Raphael Gamaliel Warnock

United States Senator, US Senate
Atlanta, Georgia

Senator Warnock was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate in the January 5, 2021, special election runoff, and took the oath of office on January 20, 2021. Senator Warnock is a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, where he chairs the important Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade, as well as the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, where he chairs the key Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection subcommittee; Senator Warnock also serves on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, the Senate Aging Committee, and the bicameral Joint Economic Committee. He also serves as senior pastor at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, which is the spiritual home of The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A preacher known for his activism and voice in the public square, Dr. Raphael Warnock is the author of The Divided Mind of the Black Church: Theology, Piety & Public Witness (NYU Press, 2014). Before coming to EBC, “America’s Freedom Church,” Warnock was blessed to study and serve within the pastoral ranks of leading congregations also known for their deep spiritual roots and strong public witness. Warnock holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Morehouse College and a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. Warnock continued his graduate studies at Union, receiving a Master of Philosophy degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in the field of systematic theology.

My Truth

I want to develop a set of strategies and networks that will catalyze a national, multi-faith movement to end mass incarceration in the United States of America. I aim to build on the work that my church is already doing in this area, as we have coordinated various entities of our local county government in massive one-day criminal arrest record expungement events in our church, changing the lives of hundreds of citizens who were previously barred from housing and employment opportunities. Those in the interfaith community are uniquely positioned to draw upon their ancient traditions, moral vocabulary and the institutional strength of collective witness to address this human rights catastrophe in a way commensurate to the depth of the problem.

Stories featuring Raphael Gamaliel Warnock

Group of Ascend Fellows at Wind Cave National Park
My heart is filled with love and gratitude for the courageous community of leaders our Ascend at the Aspen Institute team works with everyday.  And I am simply delighted to share our Ascend at the Aspen Institute Impact & Inspiration Report. In this magazine-style 2022 Impact & Inspiration Report, you will meet just a few of those inspiring …

2022 Ascend Impact & Inspiration Report Read More »

PublicationFebruary 14, 2023
With eyes wide open and steady resolve, the importance of leadership, courage, and conviction can’t be understated. We need leaders to pull us into a post-pandemic world, crack the walls of systemic racism so they come crashing down, and build a society that collaborates to create opportunity for those often blocked from it. Reimagining a …

The Time Is Always Right To Do What Is Right Read More »

BlogJanuary 14, 2021
This letter was shared with our Ascend Fellows, Network Partners, and community.  Hello Ascenders:    Today is exactly one week since nearly 160 million Americans cast their vote. This will go down as one of the most historic and hotly contested presidential elections our nation has ever seen. In the face of unprecedented challenges, people, especially Black, Brown and Indigenous …

Our Collective Challenge and Opportunity Has Never Been Greater  Read More »

BlogNovember 10, 2020
Presented by the Aspen Institute in partnership with the Atlantic, in its 15th year, the Aspen Ideas Festival is the nation’s premier, public gathering place for leaders from around the globe and across many disciplines to present and discuss the ideas and issues that both shape our lives and challenge our times. Ascend has had the honor …

Ascending at the 2019 Aspen Ideas Festival Read More »

BlogJuly 12, 2019
Kwame AnkuChairman and CEOBlack Star Fund Sacramento, CAMy Vision – The problem I am focusing on solving is breaking the economic disparity cycle afflicting people of the African diaspora. I call my bold vision 100X100. It is a vision of 100 Black investment managers who will each manage $100M innovation funds by 2025. I believe we …

2018 Ascend Fellow Action Plans Read More »

Ascend FellowshipJune 19, 2019
Ascend at the Aspen Institute and GOOD+ Foundation convened fathers, researchers, thought leaders, policymakers, and social service program leaders to explore the father factor – a critical link in building strong families and communities – at the end of November 2018. Reverend Dr. Raphael Gamaliel Warnock, Ascend Fellow, and senior pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church …

Dreams Don’t Work Unless We Do Read More »

BlogJanuary 18, 2019
2018 Ascend Fellows
NEWS RELEASE Contact: Lindsay Broyhill Ascend at the Aspen Institute Tel: 202.721.5596 Lindsay.broyhill@aspeninstitute.org Prestigious Aspen Institute Ascend Fellowship Announces 2018 Class of Leaders Diverse Leaders Selected for Their Groundbreaking Work Advancing Opportunity for Children and Families With Low Incomes Washington, DC, September 6, 2018 – The Aspen Institute announced today the 2018 class of Aspen …

Prestigious Aspen Institute Ascend Fellowship Announces 2018 Class of Leaders Read More »

Press ReleasesSeptember 6, 2018