The Rev. Nikia Smith Robert, Ph.D. is a nationally and internationally recognized thought-leader and speaker on the topics of mass punishment, abolition, religion, and Black motherhood. Her expertise as a womanist abolitionist scholar focuses on Black women’s experience with criminality and religious responses to galvanize a faith-based abolitionist movement.

As Executive Director, Dr. Robert  expanded her dissertation research and founded Abolitionist Sanctuary©, a 501(c)3 bipartisan nonprofit organization purposed with training a national coalition of Black-serving churches, civic organizations and communities to unite against the moral crisis of mass incarceration and the criminalization of impoverished Black motherhood.

Dr. Robert is also an Assistant Professor of Ethics and Social Justice at the University of Kansas and ordained clergy in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Prior to becoming an academic scholar, clergy and social entrepreneur, Dr. Robert worked for more than ten years in Big Four Public Accounting firms doing expatriate and international taxes. She also worked as a Franchise Controller for the largest Investment Bank on Wall Street.

Dr. Robert is a native New Yorker and married with three children.