Olivia Pearl Stokes (January 11, 1916 – May 24, 2002) was a religious educator, ordained Baptist minister, author, administrator, and civil rights activist.

As the first African American woman to receive a doctorate in religious education, Stokes was a pioneer in her field dedicated to empowering disenfranchised and underrepresented groups.

A majority of her work reflects her primary role as a religious educator, her commitment to develop leadership training, and her efforts to eliminate negative stereotypes of women and African Americans.

[2] From an early age, Stokes grew up educated and immersed in both Christian Baptist and African culture and values, impressed upon by her mother, who wanted a religious experience for children and emphasized leadership in the community.

[3][4] Stokes' mother also influenced her children by serving as an early role model: young Olivia took after her in her interests, intellectual abilities and matters of etiquette and protocol.

Du Bois, Walter White, Lester Granger, and Mattie Mae Davis, and she wrote, "In the black community, the average person had always been fearful of approaching great leaders.

After her stepfather's death, Olivia transferred to Wadleigh High School without telling her mother, given the changing financial situation that would befall the family.

After graduating from Wadleigh, Olivia went to City College of New York for the next 12 years, taking night classes while working full-time first at the YWCA and then at the Baptist Educational Center.

The two girls shared common interests and spent a great deal of time together despite their differences in personality: even as a child, Olivia was strong-minded and outspoken while her sister was considered more "gentle".

[12] Despite never getting married, Olivia spent her life immersed in her work both in the ministry and in education, deriving much joy from nurturing learning and curiosity in her students and peers.

She worked there until 1941, when she was offered the position of associate director of the Baptist Educational Center, a school that provided training programs for ministers and the parishes of 157 churches.

[14] Through Olivia's long-time work in the Christian community and network, Stokes befriended a number of influential academics, activists, and artists in the New York area.

These acquaintances included, but were not limited to: Benjamin Mays, the former leader of the academic community in Atlanta, who authored a number of papers and columns about the Black community Fred Patterson, the former head of the United Negro College Fund Marian Anderson, the first African-American soloist in 1941 to sing at the New York Metropolitan Opera Langston Hughes, the renowned poet, novelist, and activist Jackie Robinson, the first African American baseball player to play in the MLB Ella Fitzgerald, the American jazz singer.

Part of her work involved creating educational materials that she hoped would change the way American schoolchildren understood Africa through their textbooks.

Meanwhile, in her work with the Christian community, Olivia pushed churches to include lessons about Africa in their ministry, encouraging pastors to emphasize the importance of African heritage and history.

Stokes' initial trip to Africa was inspired by her own desire to learn more about the country, as well as for the sake of "personal growth and significant research.

"[This quote needs a citation] Two years later, in 1960, she approached publishing company Houghton Mifflin with a book idea that incorporated discussions on the ability of African women to rise quickly through the social ranks of society.

Later, she taught part-time at New York University's School of Education while serving as interim pastor at the Emmanuel Baptist Church in Brooklyn.

Stokes' passion for service outweighed his generously salaried offer, however, and she opted instead to continue working at the community center where she was previously employed.