Dexter Wimbish

Civil Rights Attorney and Doctor of Education

Biographical Sketch

Dr. Dexter M. Wimbish, Esq.

Dexter Wimbish is an attorney, community activist, fundraiser, adjunct professor, father, and minister who has worked nationally in the area of civil and human rights for two decades. He is member in good standing with the Georgia Bar Association and an experienced professional with proven ability to provide operational and strategic planning that promotes diversity, equity & inclusion in complex nonprofit organizations while being a staunch advocate for justice in America’s legal system.

He has nearly 20 years of diversified managerial, legal, diversity, and governmental relations experience e working with progressive organizations to change public policy, promote diversity and inclusion, and create new inroads for future generations. His experience includes working with national civil and human rights organizations to promote diversity and multiculturalism in various municipalities, foundations, corporations and Fortune 500 companies including Walmart, Compucredit, City of Atlanta, City of New Orleans, City of Pensacola, Barnes and Noble Books, Cracker Barrel, Kroger, Home Depot, Southern Partners Fund, Marguerite Casey Foundation, Ford Foundation, Veatch Foundation, Public Welfare Foundation, John Deere Tractors, and the Southern Company. He is the current General Counsel of the Southern Partners Fund and the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus.

In addition to working with a number of civil and human rights organizations, he held the distinction of being named the youngest General Counsel in the history of the National Southern Christian Leadership Conference (2004-2010). His appointment followed his recognition as the organization’s 2003 Chauncey Eskeridge Legal Award (named in honor of the organization’s first General Counsel under founder Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) for his volunteer legal service. During his tenure, he provided legal oversight for the construction of a $4million SCLC International Headquarters and the $1million sale of historical SCLC Papers to Emory University in 2008. He is also credited with helping to revive the Southern Christian Leadership Foundation while establishing nearly 100 SCLC chapters across the country. His work includes helping design and implement the SCLC Ambassadors for Peace Program that trained over 1200 young people in the City of Atlanta juvenile court system to use principles of Kingian Nonviolence.

His other professional and community service work includes Deputy Director of the Center for Democratic Renewal founded by Dr. C.T. Vivian, a lieutenant of Dr. King, to monitor hate groups; General Counsel and Development Director of the environmental justice group the Newtown Florist; Regional Director of the public campaign reform organization Democracy South; Vice President of the health care reform organization U.S. Action, Vice President of the Southeast Regional Economic Justice Network, and Treasurer of the National Fannie Lou Hamer Project. He has helped raise more than $10million in his career for various nonprofit and community based organizations. A member of the Advisory Committee of the Georgia Diversity Council., he has served as spokesperson for various nonprofit organizations while serving as a panelist of keynote speaker for nearly 100 conferences. Mr. Wimbish has conducted dozens of trainings on diversity, conflict resolution and preventing racism. He has appeared as an expert on racism and civil rights on various television and print outlets including MSNBC, CBS, The Tavis Smiley Show, Public Eye, and NPR.
Dr. Dexter Wimbish completed his Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership from Grand Canyon University in 2022. He holds a Jurist Doctorate and Masters Public Administration from the prestigious mid-western institution, Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa where he was an Opperman Scholar. He is a former Presidential Scholar and 1994 Class Salutorian from Morris Brown College, one of the nation’s oldest historically black colleges and universities. The college holds the distinction of being the first college in the nation to be founded by African American for the benefit of African-Americans. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated and has received a number of awards for his outstanding community service. Mr. Wimbish currently serves as an adjunct professor for Mercer University. In 2014, he was appointed as the first African-American municipal court judge in the 200 year history of Greensboro Georgia. He is a licensed minister the 2013 Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Benham Community Service recipient and a National Diversity Council Multicultural Award winner. In 2019, Drake University honored him as the National Alumni of the Year for Community Service.