A longtime District government leader has been named as a senior adviser in the White House Office of Public Engagement.
Under D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, the Rev. Thomas Bowen served as the director of African American Strategic Engagement, where he held dual roles as the director of the Mayor’s Office of Religious Affairs and the Mayor’s Office on African American Affairs. Often seen offering a prayer, words of wisdom and encouragement at events, residents and city officials alike coined Bowen “D.C.’s Pastor.”
“I am deeply honored to serve in the Biden-Harris administration and grateful for the trust vested in me,” said Bowen, who will be leading the faith engagement effort in the White House. “In our shared commitment to safeguard democracy and uphold our nation’s moral foundation, I am dedicated to amplifying the voices of faith leaders and believers.”
An ordained Baptist minister, Bowen is the Earl L. Harrison Minister of Social Justice at the District’s Shiloh Baptist Church, where he has served since 2002.
“I am absolutely thrilled about the Rev. Thomas Bowen’s selection to serve in the Biden Administration’s Office of Public Engagement,” said Charles Smith, a member of the Deacon Leadership Team at Shiloh Baptist Church. “He will certainly add value to that office’s mission. I know that because he has served in a myriad of capacities at Shiloh Baptist Church.”
Smith also noted Bowen isn’t the only person associated with the historic Northwest, D.C. church, who has worked at The White House.
“He follows other Shiloh members who have served in the White House, including Lorraine Miller, Jocelyn Frye, and Willa Hall Smith. We expect great things from him.”
The Road to the White House
Bowen is a graduate of Morehouse College, where he was a Ford Foundation Scholar and president of the NAACP. He studied for the ministry at the University of Chicago Divinity School.
A native of Lorain County, Ohio, Bowen embraced Washington, D.C., as his home more than two decades ago. He currently lives in Northeast, D.C.’s historic Trinidad neighborhood..
Bowen’s extensive experience in ministry, justice advocacy and leadership includes working in a number of roles, such as senior religious advocate for the Children’s Defense Fund and senior field organizer for the organization’s Black Community Crusade for Children.
“Thomas Bowen is one of the most gifted community leaders, who has a wealth of experience with a diverse group of people that include Christians, Muslims, agnostics, and atheists,” said the Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III. “ No other person can engage such a diversity.”
Moss III, will be speaking at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library on Thursday, March 7, discussing his 2023 book: “Dancing in the Darkness,” in a conversation led by Bowen. The spiritual leader and author said the world needs more leaders like Bowen who are able to build relationships across various communities.
“We need people who are morally rooted who can speak the language of the activist, the civic bureaucrat, the educator, and the union leader.”
Dr. Barabara Williams-Skinner, CEO and co-founder of the Skinner Leadership Institute, said Bowen’s background makes him the perfect addition to the White House Office of Public Engagement, and emphasized his skills will be put to good use.
“The Rev. Thomas Bowen has a long history of faith in action in the teachings and practice of Jesus,” said Williams-Skinner. “We are blessed to have him on the White House faith outreach team to help the administration frame public policy into the moral context. He will help to close the communications gap between the Black faith community and the White House.”
