Rev. Yolanda Y. Williams, Ph.D., is a performer, educator, scholar, and pastor. Yolanda performed soprano and mezzo-soprano repertoire with Vocalessence, the Rochester Symphony, La Choeur Symphonique de Fribourg, Lundi Sept Heures, Ensemble de Cuivres Jurassien, the Montreux Symphony, and the Israel Philharmonic. Her worldwide performances have been of music from the Classical, Jazz, Blues, and Gospel genres. Dr. Williams teaches music as a cultural artifact through the African American/African Studies department at the University of Minnesota. Scholarly work on musical styles and genres of the African Diaspora can be found in the Greenwood Encyclopedia of African American Folklore (2005) and the Encyclopedia of African American Music (2010). With the completion of a second master’s degree, Yolanda became a pastor in the United Methodist Church. She was ordained in May 2023 and serves a congregation in Fridley, MN.