VELMA MAIA THOMAS is an ordained minister and the creator of the Black Holocaust Exhibit at the Shrine of the Black Madonna Bookstore in Atlanta.

Maia holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Howard University and a master’s degree in international affairs from Emory University. She has worked in both the private and nonprofit sectors as a communications specialist, editor, and community liaison.

A historian and genealogist, Maia has become a sought-after speaker, lecturing on the Black Holocaust Exhibit, African American history, and black genealogy. A native of Detroit, she resides in Atlanta with her husband, Reverend Milton “Ahdwele” Fann, and their son, Olu Fann.

Photo by Bill Roa