Dr. Harold Dean Trulear is a nationally respected theologian, educator, and advocate whose work bridges faith, justice, and community transformation. As a board member of The Compassionate Advocate, Dr. Trulear brings deep experience in restorative justice, theological education, and public policy with a heart for dignity-centered reform.
An ordained American Baptist minister, Dr. Trulear serves as Associate Professor of Applied Theology at Howard University and is the immediate past president of the Gamma of DC chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. He also directs the Healing Communities Prison Ministry and Reentry Project, a national initiative developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and implemented in over 25 sites across the country.
Dr. Trulear has taught at institutions including Yale University, USC, Vanderbilt, and New York Theological Seminary, and served as vice president of faith-based initiatives at Public/Private Ventures. His extensive writing and research—featured in Religion & Ethics Newsweekly, UrbanFaith.com, and The Crime Report—explore the intersections of faith, incarceration, and policy.
A graduate of Morehouse College (B.A.) and Drew University (Ph.D.), Dr. Trulear is co-editor of Ministry with Prisoners and Their Families: The Way Forward and author of over 70 published works. He currently serves on the pastoral staff of Praise and Glory Tabernacle in Philadelphia and as a Fellow at the Center for Public Justice.
Dr. Trulear’s voice on the board strengthens The Compassionate Advocate’s mission to uplift the marginalized and reform systems with compassion, dignity, and faith-informed wisdom.