them. Today, she courageously and quietly helps those who have been victimized or mistreated and also teaches empowerment so others can protect and defend their rights. She is the Assistant Director of Parking and Transportation at Miami University, an Associate Pastor of Bethel AME Church in Lockland, Ohio. She is a past president of the NAACP Chapter in Oxford, and former vice mayor for the City of Oxford, serving in both positions for six years. Her motto is: “What matters most is not the sermon you preach, but the sermon you live.”