YURI YAMAMOTO

 

Yuri Yamamoto (she/her) is passionate about connecting with people through story sharing and expressive arts as part of our healing journey. As an Asian American, racial justice is particularly important to her. Yuri also identifies as a gender non-conforming female. Yuri is originally from Japan, married to her husband, Akihiko Yamamoto, for almost 37 years. They have six children and one granddaughter. Yuri has been a staff accompanist at Meredith College Music Department since 2013 and previously served as a church music director and pianist for over 15 years.

Yuri is currently pursuing the Master of Divinity degree at the Shaw University Divinity School where she is a recipient of the C.T. Vivian Scholarship and a Shaw Ambassador. From January, she will participate in The Gift of Black Theological Education & Black Church Collaborative as one of the fellows representing Shaw. Yuri is also a recipient of the David Hilliard Eaton Scholarship from the Unitarian Universalist Association.

Yuri is currently a fellow with the Progressive Asian American Christians where she is connecting with other Asian American Christians and learning about our histories, theologies, and many other stories.

Yuri completed five units of clinical pastoral education and now serves as a contract chaplain at the WakeMed Hospital and volunteers at the Wake Correctional Center.

Yuri also holds the Expressive Arts Therapy graduate certificate at Appalachian State University and a PhD in Genetics from North Carolina State University. Yuri was instrumental in organizing and publishing the book, Unitarian Universalists of Color: Stories of Struggle, Courage, Love and Faith. Yuri currently serves on the boards of the Raleigh Organizing Against Racism, the African American Education & Research Organization, and the Melchor-Quick Meeting House.