Conrad Tillard

Conrad Bennette Tillard (born September 15, 1964) is an American Baptist minister, radio host, activist, politician, and author.

Tillard was in his early years a prominent minister of the black nationalist organization the Nation of Islam (NOI). He was at age 25 appointed Minister of Mosque No. 7 in Harlem, a position formerly held by Malcolm X. He became known as the "Hip-Hop Minister," noted for his outspoken opposition to the promotion of gangsterism in hip-hop music lyrics, and for defusing potentially violent feuds between rappers.

Tillard left the NOI in 1997 when he was 32 years old, and returned to Christianity. He became a Christian preacher at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, then the Senior Pastor at the Nazarene Congregational Church, a United Church of Christ, in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, in New York City, and now the Senior Minister at Flatbush Tompkins Congregational Church in Flatbush, Brooklyn. He also wrote a memoir, was a radio host, and became an adjunct college professor.

Tillard ran for New York State Senator in 2022, in a Democratic primary campaign for the New York State Senate against incumbent State Senator Jabari Brisport. He was endorsed by New York City Mayor Eric Adams. During that campaign, he became the subject of renewed controversy over his past history of antisemitic, anti-abortion, and anti-LGBTQ remarks. Brisport won the primary.

Early life and education Tillard was born in St. Louis, Missouri. His biological father was a tailor

Tillard attended Lincoln University, which was historically Black, transferred to Middlebury College in the fall of 1984, then to Wesleyan University. He then transferred in 1986 to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where he became President of the Black Students League and earned a B.A. in African American studies in 1988.

Tillard studied in graduate school at the Harvard Divinity School in the late 1990s, and at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government in public administration. Years later he said: "I became discouraged and almost bitter against the political process, because I felt that he was disrespected, but that was in my immaturity." While with the NOI, Tillard promoted antisemitic views (including in 1992 a conspiracy theory that Jewish people were the cause of the hole in the ozone layer), and in 1996 referred to Brooklyn assemblyman Jules Polonetsky as a "snotty-nosed Jewish politician," and to Jewish people as "bloodsuckers". New York Magazine reported that sources said that some within the NOI became jealous of his ascent, and others disliked what they saw as a streak of moderation on his part. He appears in the documentary Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, Tillard was an outspoken critic of hip hop lyrics that he perceived as degrading and dangerous to Blacks. He said such lyrics suggested "that we are penny-chasing, Champagne-drinking, gold-teeth-wearing, modern-day Sambos, pimps and players."

Tillard became a fixture in hip-hop after he arranged a meeting and a truce in a feud between rising bands Wreckx-N-Effect and A Tribe Called Quest.

After the drive-by shooting murder of rapper Tupac Shakur in 1996, Tillard organized a "Day of Atonement" event to advocate against violent themes in hip-hop music, to promote unity, and to celebrate Shakur's life.

Tillard also served as a radio talk show host on urban adult contemporary FM radio station WBLS. Tillard later served as a spiritual advisor to Shyne. Tillard organized another summit in Harlem at the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building on 125th Street over what he perceived as negative imagery in hip hop. Def Jam Recordings founder Russell Simmons organized a counter-summit, urging the public not to "support open and aggressive critics of the hip-hop community".

2002-present: minister, author, and political candidate In 2002, having reverted to his birth name, Tillard sought to run for U.S. Congress in New York's 15th congressional district in Harlem in Manhattan against 32-year incumbent Democratic Congressman Charles Rangel. He ultimately failed to qualify for a position on the ballot for the Democratic nomination for the Congressional seat, as he did not produce 1,250 valid signatures to qualify for the primary ballot; of the 1,652 signatures he filed, only 630 were deemed valid.

After he left the NOI, while at Harvard, Tillard said he underwent a "powerful conversion experience" and "just one night became overwhelmed by the presence of God and Christ...I encountered Christ in a very personal way." He said: "It may have taken me a long time to get there, but I finally came home."

Tillard was selected in 2005 and 2006 by Beliefnet as one of "The Most Influential Spiritual Black Leaders" in the United States. He was selected that year as "Pastor of the Year" in Brooklyn by Church Women United.

After moving to Brooklyn, Tillard ran for an open seat in 2013 in the New York City Council's 36th Council District in Bedford Stuyvesant and Crown Heights in Brooklyn against Robert Cornegy Jr. — who won the election — and three other candidates. Tillard received 13% of the vote, which amounted to 1,912 votes.

In 2015, Tillard became host and executive producer of the radio show "Conversations with Conrad!" on WHCR 90.3 FM in New York City.

In 2016, Tillard became an adjunct professor in the Black Studies Department of City College of the City University of New York.

In 2018, Tillard became the Senior Minister at Flatbush Tompkins Congregational Church in Ditmas Park in Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York. The church is well over a century old. Tillard ran as a more moderate and centrist candidate than Brisport, and was critical of his support of socialism. He also said: "I am running against someone who calls for defunding the police. I have gone to jail for advocating against police brutality, but I do not think defunding the police is the answer." New York City Mayor Eric Adams said "I believe the Rev. Tillard of today is a lot different than the man who said those things decades ago. Since then, Rev. Tillard has been a minister and pastored prominent churches." His campaign received funding from the real estate industry, including from the Republican- and real estate industry-funded (in the amount of $7,500) PAC set up by an ally of Mayor Adams, Striving for a Better New York. Brisport won re-nomination in the three-way race, with 70% of the vote to second-place Tillard's 16%.

Personal life He and his wife Tamecca have five children, Amir, Najmah, Conrad Jr., Zuriel, and Barack. As of 2022, Tillard lived in Bedford Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, having previously lived in New York City in Harlem, Fort Greene, and Clinton Hill.