Tommie Lee Watkins Jr.

Tommie Lee Watkins Jr. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), within the College of Arts and Sciences. He holds a BS from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, an MSW from the University of Alabama, an MDiv from The General Theological Seminary, and a PhD in Public Health from UAB.

His research and teaching focus on religiosity/spirituality’s impact on Black Men’s health, social welfare policy, medical social work, and social justice advocacy. His career includes decades of work in medical and public health social work, including roles as a Behavioral Health Social Worker at a local hospital. He began his career as an HIV/AIDS health educator for Black Men, shaping his research into health disparities and spirituality.

Though no specific articles or grants are listed, his publications address religiosity, spirituality, sexuality, and health. His advocacy is guided by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s quote: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”