Aaron Treadwell holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Religion from Florida State University, a Master of Divinity from Emory University, a Master of Applied Social Sciences from Florida Agriculture and Mechanical University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in History from Howard University. His research interests include racial caste violence in the United States, the black tradition of arms, and the theological shift of black spirituality in the 19th century.  

His research has appeared in well-ranked journals such as the Oxford Journal, the Southern Journal, and the Journal of African American Studies. Treadwell is also the author of two upcoming manuscripts, Tongues of Fire: A Collection of the Black Religious Resistance Against Lynching (Louisiana State University Press, 2024), and Black Christian Evolution: The Gospel of the Northern Negro in the Southern Mission (Louisiana State University Press, 2024). He has book chapters which can be found in Understanding and Teaching Contemporary U.S. History since Reagan (University of Wisconsin Press, 2023), Discourses of Crisis and the Study of Religion (Equinox Publishing, 2024), and Breonna Taylor and Me Black Women, and Racial Justice and Reclaiming Hope (Peter Lang Publishing, 2024).

In addition, Treadwell is a columnist for The Christian Recorder and is on the editorial board for the Methodist History Journal, Penn State Press.   In addition to his research, Treadwell has over 16 years of experience in the field of religion, including a newly appointed post as Archivist and CEO of the AME Digital Archives, which recently received a $30,000 grant from the Louisville Institute. He is also the Senior Pastor of New Webb Grove AME Church and Key Memorial United Methodist Church in Murfreesboro. Finally, Treadwell holds social positions in his community, including President of the Murfreesboro Alpha Phi Alpha chapter, and Dean of Ministers for Tennessee.

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Treadwell, A. M. (2021). Tongues Of Fire: AME Theological Protection In The Face Of Lynching. The Griot: Journal Of African American Studies, Volume 39(Number 01), 28-47. https://issuu.com/thescaasigriot/docs/screen_shot_2021-08-19_at_12.59.01_pm-merged-compr

Treadwell, A. M. (2023). Total War: The Justification of Lynching Black Women. Chapter in a Book. Peter Lang Publishing.

Treadwell, A. M. (2023). Black Fires: Analyzing the Relationship Between Radical Theology and Arson in South Georgia. Discourses of Crisis and the Study of Religion. Sheffield, South Yorkshire: Equinox Publishing Ltd.. https://journals.equinoxpub.com/index.php/books/rt/metadata/43937

Treadwell, A. M. (2023). Understanding and Teaching Contemporary U.S. History since Reagan. Examining African-American Voter Suppression, Reagan to Trump. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press.

Treadwell, A. M. A Long Reconstruction: Racial Caste and Reconciliation in the Methodist Church. Houston, TX: Rice University.

Treadwell, A. M. (2021). Book Review, Soul Liberty: The Evolution of Black Religious Politics in Postemanicpation Virginia. (1st ed., vol. 90, pp. 222-223). Oxford Journal. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/church-history/article/abs/soul-liberty-the-evolution-of-black-religious-politics-in-postemanicpation-virginia-by-nicole-myers-turner-chapel-hill-the-university-of-north-carolina-press-2020-xiv-209-pp-2995-cloth-1995-paper/1F7C1B029E6335E6D62BADDB41E85672

Treadwell, A. M. (2023). Schools are Banning Diversity Instruction, is Your 501c3 Status Next? (vol. July 2023). Nashville, Tennessee: African Methodist Episcopal Church.  

Treadwell, A. M. (2022). Student Loan Forgiveness, Black Debt, and the MDIV Degree (November 13, 2022 ed.). Nashville, TN: The African Methodist Episcopal Church. https://www.thechristianrecorder.com/student-loan-forgiveness-black-debt-and-the-m-div-degree/  

Treadwell, A. M. (2022). Has the Flag Run its Course in Our Sanctuary?. Nashville, TN: African Methodist Episcopal Church.  

Treadwell, A. M. (2022). A Contextualization of the Bomb Threat: A Brief History of America’s Use of Firebombing the Black Church (pp. 3). Nashville, TN: African Methodist Episcopal Church.  

Treadwell, A. M. (2022). We Fought Once, Will We Fight Again?: Attempting to Contextualize A.M.E. Resistance. Nashville, TN: African Methodist Episcopal Church.  

Treadwell, A. M. (2021). The Deep Impact of AME Roots: Dr. Sidney McPhee's Story (pp. 5). Nashville, Tennessee: African Methodist Episcopal Church.

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Paper

• Treadwell, A. M., North American Association for the Study of Religion, "The Relationship Between Black Liberation Theology and Arson in the South," American Academy of Religion, San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States of America. (November 19, 2021).
• Treadwell, A. M., Slave Dwelling Project Conference: Changing Narratives in Changing Times, "Building a Fundamental Archive for the African Methodist Episcopal Church: A Survey Report on the Digital A.M.E.-Archives Project," Digital. (September 16, 2021).
• Treadwell, A. M., Cable, J. H., Florida Conference of Historians, "Theology as self-defense in the Black Florida Church," New College of Florida, Sarasota, FL, United States of America. (February 23, 2019).

Panel

• Treadwell, A. M., AHA Annual Meeting, “Teaching Contemporary U.S. History since Reagan: Challenges and Resources”,” American Historical Association, San Francisco, CA, United States of American. (January 4, 2024).
• Treadwell, A. M., Nelson, A., SCAASI TURNS 40: Celebrating 40 years of Interpreting and Preserving African American History and Culture, "The Negro Preacher and his support of the Second Amendment," The Southern Conference on African American Studies, Inc., Doubletree Hotel By Hilton, Tallahassee, FL, United States of America. (February 8, 2019).

Oral

• Treadwell, A. M., AME Church South District Conference, "Incorporating Digital History ---Digital Evangelism," African Methodist Episcopal Church, Allen Chapel AME, Murfreesboro, TN. (February 25, 2023).
• Treadwell, A. M., NAACP State Convention, "Critical Race Theory in Tennessee," NAACP, The Preston Convention Center, Nashville, TN. (September 24, 2022).

Lecture

• Treadwell, A. M., Power of a Thinking Church, "Re-Thinking Black Liberation Theology in Rural Settings," African Methodist Episcopal Church: Department of Research, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America. (May 19, 2023).
• Treadwell, A. M., Stand Together Fellowship, "Voting Rights and Regulation," Stand Together Fellowship, Maury Hills Church. (February 4, 2022).
  I will be discussing the history of voting regulation nationally and in Tennessee. I will present primary documents of voting regulation in Rutherford Co., and will describe the current momentum towards changing such laws.
• Treadwell, A. M., Henning, P. K., Hardaway, R. G., MTSU NAACP Lecture Series, "Why are Black Kids being Arrested for Being Kids?," MTSU NAACP, MTSU Student Union Building, Murfreesboro, TN, United States of America. (November 16, 2021).
• Treadwell, A. M., 2021 Honors Lecture Series: Rewriting the Constitution, "The Constitutional Right to Vote," MTSU Honors Lecture Series, MTSU Honors Hall, Murfreesboro, TN, United States of America. (November 15, 2021).
• Treadwell, A. M., MTSU NAACP Lecture Series, "Critical Race Theory: What is It," MTSU NAACP, MTSU Student Union Building, Murfreesboro, TN, United States of America. (November 2, 2021).
• Treadwell, A. M., Tennessee Annual Conference 2019, "Updates on the A.M.E. Digital-Database: Tennessee," 13th District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Nashville, TN, United States of America. (October 24, 2019).
• Treadwell, A. M., Kentucky Annual Conference, "Updates on the A.M.E. Digital-Database: Kentucky," 13th District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, KY, United States of America. (September 15, 2019).
• Treadwell, A. M., West Tennessee Annual Conference, "Updates on the A.M.E. Digital-Database: West Tennessee," 13th District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Memphis, TN, United States of America. (September 13, 2019).
• Treadwell, A. M., East TN Annual Conference, "Updates on the A.M.E. Digital-Database: East Tennessee," 13th District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Chattanooga, TN, United States of America. (September 8, 2019).

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"West, Shabazz to give Black History Month public talks on Feb. 24, 27 at MTSU," The Tennessee Tribune. (February 20, 2023).

"MTSU professor urges MLK vigil attendees to ‘put your mask on’ to combat ‘dust’ of inequality [+VIDEO]," MTSU News. (January 18, 2023).

"Wes Moore to be sworn in as MD. governor on Frederick Douglass's Bible," The Washington Post. (January 14, 2023).

"Juvenile Oversight Committee," ABC News. (October 13, 2022).

"Event to meet Murfreesboro City Council candidates set," Murfreesboro post. (June 10, 2022).

"Bishop William Barber to Give Virtual Remarks as Part of Feb. 25 Discussion on Church Activism, Black Wellness at MTSU," Tennessee Tribune. (February 2022).

"MTSU News," NEW TIME, LOCATION: Bishop Barber to give virtual remarks as part of Feb. 25 panel on church activism, Black wellness. (February 2022).

"Murfreesboro NAACP presents special awards to the McPhees of MTSU," Daily News Journal. (February 2022).

"MTSU MLK vigil reflects on legacy, call to ‘moral and fair society’," MLK Vigil 2019. (January 24, 2019).

"Here’s how Middle Tennessee is honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. today," WTVF. (January 21, 2019).

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• "A.M.E. Digital Archives" (On-Going). (August 12, 2019 - Present).
  The African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church Digital Archives will preserve the great traditions and achievements of the denomination by digitizing Church information in a searchable database. The process will begin with the Episcopal Thirteenth District - Tennessee, Kentucky, and will gradually extend to the remaining nineteen (19) districts of the A.M.E. Church. To put this in perspective there are 156 churches within this district. I have currently conducted five presentations and have had over 20 interview sections within the churches in conference form. Archived information has already been collected from all of the 156 churches as of January 1, 2022. In total, the process will required over 5,000 church interviews, alongside the collection of thousands of precious images, oral interviews, and primary minutes/writings. Although tedious, this work has become my life’s work, and culminates my bi-vocational journey as an African-American historian and 5^th generation A.M.E. clergy.
  
  The database will be programed in the SQL and housed on an accessible web-site, which will satisfy all modern browsing requirements – this includes computers and portable devices. Due to the scale of this project, the archive’s content will be housed on a digital server with unlimited storage. The server is currently on the google database and is being housed through the CPanel hosting software. This will allow all components of the Connection’s history to be recorded, organized, and shared on numerous platforms. This current process has taken hundreds of hours, and the current makeup of the hosting site is live through (www.ame-archives.org/database)
  
  The database will make the submission of historical information simple and efficient. Initial submissions in the database will come in the form of pre-existing digital records. The project is utilizing the Episcopal connection, as every District within the denomination has an assigned historiographer. Again, there are 20 districts on 5 different continents. There are 5,650 A.M.E. Churches worldwide, whereas the Episcopal structure simplifies the communication and training process. Annual international meetings are scheduled with each Conference, which host their own historiographers. These positions also oversee regional ‘lay’ historians’ and so there is a well formulated network to access information. By employing a strategic system of historical preservation, that has been directed by well esteemed historians for over 30 years, I am continuing the training of proper historical collection. I have conducted five regional conferences (Tennessee/Kentucky) in the last year alone. I also was able to speak at the International A.M.E. General Conference June 2021, and I will continue to work with the International church going forwards.
  
  As of 2018, I was made Assistant to the Histographies in order to attain authorization to organize and hold the precious documents of the denomination. This position requires one to be a Senior member in the denomination, and highly approved on by one’s peers. Being an ordained minister is not a core requirement, but every historiographer has been an ordained Elder in the Denomination since the positions founding in 1880.
  
  As of 2021, I will also note that I have presented my work on the A.M.E. Archives in a Peer-reviewed Conference - The Slave Dwellings. The information on this conference can be found within the report, whereas this report identified some of the methods used to connectionally gather historical items from the A.M.E. Church.
  
  For more additional, go to:
  www.ame-archives.org/about
  &
  www.ame-archives.org/blog

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• AAS 2100: Introduction to Africana Studies                         
• AAS 4050: African-American History                          
• AAS 4600: Introduction to African American Religions                          
• HIST 2000:U.S. History up to 1877                          
• HIST 2001:U.S. History after 1877                          
• HIST 2040:African-American Survey I                          
• HIST 2050:African-American Survey II                           
• AST 4000: African Diasporic Religions                          
• HIST 4985:Senior Seminar                          
• HIST 6105:Research in American History – Nadir in US History                          
• HIST 6020:Historical Research Methods                          
• HIST 7105:Research in American History – US Readings                          
• REL 3000: Black Religion in America                          
• REL 3000: Race and Religion in Black America

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