Boise Kimber facts for kids

Boise Kimber, born on February 9, 1959, is an American Baptist minister. He is also a civil rights activist. He leads the First Calvary Baptist churches in New Haven and Hartford, Connecticut. He is also the president of the National Baptist Convention, USA.

Early Life and Education

Boise Kimber was born in 1959 in Phenix City, Alabama. His parents were Milburn and Ruthie Kimber. He was the middle of three children. He went to local schools and graduated from Central High School. He grew up in the Baptist Church. He started preaching when he was 15 years old.

In 1981, Kimber finished his college studies at Johnson C. Smith University. This was in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1997, he earned a Master of Arts Degree. This degree was in Religious Life from Hartford Seminary in Connecticut. In May 2001, he completed his Doctorate Degree in Ministry. This was at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. His special project was about helping people care about social justice.

Community and Leadership

In Connecticut, Boise Kimber is known as an important leader in the Black community. He has held many roles. He is the past president of the Greater New Haven Clergy Association. He advises the Multicultural Center at Southern Connecticut State University. He also served as a Fire Commissioner for New Haven. He is a director for the Aids Interfaith Network. He also advises local labor unions. He is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

In 2001, Kimber joined a meeting of ministers in Congress. They talked about making Black and city communities stronger. They discussed how churches and families could help reach this goal.

Kimber used to be the chairman of the New Haven Fire Commission. He stepped down from this leadership role. The mayor of New Haven, John DeStefano, Jr., said he was pleased. The mayor noted that Kimber showed leadership by not letting the issue affect his work.

In 2012, Kimber hosted Al Sharpton at a rally. The rally encouraged people to go out and vote.

Kimber served as president of the Connecticut Missionary Baptist State Convention. In 2013, he ran for president of the National Baptist Convention, USA. This is the nation’s oldest and largest African-American religious group.

While speaking in November 2013, Kimber said, "We must speak for those who cannot speak for themselves." He added, "We must have a voice." He also asked why the convention had not spoken about important issues. These included the case of Trayvon Martin and the government shutdown.

In July 2013, Kimber led a group of religious and social organizations. They held a "Justice for Trayvon" vigil. They wanted the federal government to investigate civil rights charges. Kimber said, "How many more times do we have to rally for justice for our children?" He added that Black and Brown teens should feel that the justice system works for them.

After the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Kimber led a prayer service. He was with Al Sharpton. They prayed for the victims and survivors. Kimber said, "Your pain is our pain and your hurt is our hurt." On Sharpton's TV show, Kimber asked communities to work with Congress. He wanted them to make sure representatives understood what was happening.

In 2014, Kimber worked with a local businessman. They started a $1 million loan program for churches in cities. They also held job fairs in churches across Connecticut.

Kimber was honored at the National Action Network's national meeting. This was for his service to the church and community. President Barack Obama gave a speech there. He talked about how important it is to protect voting rights.

In 2025, Boise Kimber became the president of the National Baptist Convention, USA.

Ricci v. DeStefano (2009)

In 2004, Boise Kimber was Chairman of the New Haven Fire Commission. He worked with other members to change the results of a firefighter promotion exam. This was because no Black firefighters scored high enough to get the available jobs. If the original results were used, white and Latino firefighters would have been promoted. Twenty firefighters who qualified under the original exam sued the city.

In a special legal opinion, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito mentioned Kimber. He said Kimber had political reasons for changing the results. This brought Kimber into the center of the news.

Philanthropy

In 2016, Don Vaccaro and Rev. Kimber started Grace Church Websites. This is a non-profit group. It offers free website services to churches and non-profit groups in New Haven. These services include setting up websites, keeping them updated, and hosting them. Since February 2016, they have helped over 600 groups get free websites.