SDPC Pre-ConferenCe Plenary

Transcription

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2 SDPC Pre-ConferenCe Plenary February 1*, 2018 National Civil Rights Museum Memphis, TN Roland S. Martin Journalist, Commentator, Television Host SDPC Town Meeting Host Oh Say Can You See? Artist: Philippe Gibson SDPC Truth Commission & Town Hall on Racial Economic Justice As part of its 15th Anniversary pre-conference program, the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. (SDPC) hosted the inaugural Truth Telling Commission and Town Hall on Racial Economic Justice. The goal of this Commission, hearing and others going forward is to incisively listen, document, synthesize and distribute, through reports and policy recommendations, narratives of the African American experience and perspective on the consequences of racism, white supremacy and the hierarchy of human value which continues to dominate life chances of African Americans. The work of SDPC in this area will contribute to the United Nation s global agenda of remembrance and celebration linked to the International Decade for People of African Descent. PLEASE ADVISE OF YOUR INTERESTS AS A CO-SPONSOR Memphis Truth Telling Commissions on Racial Economic Justice Participants: Co-Chairs: William Bill Lucy, Civil Rights Labor Union Organizer (Washington DC) Rev. Dr. Gina Stewart, Senior Pastor at Christ Missionary Baptist Church & SDPC Trustee (Memphis, TN) Dr. William Spriggs, Chief Economist to the AFL-CIO (Washington DC) Rev. JoAnn Watson, National African American Reparations Commission (Detroit, MI) Dr. Charles L. Hughes (Memphis, TN) Tami Sawyer (Memphis, TN) Rev. Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith (Washington, DC) Dr. Idia Thurston (Memphis, TN) Mary Finger (San Antonio, TX) Rev. Anthony Trufant (Brooklyn, NY) Commissioners include: Dr. Charles McKinney (Memphis, TN) Rev. Dr. Forrest Harris (Nashville, TN) Rev. Rodney McKenzie, Jr. (Washington, DC) Dr. Andre Johnson, (Memphis, TN) Rev. Earle Fisher, (Memphis, TN) Rev. Dr. James Forbes, (New York, NY) National Truth Telling on Racial Economic Justice hearings of the Commission will be held in Washington D.C during the week of March 21, Please contact us for further information. *February 1, 2018 honors the 50th anniversary of the tragic loss of Mr. Echol Cole and Mr. Robert Walker, two African Americans who were crushed to death in a garbage truck - an incident which sparked the historic sanitation workers strike in 1968.

3 Samuel DeWitt ProCtor ConferenCe, inc Clergy and lay leadership ConferenCe our ViSion Strengthening Churches Empowering Leaders Transforming Communities With Vision By Faith Through Action our mission The mission of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference (SDPC) is to nurture, support and mobilize African American faith, civic, corporate and philanthropic leaders to address critical needs of human and social justice within local, national and global communities. SDPC seeks to strengthen the individual and collective capacity of thought leaders and activists in the academy, church and community through education, advocacy and activism. Who We represent The African American Church represents the heartbeat of family, community and civic development in the Black community. As a faith community, the African American Church is diverse, dynamic and growing. The Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference is part of the continuing legacy of African Americans committed to both the spiritual and justice aspects of ministry. about Samuel DeWitt ProCtor Some pastors have given up on filling the shoes of Amos, Micah, Isaiah or Jeremiah... God bless those pastors who stand tall and who, in love, tell the truth. They are the [watchpersons] in the tower, the sentinels at the gate who can save us from total pollution The late Reverend Dr. Samuel DeWitt Proctor was Pastor Emeritus of the Abyssinian Baptist Church of New York City and Professor Emeritus at Rutgers University. Dr. Proctor was President of Virginia Union University, Richmond, VA and North Carolina A&T State University. He held administrative positions with the Peace Corps in Nigeria and Washington, D.C. and the National Council of Churches. Dr. Proctor served on the governing boards of the United Negro College Fund, National Urban League and the Overseer s Visiting Committee for the Divinity School at Harvard University. He was Pastor-In-Residence for the Institute for Child Advocacy at Children s Defense Fund/Haley Farm. He was awarded honorary doctorate degrees from more than 50 colleges and universities. Dr. Proctor was a proli fic writer and preacher, authoring We Have This Ministry, How Shall They Hear?, and Sermons from the Black Pulpit, among many others. 3

4 W e often use the label Christian to give a respectable designation for our schemes and predilections, but they do not necessarily bear the marks of the compassion of Christ our culture is ruthless It is lacking in compassion, and we are supposed to be the salt of the earth and leaven in the lump. We are to be the remnant, now to save our culture from this cold and violent and uncompassionate way of life. Rev. Dr. S.D. Proctor sermon: - The Recovery of Human Compassion (Luke 10:25-37) 4

5 Gye Nyame February 12, 2018 Dear Family, As we mark the 15th year of global ministry and national convening of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, we remain steadfast in reflecting upon the celebratory theme of footprints. Our organization s highest award bears the banner Beautiful Are Their Feet (Romans 10:13-15). In the inaugural tribute book to Dr. Gardner Taylor, Drs. Ella and Henry Mitchell and Dr. Wyatt Tee. Walker, Dr. John Kinney s introduction noted, The feet speak to the very essence and existence of a person and the character of his or her journey or walk in life. The markings of our organization s footprints, and those we honor, are a testament that despair never won out over our faith. When I look back over our footprints, I am enveloped in the presence of the Holy Spirit at work through the lives of those we have been blessed to touch. The Proctor network has become family, forging new bonds of sacred community and testimonies of God s favor and casting new visions for the future. Gye Nyame! Only God! When I look back over our footprints, I am astounded by the unique impact the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference has had as a representative of Jesus Justice in this nation and the world; in the church, the academy and the community. Standing in and on the legacy of Samuel DeWitt Proctor, we have built new bridges, set new standards and cleared new paths for the journey to continue. Gye Nyame! Only God! And at a very personal level, when I look back over our footprints, I cannot help but rejoice in the ancestral wisdom embedded in the meaning of Gye Nyame! Only God! God gave vision! God made provision! God ordained me to fulfill my call to ministry as the founding General Secretary of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference. Gye Nyame! Only God! Thank you for sharing the journey of the last fifteen years. May we continue to struggle until the end! To God be the Glory! Dr. Iva E. Carruthers SDPC General Secretary Chicago, Illinois 5

6 Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III SDPC Co-Chair Senior Pastor, Friendship-West Baptist Church Dallas, Texas Ms. Tyra A. Mariani SDPC Co-Chair Executive Vice President, New America Washington, DC With these haunting words, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. began his oratorical ascent toward his eloquent crescendo in what became known as his I ve Been to the Mountaintop Speech. In spite of threats, physical illness and stormy weather, the Drum Major for Justice envisioned and pointed us to the Promised Land from the pulpit of Mason Temple, here in Memphis, Tennessee, April 3, That night proved to be the eve of his assassination. The Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference (named for a mentor of Dr. King, the brilliant Dr. Samuel DeWitt Proctor) welcomes you to this kairos moment not merely to commemorate the golden anniversary of the martyrdom of Dr. King, but to prophetically strategize to claim the Promise Land of liberation, justice, equity and economic empowerment as we slay the evil triplets he spoke of racism, militarism and materialism. We are here in Memphis, because symbolically our presence shouts that we are Staying in the Struggle Until The End. Providentially and poetically, we are also pleased to welcome you to the 15th Anniversary of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference. For 15 years we have sought to carry on the prophetic work and witness of Dr. King, speaking truth to power and in power we have dared to tell the truth to this empire. We have engaged in advocacy and activism, consciousness raising and policy change. We have provided a safe space of renewal for activists while waging war against injustice. We have equipped pastors, churches, seminarians and leaders for the ministry of social justice. We are indebted to Dr. Iva E. Carruthers for her phenomenal and courageous leadership. Through her pilotage, SDPC has become a prophetic movement and not just a once a year meeting. The Proctor Conference has raised its voice of prophetic protest from local hamlets, to our nations capitol and to the United Nations. Through her ingenious influence, SDPC has become an empowering resource for revolutionaries committed to redeeming the soul of this nation. We are grateful to the volunteers who work behind the scenes. Their work as the supporting cast has helped to set the stage for what promises to be a powerful and transformational week. We are energized and excited this year by the presence of one of our co-founders, the incomparable Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr.! The prophetic witness, pastoral heart and brilliant mind of Dr. Wright fire our work with the inspiration of his courageous and powerful model. So, fifty years after the assassination of Dr. King, we can say with Dr King, and then we got into Memphis. We are in a sick nation, threatened by the eclipse of honesty and honor, responsibility and rationality. The shadows of pseudo patriotism, emboldened racism, predatory patriarchy, military madness, unvarnished greed and hateful xenophobia darken our land. We are in Memphis, not to commemorate an end, but to continue the fight for justice. We are here to let our light shine in the Name of the Light of the World, Jesus, the Christ. We are here to do God s will. And like Dr. King, we ain t gonna let nobody turn us around because our eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. We are in Memphis because His truth is marching on. Peace and Power, And Then We Got Into Memphis... Frederick Douglass Haynes, III Tyra A. Mariani 6

7 Danielle Ayers SDPC Conference Co-Convener Minister of Justice Friendship-West Baptist Church Dallas, Texas Greetings, Family! I am excited to welcome you to my hometown of Memphis, TN. Memphis is steeped in a rich tradition of black achievement and history. I am equally excited to invite you to the 15th Annual Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference. This is a mile marker year for us. We have been blessed over the past fifteen years to engage in movement building work around the globe and establish meaningful and sustainable collaborative partnerships. As we gather in Memphis, it is our prayer that we will take a moment to look back over the past fifteen years and see how far God has brought us and become excited about where God will take us over the next fifteen years. This year s theme is Staying in the Struggle Until the End. The anchoring scripture for the conference: He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 (NIV) In light of our current political climate, we have prayerfully planned a week s worth of programming designed to energize, encourage, empower and equip us to stay in the struggle. It is our prayer that you will use dedicated moments throughout the week to remember Memphis This year marks the 50th Anniversary of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. s assassination and the Sanitation Workers Strike. It is also our sincere prayer that you take advantage of the Meditation and Prayer room throughout the week to experience multiple ways to center yourself and have quiet time. We welcome you to the community we affectionately call The Proctor Family. Danielle Ayers 7

8 *Subject to Change 2018 Samuel DeWitt Proctor conference, inc Samuel DeWitt ProCtor ConferenCe, inc. ConferenCe SCheDule at-a-glance & SPeCial SeSSionS All events are in the Memphis Convention Center (MCCC) monday, february 12th 7:00 a.m. General Registration Opens (Ballroom A & B Lobby) 9:00 a.m. Mandatory Seminarian Session (Ballroom D) 10:00 a.m. Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference Board Meeting 1:30 p.m. Opening Assembly (Ballroom A & B) Fifty Years Later: Empire, Resistance and Sacred Text 6:30 p.m. Opening Worship Service Offsite: Christ Missionary Baptist Church 9:00 p.m. Seminarian Debrief (Ballroom D) Exhibits (Grand Lobby) tuesday, february 13th 7:00 a.m. Registration Opens (Ballroom A & B Lobby) 8:30am PROCTORTalks 10:15 a.m. Workshop Sessions (Memphis Cook Convention Center MCCC) 12:00 p.m. General Secretary Luncheon (Ballroom A & B) The Human Dignity and Right to Work: Then and Now 2:30 p.m. Workshop Sessions (MCCC) 4:00 p.m. BREAK 6:45 p.m. Evening Worship Service (Ballroom A & B) 9:00 p.m. Seminarian Debrief (Ballroom D) Exhibits/Book Signing (Grand Lobby) WeDneSDay, february 14th 8:00 a.m. Registration Opens (Ballroom A & B Lobby) 8:00 a.m. Breakfast Plenary (Ballroom A & B) Sisters of the Rock: Hidden Figures 10:00 a.m. Special Workshop Sessions (MCCC) 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Staying in the Struggle Until the End Offsite: National Civil Rights Museum and MCCC 4:00 p.m. BREAK 6:30 p.m. Beautiful Are The Feet Honoree Dinner (Ballroom A & B) 9:00 p.m. Seminarian Debrief (Ballroom D) Exhibits/Book Signing (Grand Lobby) thursday, february 15th 8:30 a.m. Closing Service of Covenant and Communion (Ballroom A & B) 2:00 p.m. Post Conference Institute (Sheraton-St. Louis Room) Master Class with Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. friday, february 16th 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Post Conference Institute (St Louis Room) Master Class with Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. 8

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12 MONDAY, FEBRUARY, 12, 2018 OPENING ASSEMBLY 1:30 PM REV. TRACI BLACKMON, PRESIDING Senior Pastor, Christ the King United Church of Christ, Florissant, MO Executive Minister, United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries, Cleveland, OH Trustee, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. MUSICAL INTERLUDE ANNOUNCEMENTS MINISTRY OF MUSIC Dr. Leo H. Davis, Jr., Minister of Worship Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, Memphis, TN CALL TO ASSEMBLY/OPENING REMARKS Rev. Traci Blackmon RITUAL ROLL CALL: ORGANIZATIONAL FOOTPRINTS Tony Carpenter (TOCA) Master Drummer, Chicago, IL Rev. Dr. Melva L. Sampson, Assistant Professor Preaching and Practical Theology, Wake Forest University School of Divinity Winston-Salem, NC Dr. Itihari Toure, Institutional Effectiveness Officer The Interdenominational Theological Center Atlanta, GA Dr. Daniel Omotosho Black, Professor of African American Studies, Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA SPECIAL VIDEO TRIBUTE REV. DR. SAMUEL DEWITT PROCTOR WELCOME/ SANKOFA MOMENT Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III, Senior Pastor Friendship-West Baptist Church, Dallas, TX Co-Chair, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. Rev. Dr. Almella Starks Umoja St. James AME Church Memphis, TN 12

13 LITANY CALL TO ASSEMBLY (See page 63) Rev. Traci Blackmon WELCOME AND REPORT TO THE ASSEMBLY INTRODUCTIONS Dr. Iva E. Carruthers, General Secretary Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc., Chicago, IL Rev. Traci Blackmon MINISTRY OF MUSIC Rodrick Dixon, Tenor Chicago, IL FIFTY YEARS LATER: EMPIRE, RESISTANCE AND SACRED TEXT REFLECTION Rev. James Lawson, Jr. Retired United Methodist Minister; Civil Rights ICON, Los Angeles, CA Rev. Dr. Raphael G. Warnock, Senior Pastor Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, GA Rev. Dr. Gay Byron, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity Howard University School of Divinity, Washington, DC Rev. Al Herring, Director of Racial Equity and Community Engagement W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Battle Creek, MI CLOSING PRAYER AND SENDING FORTH Shaw University Divinity School MINISTRY OF MUSIC DISMISSAL EXHIBITS UNTIL WORSHIP DINNER BREAK BUSES LEAVE FROM SHERATON MEMPHIS DOWNTOWN AT 5:45 PM FOR EVENING WORSHIP CHRIST MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH MEDITATION AND PRAYER ROOM: AZALEA (SHERATON) 13

14 MUSICAL INTERLUDE ANNOUNCEMENTS MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2018 OPENING SERVICE OF ASSEMBLY 6:45 PM REV. DR. GINA STEWART, PRESIDING Senior Pastor, Christ Missionary Baptist Church, Memphis, TN Trustee, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. MINISTRY OF MUSIC Dr. Leo H. Davis, Jr., Minister of Worship Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, Memphis, TN CALL TO ASSEMBLY PRAYER WELCOME/REMARKS Rev. Dr. Gina Stewart McCormick Theological Seminary Rev. Dr. Gina Stewart Bishop Brandon B. Porter, Senior Pastor and Jurisdictional Prelate Greater Community Temple, Church of God In Christ Tennessee Central Jurisdiction Memphis, TN THE PROCTOR PRESENCE VIDEO PRESENTATION REPORT TO THE ASSEMBLY Dr. Iva E. Carruthers, General Secretary Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc., Chicago, IL LITANY (See page 65) TESTIMONY Rev. Dr. Gina Stewart Rev. Michael McBride, Lead Pastor The Way Christian Center, Berkeley, CA National Director for Urban Strategies/LIVE FREE Campaign PICO National Network Holly Joiner, Program Associate Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Chicago, IL 14

15 OFFERING/MUSICAL SELECTION Rev. Dr. Joseph Samuel Ratliff, Senior Pastor Brentwood Baptist Church, Houston, TX Trustee, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. INTRODUCTION Rev. Dr. Gina Stewart MINISTRY OF MUSIC Samuel DeWitt Proctor Sanctuary Choir SERMONIC REFLECTION Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr., Pastor Emeritus Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago, IL CLOSING PRAYER AND SENDING FORTH Howard University School of Divinity MINISTRY OF MUSIC DISMISSAL BUSES RETURN TO SHERATON MEMPHIS IMMEDIATELY AFTER WORSHIP 9:00 PM RECONVENE: SEMINARIAN DEBRIEF AT MEMPHIS COOK CONVENTION CENTER: BALLROOM D VISIT EXHIBITS PROCTORTalks CONVENE AT 8:30 AM AT MEMPHIS COOK CONVENTION CENTER MEDITATION AND PRAYER ROOM: AZALEA (SHERATON) 15

16 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2018 PROCTORTalks 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM Location: MCCC Lower Level FAITH AND RIGHTEOUS RESISTANCE IN A MILITARY STATE L-6 Law enforcement agencies in this country are known for supporting and developing militarized police departments, using excessive surveillance, and sanctioning police brutality in dealing with communities of color. While there is push-back from all levels of government local, state and federal against the demands for change and reform the issue is very real and is intensifying rather than being minimalized. This very timely conversation will involve an examination of how to bring attention to and amplify the voices of people in communities of color who are the most vulnerable to tactics of the military state. This PROCTORTalk will provide a framework for developing strategies that can be used for working alongside the most marginalized members of our communities, ensuring that their basic right to live life with dignity is protected. Rev. Dr. Pamela Lightsey, Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, Associate Professor of Constructive Theology, Meadville Lombard Theological Seminary, Chicago, IL Rev. Cheryl Green, Ministerial Staff, Cathedral of Grace-St. John AME Church, Aurora, IL Rev. Michael McBride, Lead Pastor The Way Christian Center, West Berkeley, CA NO LONGER SILENCED: THE LEGACY OF BAYARD RUSTIN L-5 The exemplary life and work of Bayard Taylor Rustin is inseparable from the iconic leadership of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Mr. Rustin was not only the lead strategist and tactician for the 1963 March on Washington, but he was a chief architect of the national mobilization and fundraising effort in support of the Sanitation Workers Strike. He was marginalized to the shadows by his sexuality, the fullest of his story still emerging. Rustin is exemplar of one whose humanity was assaulted by the ontological question of what DuBois referred to as being the problem. Using the phenomenal backdrop of Rustin s life and contribution to the nation, world and his faith community (much of it hidden), this PROCTORTalk will explore the mental, physical, economic, spiritual, historical and moral suffering experienced by black gay bodies with the competing theological views of sacred worth. Rev. Quincy James Rineheart, Scholar In- Residence Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc., Chicago, IL Rev. Dr. Dennis Wiley, Pastor Emeritus Covenant Baptist Church of Christ, Washington, D.C. Rev. Dr. Valerie Bridgeman, Interim Academic Dean Associate Professor of Homiletics and Hebrew Bible, Methodist Theological School in Ohio, Delaware, OH 16

17 *BANK-IN FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE L-4 For the church, paradigms about economic justice should first interrogate our ideas on God, faith and money. There is an urgency for the Black Church to not only discover its roots and experiences in collective economics, but also believe that it has something to contribute in charting a course for a new 21st century global economy. This can begin with a theological reflection on the theology of sufficiency, i.e., God provides enough. This PROCTORTalk will explore these ideas and offer frameworks for ministry to reinvigorate a praxis of justice, self-determination, and community organization which result in the human dignity of all to be affirmed by having access to clean air, healthy food, fresh and unpolluted water, health and shelter. It will examine the concepts of a Bank- In to promote wealth and stewardship, and a debt-free movement within our churches. Rev. Dr. Clifford A. Jones, Senior Pastor Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, Charlotte, NC Rev. Diane Ford Dessables, National Denominational Relations Bread for the World, Washington, D.C. Rev. Dr. Christophe Ringer, Assistant Professor Chicago Theological Seminary, Chicago, IL ORGANIZING LABOR AND JOB CREATION FOR 21ST CENTURY ECONOMIES L-3 A Future for Workers: A Contribution from Black Labor Report indicated that U.S. workers urgently need a new and differently functioning labor movement. The foe we face, in the political Right and global capitalism, demands a transformed and energized labor movement that can fight back with more than slogans of solidarity. No tinkering around the edges! Twenty-first century community economic wellbeing is driven by job creation in new market economies that reside in local communities, entrepreneurial and small businesses. The church can play a central role in creating and sustaining such job creation and business development projects that also will redefine opportunities for Black labor participation. This PROCTORTalk will explore these ideas and offer frameworks for church ministries to better support job retooling opportunities and how labor policies and unions can better support the interests of Black workers. It will also highlight the critical United Supreme Court case, JANUS v. AFSCME Council 31, which is an effort to defund unions and undercut the voices of public service workers and the basic rights/needs of families of the community. Pierrette Petee Talley, Secretary-Treasurer Ohio AFL-CIO, Columbus, OH Dr. Steven Pitts, Labor Policy Specialist, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA Robin Williams International Vice President, United Food and Commercial Workers, Washington, D.C. 17

18 STORYTELLING: THE USE OF NARRATIVES AND MULTIMEDIA FOR MOVEMENT BUILDING L-14 The requirements of sustaining a transgenerational church are challenging. In this age of social media, skills at digital storytelling are a must to engage generations of persons who do not even remember a fax machine and have very little regard for print newspapers. This PROCTORTalk will show the principles and techniques related to storytelling and the use of multimedia narratives for organizing, mobilizing and movement building. Asha Bandele, Senior Director Drug Policy Alliance, Brooklyn, NY Rev. John Vaughn, Executive Vice President Auburn Theological Seminary, New York, NY Jamye Wooten, Founder and Publisher KineticsLive.com, Baltimore, MD TECH TALK: TECHNOLOGY, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL CHANGE L-2 New technologies and social media have fueled revolutions, hacked into multinational financial data systems and created BOTS to influence U.S. electoral outcomes. These technologies are on a trajectory beyond artificial intelligence to development of effective augmented intelligence. Just as people of African descent were creators of advanced science and technology in ancient KMT, 20th century Euro-America and the early age of computer technology, so are Blacks pioneers in augmented intelligence and job creation. This conversation will focus on the potential role of the Black church to be job creators, community planners, entrepreneurial and institutional partners in the new tech age beyond FB likes and dislikes, Twitter, donor buttons and live streaming of Sunday services. This PROCTORTalk will explore ethical grounding, which drives the technology. Rev. Dr. Arlecia Simmons, Associate Minister First Calvary Baptist, Augusta, GA Derick Pearson, Founder and CFO Code Fever Miami, Miami, FL 18

19 SICK AND TIRED OF BEING SICK AND TIRED BUT STRUGGLING TIL THE END! - L-2 This PROCTORTalk will amplify and clarify the real long-term impact upon the Black community of interrelated public policies that put at risk the well being of the Black community. The centerpiece of those policies relate to health care, tax redistributions and the judicial system. This session will not only provide specific information on what current legislative proposals portend, but discuss the development of a more effective rapid response infrastructure to inform and mobilize justice ministries at local churches and within regional communities. Honorable Rev. Wendell Griffen, Senior Pastor New Millennial Baptist Church, Little Rock, AR Eric Mitchell, Government Relations Director Bread for the World, Washington, D.C. Dr. Catherine Georges, Professor and Chair Lehman College, Bronx, NY DISMISSAL TO WORKSHOPS 10:15 AM VISIT EXHIBITS MEDIATION AND PRAYER ROOM: 19

20 Rev. Dr. Heber Brown Senior Pastor Pleasant Hope Baptist Church Baltimore, MD Rev. Dr. Melanie Harris Professor of Religion and Ethics Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX WorkShoP SeSSionS Tuesday, February 13th at 10:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Enough for All: Theology of Sufficiency, Earth Care and Eco-Justice L-8 Life expectancy can be determined by one s zip code. In the 21st century communities of color are being impacted by environmental factors and city planning in ways that are harmful to their health and over all well being. Food insecurity, contaminated water, and pollution are some challenges communities face. This session will address how we should engage in a movement to reclaim the earth and our communities by providing practical ways communities can be made whole based on a Theology of Sufficiency. Dorian Blythers Capacity, Public Engagement Program Manager CAC, Washington, DC Tuesday, February 13th at 10:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Dr. Charlene Sinclair Director of Reinvestment Center for Community Change Richmond, VA Rev. Brandon Davis Managing Director GPS Impacts, Washington, DC Building Allies and Unity for Movement Building: 2018 and Beyond L-3 Freedom is a constant struggle. It is essential for each generation to continue the fight for human rights. It takes a collective to construct, maintain, and pool resources together in order to move an agenda. Allies are critical to this process. This session will provide practical ways and a framework to discover and build relationships with diverse people and organizations for sustainable movement building. Rev. Ronnie Galvin Senior Advisor Silver Springs, MD 20

21 WorkShoP SeSSionS Tuesday, February 13th at 10:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Rev. Emmet Dunn Senior Pastor West Hyattsville Baptist Church Hyattsville, MD Rev. Theophous Reagans, Esq. Minister of Global Ministries Allen Temple Baptist Church Oakland, CA Ubuntu: Between Jerusalem and Jericho L-4 This session will focus on the moral imperative to bond with the African diaspora to disrupt colonial systems designed to oppress. Participants will be presented with a concept of what it means to connect to and work with black and brown people across the globe as a collective. This session will offer ways for us to live out what it means to be our brother/sister s keeper throughout the diaspora. This session will also discuss the ways in which our struggles are intricately tied together which leads to the importance of lifting our collective voice. Rozella Haydee White Houston City Director Mission Year Houston, TX Tuesday, February 13th at 10:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Rev. Dr. Curtiss DeYoung, CEO Minnesota Council of Churches Minneapolis, MN Rev. Dr. Dorsey Blake Visiting Associate Professor Pacific School of Religion Berkeley, CA The World House : Strategies for Living in a Pluralistic Society L-5 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. issued a warning that we will have to learn how live together in the large global house if we are to live together in peace. This session will focus on the importance of engaging with others of different religious, ethic, and racial backgrounds to create a space to build a world where we learn to live together in peace with an ethos of justice and love at the center. 21

22 WorkShoP SeSSionS Tuesday, February 13th at 10:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Rev. Susan Mitchell, Associate Director of Strategic Initiatives- UCC Church Building & Loan Fund Cleveland, OH Rev. Vanessa Wilson, Esq. Senior Pastor Magnolia Road United Methodist Church, Pemberton, NJ Rise Up and Build: Nehemiah Plans for Community Development L-6 Across the nation, cities that once had vibrant communities of color are now blighted areas devoid of life giving and life sustaining resources. It is imperative to recreate centers of economic health, safe housing, political power and labor markets. This session will address the need for faith communities to adapt to the changing landscape of cities, take collective action and engage in collaborative projects to create flourishing communities of opportunities. Tuesday, February 13th at 10:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Rev. Dr. Stephanie Crumpton Assistant Professor McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago. IL Jacqueline E. Oselen Holistic Health Practitioner Your Inner Yogi, Memphis, TN Pastoral Care in the Age of Soul Trauma L-2 Pastors take on the weight of congregational social, economical, emotional and spiritual well being while trying to maintain their own sense safety and sanity. Pastors often witness, experience and absorb the trauma of others with an added layer of processing their own trauma in solitude. This session will assist Pastors with the necessary tools to develop and maintain a healthy balance between pastoring and self -care. This session will also discuss how pastors can create spaces with other pastors to process trauma and offer support as a community. 22

23 WorkShoP SeSSionS Tuesday, February 13th at 10:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Dr. Patricia Newton Medical Director Black Psychiatrists of America Dallas, TX Minister Candance Simpson Faith and Justice Coordinator Concord Freedom School Bedford-Stuyvesant, NY Community Well Being in the Age of Soul Trauma L-9 The constant assault on local black and brown communities impacts the soul. For many who engage in justice work, there is form of interpersonal violence that pierces the soul and crushes the spirit and exposure to the evil at work can shake the psyche. It is imperative that we have the proper resources and tools to repair and guard our mind, body and soul. This session will provide practical ways and rituals to make self-care and healing central to staying in the struggle until the end. Jeanne Isler Vice President/Chief Engagement Officer National Committee for Responsive Therapy Washington, D.C. Faith Bynoe, President Y I Give, New York, NY Tuesday, February 13th at 10:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Rev. Dr. Alisha Lola Jones Assistant Professor Indiana University Bloomington, IL Dr. James Abbington Associate Professor Candler School of Theology Atlanta, GA Move of the Spirit: The Role of Music and Faith in Movement Building River Bluff The levels of progress achieved in previous generations were in part due to the arts and the move of the spirit. Producers of music worked with ethnomusicologists to create songs that would make their way to the frontlines and in the churches to inspire, mobilize, and provide language for the movement. This session will discuss role and importance of music and faith from enslavement to the Civil Rights Movement to #blacklivesmatter and the critical need to maintain this legacy. 23

24 WorkShoP SeSSionS Tuesday, February 13th at 10:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Rev. Dr. Lisa Sharon Harper Founder and President FreedomRoad.us Washington, D.C. Rev. Dr. Tamara Lewis Assistant Professor Perkins School of Theology Dallas, TX Troubling Biblical Waters : Faith, Fear and Fortitude L-10 We have nothing to fear. From biblical antiquity to the Coptic Church to brush harbor spirituality to the modern day prophetic black church, the church has always resisted empire without fear. The fight for human rights and dignity in the face of systems designed to dehumanize is still with us. The church must remain true to its foundation, call and legacy of speaking truth to power. This session will move from historical to modern day movements in order to equip and inspire faith communities to remain in the struggle until the end. Tuesday, February 13th at 10:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Rev. Aundreia Alexander, Esq. Associate General Secretary National Council of Churches Washington, D.C. Derrick Dailey National Chair The National Black Law Students Association St. Louis, MO Samson and Goliath: The Role of Public Policy in Seeking Justice L-11 We have been bequeathed positive public policies from previous generational movements. Those who write and implement public policy are determining who is deserving and entitled of resources and human rights. It is critical for justice seekers to fully engage our values, stand on our moral authority and keep policy makers honest. This session will discuss the role of public policy in justice movements and provide a framework for making public policy a key component to seeking justice. 24

25 WorkShoP SeSSionS Tuesday, February 13th at 10:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Tamika Stembridge, Esq. Executive Director dfree Global Foundation New York, NY Debt Free and Money Management: A Congregational Approach L-12 The financial stability of the church cannot be separated from the financial well- being of individuals in church. This session will focus on fundamental ways to break free from living in debt and living from check to check. This session will go beyond simple financial literacy as a way to live debt free. It will take a holistic approach to debt free living by discussing the emotional, spiritual and psychological aspect of living in debt. Tuesday, February 13th at 10:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Rev. Dionne P. Boissière Chaplin, Church Center for the United Nations New York, NY Minister Tiauna (Boyd)Webb Director of Programs Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. Chicago, IL Rev. Dr. Michael Nabors Senior Pastor Second Baptist Church Evanston, IL The Future We Want: Fighting for Justice Locally, Nationally and Globally L-13 One could make the case that if the U.S. justice department s policies and White House pronouncements of values are any indication of where the U.S. is headed, the U.S. is gearing up for institutionalizing a military state. Militarized police department, surveillance, profitization of police brutality, surfacing of hate groups with impunity and devaluing of a free press are all signs. They have been especially felt and targeted at Blacks and Hispanics, LGBTQ, other minorities and marginalized communities. This session will offer ways to assess and monitor the incremental and episodic evidences of how a society regresses and normalizes anti-democratic values. This session will also identify ways to bring attention to and amplify the voices within communities of color who are most vulnerable to feeling the brunt of a military state. This session will also provide a framework for developing strategies for working alongside the most marginalized and ensure that their basic right to live life with dignity is protected. 25

26 WorkShoP SeSSionS Tuesday, February 13th at 10:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Min. Liz Alexander Founder She Dream of Freedom Consulting Group New York, NY Rev. Dr. Neichelle Guidry Creator Shepreaches, Chicago, IL Whitney Bond, Founder The Sisters Chapel Mime Ministry, Anointed Vessels Chicago, IL Sisters of The Rock: The Era of Millennial Womanism L14 A new generation of Black Womanist are emerging under the banner womanism. Millennial womanism (a term that was co-created by Rev. Melanie Jones, Visiting Instructor of Ethics, Theology and Culture at Brite Divinity School, and Min. Liz S. Alexander, Founder & Principal Consultant of She Dreams of Freedom Collaborative), is the emerging platform upon which millennial Black women in ministry are finding entry space for leadership, community, wholeness and voice. Millennial womanists are gathering the lesson learned from womanist foremothers, and putting in the work to engage the current social injustices with faith and truth in order to create individual and community transformation for the 21st century. They are practitioners and thought leaders, preachers and teachers who are a force for justice and rooted in self-care. This session will highlight the new era of millennial womanism and join together others who are seasoned in and new to the womanist community, in order to foster a nexus between Sisters in ministry and pave new avenues for collective selfcare, learning, creating and agency. Daryle Brown Executive Director Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago, IL Kassandra Frederique New York State Director Drug Policy Alliance, New York, NY Rev. Charles Boyer Senior Pastor, Bethel A.M.E. Church, Woodberry, NJ Tuesday, February 13th at 10:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. #WAR: From Mass Incarceration to Mass Criminalization Sultana Over the past decade, much of our attention has justifiably been on mass incarceration. There are many subtle, obscure and nefarious ways in which the criminal justice system of mass incarceration is now in a tug of war with ideologies of mass criminalization, white nationalism and xenophobia. Mass incarceration is substantially focused on the racially disproportionate prevalence and pervasiveness of who is behind bars. There is reason to turn our attention to mass criminalization, and not just of the thing that is criminalized, e.g. non-criminal drug use, but a growing narrative of the criminalization of a race of people deemed to have a proclivity and predilection to criminality. The intensified efforts at justifying racially expedient dehumanization and targeting of an entire group of people, from extrajudicial killings to teenage vigilante lynch mobs to privatization of a school room to jail cell pipeline continues to cast the widest net possible against people of African descent in the U.S. This session will explore the role of the Church to speak up, push back, and resist giving up on recent policy gains to address mass incarceration and position it to more effectively address the larger ethical ethos of mass criminalization and indicants of genocide. 26

27 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2018 LABOR LUNCHEON 12:15 PM THE HUMAN DIGNITY AND RIGHT TO WORK: THEN AND NOW GENERAL SECRETARY PLENARY LUNCHEON Rev. Dr. Iva E. Carruthers, PRESIDING General Secretary, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Chicago, IL MINISTRY OF MUSIC Dr. Leo H. Davis, Jr., Minister of Worship Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, Memphis, TN ANNOUNCEMENTS PRAISE IN SONG WELCOME AND SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS VIDEO/ WELCOME BLESSING OF THE MEAL Dr. Iva E. Carruthers Mr. Lee Saunders, President American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees AFL-CIO Eden Theological Seminary LUNCH PRESENTATIONS/RECOGNITION I AM A MAN: HONORING THE LEGACY OF MEMPHIS SANITATION WORKERS INTRODUCTION OF MODERATOR Rev. Dr. Iva E. Carruthers The Human Dignity and Right to Work: Then and Now MODERATOR Dr. William (Bill) Lucy Retired International Secretary-Treasurer (AFSCME) President Emeritus, International Coalition of Black Trade Unions 27

28 REFLECTIONS RESPONSES Dr. William Spriggs Howard University, Washington, DC Chief Economist to AFL-CIO Ms. Robin Williams, International Vice President United Food Commercial Workers Unions, Mr. Jimmy U. Settles, Jr., Vice President United Auto Workers CLOSING COMMENTS/PRAYER Rev. Terrence L. Melvin Secy-Treasurer, New York State AFL-CIO President, International Coalition of Black Trade Unionists MINISTRY OF MUSIC DISMISSAL TO WORKSHOPS 2:30 PM EXHIBITS MEDITATION AND PRAYER ROOM: AZALEA (SHERATON) 28

29 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2018 SERVICE OF WORSHIP 6:45 PM REV. DR. WILLIAM MARCUS SMALL, PRESIDING Senior Pastor, New Calvary Baptist Church, Norfolk, VA Trustee, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. MINISTRY OF MUSIC Dr. Leo H. Davis, Jr., Minister of Worship Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, Memphis, TN PRAISE SONG ANNOUNCEMENTS CALL TO ASSEMBLY Rev. Dr. William Marcus Small WELCOME AND PRAYER SPECIAL GREETINGS Rev. Earle J. Fisher Senior Pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church Memphis, TN Rev. Virzola Law, Senior Pastor Lindenwood Christian Church Memphis, TN Rev. J. Lawrence Turner, Senior Pastor Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church Memphis, TN Rev. Dr. John W. Kinney Senior Pastor, Ebenezer Baptist Church Beaverdam, VA LITANY (See page 67) Rev. Dr. William Marcus Small OFFERING/MINISTRY OF MUSIC TESTIMONY Rev. Dr. Marilyn Pagan-Banks Pastor San Lucas United Church of Christ; Director, A Just Harvest, Chicago, IL 29

30 Rev. Dr. William Barber, Senior Pastor and President Greenleaf Christian Church and Repairers of the Breach Goldsboro, NC OFFERING Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III, Senior PastorFriendship-West Baptist Church, Dallas, TX Co-Chair, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. INTRODUCTION Rev. Porsha D. Williams, M.DIV. Associate Pastor to Youth & Children of the Bethany Baptist Church Newark, NJ MUSICAL SELECTION Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, Memphis, TN Collogue dance Collective SERMONIC REFLECTION Rev. Racquel C.N. Gill Associate Pastor of Ministries at First Baptist Church Burlington, NC MINISTRY OF MUSIC CLOSING PRAYER Payne Theological Seminary MINISTRY OF MUSIC DISMISSAL SEMINARIAN DEBRIEF, MEMPHIS COOK CONVENTION CENTER, BALLROOM D BOOK SIGNING RECEPTION AND EXHIBITS PLENARY CONVENES AT 8:15 AM MEDITATION AND PRAYER ROOM: AZALEA (SHERATON) 30

31 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2018 BREAKFAST PLENARY SESSION 8:15 AM - 10:00 AM REV. DR. VALERIE BRIDGEMAN, PRESIDING Interim Academic Dean and Associate Professor of Homiletics and Hebrew Bible, Methodist Theological School in Ohio, Delaware, OH Trustee, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. MINISTRY OF MUSIC Dr. Leo H. Davis, Jr., Minister of Worship Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, Memphis, TN CALL TO ASSEMBLY PRAYER Rev. Dr. Valerie Bridgeman Interdenominational Theological Center ANNOUNCEMENTS WELCOME/REMARKS SPOKEN WORD: Rahab s Battle Cry Rev. Dr. Valerie Bridgeman Min. Lyvonne Proverbs Picou The Way Christian Center, Oakland, CA MINISTRY OF MUSIC Ms. Carolyn Wright, Solo Memphis, TN INTRODUCTION OF PANELISTS Rev. Dr. Valerie Bridgeman SISTERS OF THE ROCK: HIDDEN FIGURES Rev. Melanie Jones, Visiting Instructor Ethics, Theology, and Culture, Brite Divinity School, Forth Worth, TX Co-Creator, #Millennial Womanism Dr. Rachel Harding, Associate Professor Indigenous Spiritual Traditions, University of Colorado, Denver, CO Rev. Dr. Rosetta Ross, Professor Philosophy & Religion, Spelman College, Atlanta, GA CLOSING PRAYER AND SENDING FORTH Duke Divinity School MINISTRY OF MUSIC DISMISSAL TO MUSEUM AND WORKSHOPS VISIT EXHIBITS MEDITATION AND PRAYER ROOM AZALEA (SHERATON) 31

32 WEDNESDAY WORKSHOPS 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM MEMPHIS CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM DISMISSAL TO BUSES 10:00 AM SPECIAL SESSIONS 10:30 AM THE MEMPHIS COOK CONVENTION CENTER I AM A MAN - FILM SCREENING L-4 Conversations with Dr. William (Bill) Lucy Retired International Secretary-Treasurer (AFSCME) President Emeritus, International Coalition of Black Trade Unions I AM A MAN seeks to heighten awareness of the contributions made by citizens of our city whose courage and determination boldly changed history and whose character sits at the heart of the place we call home. It is made in Memphis by an all-memphis team. FAMILY TIES: EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR CREATING FLOURISHING FAMILIES AND CHILDREN L-5 Linetta J. Gilbert, Gilbert & Associates Alexander James, Trinity Family Life Center Peggy Outun, Bayer Center Families are increasingly becoming more vulnerable and fractured due to food insecurity, lack of economic opportunities, inadequate housing, incarceration of family members, lack of job skills and a disruption of family ties as a result of natural and man made disasters. As a result, children are left without proper care and resources. As a response, faith-based nonprofits and religious communities have assumed the role of service providers, social activists, policy advocates and caregivers. This workshop is designed to strengthen the capacity of religious leaders and Executive Directors of nonprofits to become more effective child welfare advocates. Participants will have access to a tool kit designed to create environments that enhance and sustain high quality lives for families and children. 32

33 NSAKA SUNSUM (TOUCH THE SPIRIT) AFRICAN CENTERED CHRISTIAN -EDUCATION FOR CLASSROOM, COMMUNITY AND FAMILY JUSTICE L-6 Presenter: Ithari Toure, Ed.D. Director Sankofa Center for Data Evaluation and Quality Enhancement Interdenominational Theological Center, Atlanta, GA One of the consequences of participating in systems of oppression and supremacy is the unhealthy socialization that results from learning to stay alive in those systems. Generational oppression can normalize these ways of being such that ways of a non-oppressive existence appear to be abnormal, disrespectful, and obtrusive. This session connects key aspects of faith practice (e.g., prayer, spiritual gifting, teaching and learning, witnessing, ritual and the sacred arts) demonstrated through six structured experiences held in church, community and family settings to provide a general design for just living and just patterns for interpreting reality. These six experiences share a common framework of the interdependent meshing of African intuition (voice of the Spirit), consciousness (the voice of the Ancestors) and, information (the voice of experience) to position imagination, sensitivity and critical thinking as key to restoration and practice of justice in the classroom, community and the family. VISIT EXHIBITS MEDITATION AND PRAYER ROOM: AZALEA (SHERATON) 33

34 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2018 MEMPHIS CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM SPECIAL PROGRAM: ASH WEDNESDAY AND RITUAL OF REMEMBRANCE 10:00 AM 4:00 PM The Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. has arranged for group visits to the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel. Participants will be a part of a sacred memory liturgical experience, to include the distribution of ashes for those observing Ash Wednesday. Distribution of ashes will also occur at the hotel. Participants will be able to visit the sacred space where Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., met an assassin s bullet and was resurrected into eternal life and man s history. What man meant for evil, God has transformed into a catalyst to redeem the soul of America and transform the trajectory of world history. Admission to the museum will be at a reduced rate of $10.00 and should be purchased at the SDPC sales table before Tuesday/ Wednesday. DEPART FROM AND TO THE SHERATON BETWEEN 10:00 AM AND 3:00 PM VISIT EXHIBITS MEDITATION AND PRAYER ROOM: (SHERATON) 34

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36 BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET HONOREE DINNER PROGRAMME WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, :45 PM MS. TYRA A. MARIANI, PRESIDING Executive Vice President, New America Foundation, Washington, D.C. Co-Chair, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. MINISTRY OF MUSIC Dr. Leo H. Davis, Jr., Minister of Worship Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, Memphis, TN PRAISE IN SONG ANNOUNCEMENTS HONOREE PROCESSIONAL CALL TO ASSEMBLY & INTRODUCTIONS Beautiful Are The Feet Ms. Tyra A. Mariani THE OCCASION THE RESPONSE Bishop E. Anne Henning-Byfield, Presiding Prelate 16th Episcopal District, African Methodist Episcopal Church Caribbean, South America, Europe Tiauna Boyd- Webb, Director of Programs Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. Chicago, IL SONG OF THANKSGIVING Rev. Angelo Chatmon Pastor of Pilgrim Journey Baptist Church Richmond, VA DINNER INTRODUCTION OF CELEBRATOR Rev. Traci Blackmon Senior Pastor, Christ the King United Church of Christ, Florissant, MO Executive Minister, United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries, Cleveland, OH Trustee, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. MUSICAL INTERLUDE Rev. Dr. Ozzie E. Smith, Jr. Senior Pastor, Covenant United Church of Christ, South Holland, IL 36

37 CELEBRATION: BLOW THE TRUMPET Rev. Starsky Wilson, Senior Pastor St. John s Church (The Beloved Community), St. Louis, MO CEO to Deaconess Foundation, St. Louis, MO Trustee, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. PRESENTATION & ACCEPTANCE OF AWARDS PRESIDING TRUSTEES, SAMUEL DEWITT PROCTOR CONFERENCE, INC. Rev. Martin Espinosa, Co-Pastor Ray of Hope Community Church, Nashville, TN Trustee, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr., President Healing of the Nations Foundation, New York, NY Trustee, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. Rev. Dr. Iva E. Carruthers, General Secretary Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc., Chicago, IL God ordained thee prophets unto the nations Jeremiah 1:5 (KJV) Rev. Dr. Clifford Jones Rev. Dr. James Netters Rev. Dr. Christine Wiley Rev. Dr. Dennis Wiley Rev. Dr. Katie Cannon CLOSING COMMENTS AND BENEDICTION 37

38 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2018 CLOSING PLENARY AND SERVICE OF COVENANT & COMMUNION 8:15 AM HONORABLE REV. WENDELL GRIFFEN, PRESIDING Senior Pastor, New Millennium Church, Little Rock, AK Trustee, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. MINISTRY OF MUSIC Dr. Leo H. Davis, Jr., Minister of Worship Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, Memphis, TN CALL TO ASSEMBLY Rev. Wendell Griffen CLOSING RITUAL/PRAYER REV. TRACI BLACKMON CALL TO REMEMBRANCE/LITANY OF COVENANT (See page ) Rev. Wendell Griffen MUSICAL PRELUDE INTRODUCTION Honorable Wendell Griffen MINISTRY OF MUSIC Mrs. Debra Manning Thomas, Solo PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD Rev. Dr. Rosalyn Nichols, Senior Pastor and Director Freedom s Chapel Christian Church, Memphis, TN Henry Logan Starks Institute for Faith, Race & Social Justice Memphis Theological Seminary, Memphis, TN HOLY COMMUNION Rev. Wendell Griffen MINISTRY OF MUSIC BENEDICTION DISMISSAL WE WISH YOU SAFE TRAVEL! SEE YOU IN 2019! 38

39 SDPC the PreaCheD WorD Rev. Racquel C.N. Gill serves as Associate Pastor of Ministries at First Baptist Church in Burlington, NC, providing oversight of all ministry activities, spiritual formation to young adults, and mid-level supervision of staff and ministry volunteers while also balancing her first love, the preaching and teaching of God s word. Racquel accepted her call into the ministry at the age of fourteen and preached her initial sermon at the St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church. At the age of seventeen, she was ordained at St. Luke under the leadership of the late Rev. Dr. Roy C. Jeffcoat. From July 2015 until December 2017 she served as a Lily Pastor-In- Residence at the historic St. Paul Community Baptist Church in the East New York section of Brooklyn under the leadership of Pastor David K. Brawley. While at St. Paul, Rev. Gill was responsible for women s bible study, creating an intentional space for young adults and leading the noonday worship to seniors within the community. Rev. Dr. Rosalyn R. Nichols is the organizing pastor of FreedomPLE s Chapel Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Memphis, TN. Following the death of a childhood friend, as a result of relationship/domestic violence, Dr. Nichols organized the 501(c) 3 nonprofit, A More Excellent Way, Inc. (AWay) with a mission to help individuals from all walks of life to enter into, engage in and maintain spiritually healthy relationships toward the elimination of relationship violence. Dr. Nichols has focused her energy in helping faith communities regardless of faith tradition to examine how to define, practice and preach what it means to love. Through AWay, Inc. Dr. Nichols travels nationally preaching and teaching the message of 1 John 4.18; there is no fear in love, there is a more excellent way to live. She was the only African American woman in her region to organize a new church start from inception to sustainability. Freedom s Chapel Christian Church (DOC) was birthed without denominational support or large benefactors. Dr. Nichols had the privilege as the first ordained clergy woman to serve as visiting professor at the Gweru Baptist Theological Seminary in Gweru, Zimbabwe South Africa and Memphis Theological Seminary. She received her Doctor of Ministry degree from the historically black Virginia Union University in Richmond, VA. Rev. Starsky D. Wilson serves as a pastor, philanthropist and activist pursuing God s vision of community marked by justice, peace and love. He is the Pastor of Saint John s Church (The Beloved Community) in St. Louis, the President & CEO of Deaconess Foundation, (a Faith-Based grant making organization devoted to making child well-being a civic priority in the St. Louis region and former co-chair of the Ferguson Commission. Rev. Wilson has led congregational activism on a myriad of issues, including youth violence prevention, Medicaid expansion, public school accreditation, voter mobilization, and initiative petitions to cap predatory lending rates and raise the minimum wage in Missouri, while more than tripling worship attendance and financial stewardship in five years. Through the church, Pastor Wilson established The Beloved Community Conference and Sojourner s Truth: A Celebration of Preaching Women as signature outreach efforts. Rev. Wilson was recently selected by Missouri Governor, Jeremiah Nixon, to co-chair the Ferguson Commission, created to study and make specific recommendations for how to make progress on the issues rose by the events in Ferguson. Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. is Pastor Emeritus of Trinity United Church of Christ on Chicago s south side. Under his leadership, the membership of Trinity grew from 87 members to over 6,000 during his 36 years as Pastor. Rev. Dr. Wright became Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ (TUCC) in Within a matter of months, he demonstrated an understanding and deep commitment to helping TUCC achieve its motto and vision. The motto, Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian, was a phrase coined by his predecessor, the Reverend Dr. Reuben Sheares, and was officially adopted by the congregation shortly after Pastor Wright began his ministry. Rev. Wright is a man of great faith, a theological scholar and master Homelitcian. He is recognized as a leading theologian and pastor. McCormick recently collaborated with Dr. Wright and TUCC to create a new Doctor of Ministry program at McCormick named in his honor. Rev. Dr. Wright has lectured at seminaries and universities across the United States and has represented TUCC and The United Church of Christ around the world. Dr. Wright is a member of the Board of Trustees of Virginia Union University, the Samuel Dewitt Proctor Pastors Conference and the Kwame Nkrumah Academy. He has authored numerous articles for academic journals and has published several books including, What Makes You So Strong?, Blow the Trumpet in Zion, and his most recent offering, A Sankofa Moment The History of Trinity United Church of Christ. 39

40 minister of music Dr. Leo H. Davis, Jr. serves as Minister of Music at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Memphis, TN. Under his direction, the Mississippi Boulevard Music Department has acquired an international reputation for musical excellence and versatility in worship and performance. As a musician, conductor, instructor, and visionary leader in his field, Leo has earned enormous respect as an artist for all seasons. His expertise ranges from the spiritual masterpieces of Moses G. Hogan to the classical treasures of Beethoven. Rev. Leo s numerous accomplishments include co-production and project management of the Sanctuary Choir s CD entitled Live at The Boulevard, featuring the music ministry of Mississippi Boulevard and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra Brass and Percussion sections. His music credentials include a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in church music and conducting from the University of Memphis; a Master of Music in organ performance from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, Massachusetts; a Certificate from the Royal School of Church Music, Croydon, England; and a Bachelor of Music Degree from Roosevelt University, Chicago, Illinois. musicians Rodrick Dixon is a classical crossover artist that possesses a tenor voice of extraordinary range and versatility. His body of work covers 25 years of television, recordings, live theater and concerts. Mr. Dixon s eclectic discography with Sony BMG, EMI Records & Naxos has delighted fans all over the world. In 2017, Mr. Dixon made a guest appearance on the Freedom Awards filmed at the Orpheum Theater in Memphis. Additionally, he performed at a gala with his wife, Alfreda, for the South African Rise Against Hunger initiative with the Miss World BWP delegation working with the Mandela Family to celebrate President Nelson Mandela s cause to eradicate hunger. Deborah Manning-Thomas serves with the Music Ministry and Women of Wisdom of Christ Missionary Baptist Church, Memphis, TN. She has served in leadership positions within the Tennessee Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention and the Tennessee Regular Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention and has worked and sung in the National Baptist Convention and Congress of Christian Education. Deborah was cast as the Quinn Family Maid in the movie The Firm and sang in the choir in the movie Hustle and Flow. Rev. Dr. Ozzie E. Smith, Jr. is Senior Pastor Covenant United Church of Christ, South Holland, IL. Anointed, gifted, leader, teacher, virtuoso, maestro, scholar, theologian, professor, revivalist, activist, entrepreneur, counselor, friend, and pastor are just a few of the words that describe the Rev. Dr. Ozzie E. Smith, Jr. Known for his phenomenal and heart-provoking saxophone playing, Rev. Smith is an equally gifted preacher who is sought out for revivals across the country. His unique ability to combine his music and his invigorating interpretation of the gospel message has brought hope and encouragement to God s people everywhere. A graduate of McCormick Theological Seminary, Dr. Smith serves there as an adjunct professor of ministry, D. Min. advisor and as a Trustee. He also serves on the Advisory Board Alliance for Christian Media. 40

41 Dean of SeminarianS Bishop David D. Daniels III, Ph.D. is the Henry Winters Luce Professor of World Christianity, McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago, IL. A bishop in the Church of God in Christ, he chairs the National Board of Education for the denomination and directs the 5th Illinois-East Jurisdictional Academy for Ordination and Licensure. Dr. Daniels came to McCormick, after completing his Ph.D. work in Church History at Union Theological Seminary in New York. Prior to serving at McCormick, he was an instructor of Religion at the Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire. He has served as co-chair of the Reformed and Pentecostal International Dialogue, a board member of the Christian Century Foundation, the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving, and the Global Impact, Inc. Ecumenically, he has served as a member of the Faith and Order Commission of the National Council of Churches, the World Council of Churches Consultation on Pentecostalism, as well as an Ecumenical Delegate to the General Assembly Council off the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Dr. Daniels teaching career has taken him to Asia Pacific Theological Seminary, Sanguio City and Philippines and Regent University College, Accra, Ghana. He is the author of more than 20 book chapters and journals articles. In addition to his Ph.D. in Church History from Union Theological Seminary in New York City, Dr. Daniels holds a Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School at Yale University and a Bachelor of Arts from Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine where he majored in religion and economics. artist in residence Atty. Stanley Stallworth is the managing partner of The Stallworth Legal Group, LLC ( TSLG ), a law firm providing a wide range of transactional advice to clients in principally real estate and lending offering targeted advice in litigation and employment matters. He has been a member of the Illinois and Alabama State Bar Associations for 27 years. In 2013, the unthinkable occurred: he was wrongfully accused of a crime. Stallworth spent the next two years clearing his name and winning a major victory of exoneration. During the process, he left a prominent Chicago law firm, Sidley Austin, LLP, where he was a partner and had previously won several awards for his policy work in the area of diversity and inclusion. Stallworth reports that it was faith, close family and a lot of prayers that helped him during the journey towards acquittal. He pursued a childhood passion and became a self-taught abstract artist, planting the seeds that would nurture his profound collection and exhibit, American Justice- She Ain t Blind, close to 250 works of art. 41

42 SDPC Plenary SPeakerS Rev. Dr. William Barber, II serves as Pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, Goldsboro, North Carolina. He is President & Sr. Lecturer of Repairers of the Breach, Co-Chair of the Poor People s Campaign; Bishop with the College of Affirming Bishops and Faith Leaders; and Visiting Professor at Union Theological Seminary. Rev. Dr. Barber is also the architect of the Forward Together Moral Movement that gained national acclaim with its Moral Monday protests at the North Carolina General Assembly. These weekly actions drew tens of thousands of North Carolinians and other moral witnesses to the state legislature. On September 12, 2016 Rev. Dr. Barber led a Moral Day of Action, the largest coordinated action on state capitals in U.S. history, calling for state governments to embrace a moral public policy agenda. On February 11, 2017, he led the largest moral march in North Carolina state history, with over 80,000 people calling on North Carolina s elected officials to embrace a moral public policy agenda. Rev. Dr. Barber served as president of the North Carolina NAACP, from and currently sits on the National NAACP Board of Directors. A former Mel King Fellow at MIT, he is Visiting Professor of Public Theology and Activism at Union Theological Seminary and is a Senior Fellow at Auburn Seminary. Rev. Dr. Gay L. Byron is Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the Howard University School of Divinity in Washington, DC. Before relocating to Howard, she was the Baptist Missionary Training School Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins and Dean of the Program of Black Church Studies at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School in Rochester, NY. She is the author of Symbolic Blackness and Ethnic Difference in Early Christian Literature (Routledge Press, 2002). Rev. Byron is an ordained minister of the Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). She preaches and leads workshops throughout the country for a variety of denominational bodies, and continues to lecture on topics dealing with race, ethnicity, and the Bible; womanist hermeneutics; and early Ethiopian Christianity. She holds degrees from Florida State University (B.S.), Clark Atlanta University (M.B.A.), and Union Theological Seminary in New York City (M.Div. and Ph.D.). Bishop Anne Henning-Byfield serves as the 135th elected and consecrated bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Her historic election in the year 2016 represents the first time in the history of the AME Church a person was elected who had a sibling on the bench of Bishops. She is also the first known person to be elected from Indiana since Bishop William Paul Quinn. Currently, she serves as the Presiding Prelate of the 16th Episcopal District, where she provides leadership to seven annual conferences in the Caribbean, South America, and Europe. Bishop Byfield is one who dares to Live, Learn, Lead, and Love GOD. She lives a life filled with creativity and passion as a preacher, psalmist, a poet, spoken word artist, strategic consultant, writer and composer. As a learner, she has her Bachelors of Science degree from Wilberforce University, Masters of Divinity degree from Newburgh Theological Seminary; A Masters of Divinity Degree from Payne Theological Seminary, A Doctor of Ministry Degree from Ashland Theological Seminary, and an Honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from R.R. Wright School of Religion, Johannesburg, South Africa. Her dissertation is entitled the Effect of Short Notice Itinerant Moves In the North District Indiana Annual Conference, AME Church. 42

43 SDPC Plenary SPeakerS Rev. Alvin Herring is Director of Racial Equity and Community Engagement for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), Battle Creek, MI., where he provides strategic oversight to a programming team and grant portfolios related to racial equity, racial healing and community engagement that advance the Foundation s mission to support children, families and communities as they strengthen and create conditions that propel vulnerable children to achieve success in school, work and life. Prior to this, he has served as the deputy director/senior leader for the PICO National Network, the nation s largest, oldest faith-led community organizing network; the executive director for the Working Interfaith Network in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; a community organizer for the Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization in Richmond, California; the principal and lead consultant for Side By Side in Alameda, California; the executive director for the Muhammad Ali Institute for Peace and Justice in Louisville, Kentucky; and was the dean of students/assistant vice president for student life at the University of Louisville. He was also founding partner for the Fusion Partnership, Inc. based out of Baltimore, Maryland and worked as the chief operating officer for the National Coalition Building Institute in Washington, DC. Herring completed post-master s studies in counseling at Purdue University, a Master of Science in counseling at University of St. Francis and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and pan-african studies from the University of Louisville. Holly T. Joiner serves as Program Associate, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. Previously, Holly served Non-profit organizations including NextUP and Higher Achievement. Focused on community service /social justice, she has served as a mentor, summer teacher, and achievement coach at Thomas H. Henderson Middle school in Richmond Virginia. Holly attended the University of Memphis where she studied for a month in Ghana, West Africa as part of the African and African American Institute. She also studied Latin American History and Culture for a month in Jan Jose Costa Rica. Holly, graduated in 2014 with a BA in International Studies and a minor in History. Rev. Melanie Chante Jones is the Visiting Instructor of Ethics, Theology, and Culture at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas. She is a thinking woman of faith enlivening radical love and revolutionary justice in the Church, classroom and global community. She is a womanist ethicist, millennial preacher and intellectual activist. Rev. Melanie is the Co-Curator of #millennialwomanism editorial forum alongside Liz S. Alexander hosted on the Black Theology Project (btpbase.org) and Co-Creative of The Millennial Womanism Project, a womanist movement toward sustainable initiatives for faith leaders and justice activists and advocates of today and tomorrow. She earned a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Howard University and a Master of Divinity with a certificate in Black Church Studies from Vanderbilt University Divinity School. Melanie is a Doctor of Philosophy candidate at Chicago Theological Seminary studying ethics, theology, and culture. Her doctoral dissertation is entitled Up Against a Crooked Gospel: Black Women s Bodies and the Politics of Character in Religion and Society. She received a Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship from The Louisville Institute. As a thirdgeneration Baptist preacher, Rev. Melanie is the youngest ordained clergy woman at South Suburban M. B. Church in Harvey, Illinois. Her writings and sermons are featured in popular digital and print publications. Rev. Earle J. Fisher serves as Senior Pastor of Abyssinian Missionary Baptist Church in Memphis, TN. and Adjunct Instructor of Contemporary Theology at Rhodes College. Most of Rev. Fisher s work focuses on the African American Religious Rhetoric, Contemporary Rhetorical Theory, Black Liberation Theology, and the prophetic persona of Albert Cleage, Jr. He is a dually ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and Missionary Baptist Church denominations. Earle is a PhD candidate in the Rhetoric and Politics of Society at University of Memphis. He has an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts from Lake Michigan College, a Bachelor s of Science in Computer Science from LeMoyne Owen College and a Masters of Divinity from Memphis Theological Seminary. He has received numerous awards including the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) Hall of Honors Inductee. 43

44 SDPC Plenary SPeakerS Dr. Rachel Elizabeth Harding, is Assistant Professor of Indigenous Spiritual Traditions in the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado Denver. A native of Georgia, a writer, historian and poet, she is a specialist in religions of the Afro-Atlantic diaspora and studies the relationship between religion, creativity and social justice activism in cross-cultural perspective. She is a Cave Canem Fellow and holds an MFA in creative writing from Brown University and a PhD in history from the University of Colorado Boulder. Dr. Harding is author of A Refuge in Thunder: Candomblé and Alternative Spaces of Blackness as well as numerous poems and essays. Her second book, Remnants: A Memoir of Spirit, Activism and Mothering, combines her own writings with the autobiographical reflections of her mother, Rosemarie Freeney Harding, on their family history and the role of compassion and spirituality in African American social justice organizing. Dr. Harding is an ebomi (elder initiate) in the Terreiro do Cobre Candomble community in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, where she has been a participant for over 20 years. Rev. Dr. John W. Kinney serves as pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, Beaverdam, VA. and a consultant to the American Baptist Convention, the Progressive National Baptist Convention, the Baptist General Convention of Virginia and the United States Navy and Army Chaplain Corps. Dr. Kinney is the former Dean of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology. He has served as Assistant Professor of Theology- Chicago Theological Seminary adjunct faculty at Randolph Macon College, Ashland, VA; Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, VA. and the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA. Under his leadership as Dean of the School of Theology at Virginia Union, the Doctor of Ministry Program was established, the Master of Divinity Program experienced unparalleled growth and the continuing education program was expanded. Dr. Kinney is nationally known as a prolific scholar and a powerful vessel with a prophetic voice. He is admired for his inspired guidance, priceless wisdom, creative thinking and empathetic leadership. He received undergraduate and graduate degrees from Marshall University, and Virginia Union University School of Theology and a Ph.D. from Columbia University/Union Theological Seminary in New York. Rev. Dr. James M. Lawson, Jr. is a retired United Methodist pastor and civil rights icon who worked to organize low-wage workers and help the marginalized in society find their voice. He is one of the Civil Rights Movement s leading theoreticians and tacticians in the African American struggle for freedom and equality. A supporter of the Gandhian philosophy of nonviolent protest, Rev. Lawson became a member of the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) local chapter and the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), both of which were devoted advocates of direct nonviolent resistance to racism. Consistent with his beliefs towards nonviolence, he became a conscientious objector during the Korean War. After attaining his bachelor s degree, he travelled to India to work the Methodist Board of Missionaries and study the Gandhian principles of Satayagrapha, or the strategy of nonviolence. He would later use these principles to combat and end racial segregation in the US. After meeting the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he served as the southern director for FOR and began hosting nonviolence training workshops for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. There Rev. Lawson trained many of the future leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. Throughout the decade, he led various community movements for racial justice in Memphis. In 1968,while involved in the Sanitation Workers strike, he invited Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Memphis to speak where 15,000 people heard his famous I ve Been to the Mountaintop Speech. King was assassinated in Memphis the following day on April 4th. In later years, Rev. Lawson moved to Los Angeles, California where he became pastor of Holman United Methodist Church and continued his social activism, now on Palestinian and immigrant rights; gay and lesbian issues; the Iraq wars; and poverty. Most recently, Rev. Lawson facilitated The 2017 James Lawson Institute in Los Angeles, CA. 44

45 SDPC Plenary SPeakerS William (Bill) Lucy has been at the forefront of the labor movement in America and around the world for over four decades As International Secretary-Treasurer of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) for nearly 40 years, Lucy helped the union grow from 200,000 to over 1.4 million members in 3,500 local unions nationwide. He also helped define the role of African Americans in the labor unions when he co-founded the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) in Along the way, he has stood alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in civil rights struggles and Nelson Mandela in opposition to apartheid. Lucy co-founded the Free South Africa Movement, a grassroots campaign that sparked widespread opposition to apartheid across the United States. After the release of Nelson Mandela, Lucy led a fundraising effort to bring Mandela on a United States tour. Four years later, when South Africa had its first post-apartheid elections, Lucy went as part of an AFL-CIO monitoring delegation. After twenty years of fighting apartheid, Lucy was present when Mandela was elected the first black president of South Africa. In 1995 the AFL-CIO appointed Lucy to its executive council, the federation s highest decision-making body. He also served as vice president for several of the AFL-CIO s departments including the Industrial Union, Maritime Trades, and Professional Employees. In addition he served on the boards of directors of civic groups such as the African America Institute, Americans for Democratic Action, and the Center for Policy Alternatives. Lucy has carved out a legacy based on living wages, health care benefits, and job safety. His legacy lives on through the lives of hundreds of thousands of working families around the world every day. His vision and support established the Addie Wyatt/Bill Lucy Institute and scholars program with the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference. Roland Sebastian Martin is an American journalist, syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate, and author. He is a commentator for TV One and was the host of News One Now, a one-hour weekday morning news show on the network. He was also a CNN contributor, appearing on a variety of shows, including The Situation Room, Anderson Cooper s AC360, and many others. In October 2008, he joined the Tom Joyner Morning Show as senior analyst. Books authored by Martin include Speak, Brother! A Black Man s View of America, Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith and The First: President Barack Obama s Road to the White House as originally reported by Roland S. Martin. He graduated with a B.S. in journalism from Texas A&M University and a master s degree in Christian communications from Louisiana Baptist University. Rev. Terrence L. Melvin serves as President of the International Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, Secretary-Treasurer of the powerful New York State AFL-CIO and Associate Minister at Second Baptist Church, Lackawanna, New York. Since being elected Secretary-Treasurer of the 2.5 million-member New York State AFL-CIO in 2007, Rev. Melvin has championed the development of strong ties between labor, religious organizations and community partners. He spearheaded the development of the NYS AFL-CIO Community Outreach Department. Rev. Melvin had been a member of the CBTU national executive council and a founding member of the CBTU Buffalo Chapter. He has worked continuously to increase voter registration as well as to promote get-out-the-vote drives. He is also active in national, state, local, city and school board elections. We must continue to do the work of keeping CBTU relevant, if we intend to hold onto the gains we ve made over the years. Doing the work means getting back to basics constantly recruiting new members, building stronger chapters and becoming self-sufficient financially. An ordained Baptist Minister, he is a graduate of the Rochester Center for Theological and Biblical Studies. Terry Melvin succeeds William (Bill) Lucy, the iconic labor leader who co-founded the CBTU. 45

46 SDPC Plenary SPeakerS Dr. Daniel Omotosho Black is a full-professor of African American Studies at Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA., the founder of the Ndugu-Nzinga rites of passage nation and a renowned, award-winning novelist. He is a powerful, commanding, public speaker and a transformative writing workshop coach. He speaks at colleges and universities, churches and conventions, all across America. Among his numerous works is Listen to the Lambs; a novel touted by Pulitzer Prize winning author Alice Walker, which explores the lives and agency of homeless people who find each other on the street and create lives of meaning without material substance. One of his most recent releases, The Coming, is a first-hand account of the trauma and triumph of Africans aboard a slave ship in the 16th century. Dr. Black was awarded the Ph.D. in African American Studies from Temple University, earned the prestigious Oxford Modern British Studies fellowship, graduated from Clark College, Magna Cum Laude and received a full fellowship to Temple University where he studied with the poet laureate of the Black Arts Movement, professor Sonia Sanchez. Rev. Dr. Marilyn Pagan-Banks is an ordained minister with the United Church of Christ and currently serves as the executive director of A Just Harvest, an anti-hunger organization committed to service, community organizing and community and economic development. She also serves as adjunct professor with McCormick Theological Seminary; transitional pastor of San Lucas UCC; and, founding pastor of Namasté UCC. A graduate of McCormick Theological Seminary (M.Div., 1997) and Chicago Theological Seminary (D.Min., 2016), Rev. Dr. Pagán-Banks is a soulful, progressive minister, teacher and learner committed to the liberation of oppressed peoples, building power and creating community. Dr. Rosetta E. Ross is professor of religion at Spelman College where she led reorganization of the religion curriculum into a religious studies program. She is author of Witnessing and Testifying: Black Women, Religion, and Civil Rights, co-author of The Status of Racial and Ethnic Clergywomen in the United Methodist Church (with Jung Ha Kim), and co-editor of Unraveling and Reweaving Sacred Canon in Africana Womanhood (with Rose Mary Amenga-Etego). She has held visiting posts at Emory University, Hamline University, Africa University (Zimbabwe), Tilburg University (The Netherlands), and Howard University. A United Methodist clergywoman and trustee of the College of St. Benedict, Ross co-led consultations of African and African Diaspora Women in Religion and Theology at Legon, Ghana in 2012 and Her partner, the Reverend Ronald S. Bonner, is pastor of the Lutheran Church of the Atonement in Atlanta. Lee Saunders is the president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO, which represents 1.6 million members, the first African American to serve as AFSCME s president. Saunders serves as a vice president of the AFL-CIO Executive Council, which guides the daily work of the labor federation; he also serves as chair of its Political Committee. He is an at-large member of the Democratic National Committee, president of Working America, treasurer of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and a member of the Board of Directors of the Democracy Alliance. Saunders has served as executive assistant to the president of AFSCME and was responsible for managing what is acknowledged to be one of the most effective political and legislative operations in the history of the American labor movement. As administrator of AFSCME District Council 37, New York City s largest public employee union, representing 125,000 members, Lee was successful in restoring the fiscal 37health, integrity and good name of the council and its 56 affiliated local unions. He received a Master of Arts degree from Ohio State University, a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio University and was awarded an honorary doctorate degree in Humane Letters from the College of New Rochelle. 46

47 SDPC Plenary SPeakerS Mr. James U. Jimmy Settles, Jr. serves as a Vice President and Member of the Executive Board at The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, since He also serves as a Director of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Inc. and as a Trustee of UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust. Mr. Settles played a lead role in successful organizing campaigns at many major automotive parts suppliers. He also was part of the UAW team in negotiations with Detroit Diesel and the State of Michigan. Active in a wide range of community and civic organizations, Settles is a member of the Detroit-Wayne County Board of Authority, the Trade Union Leadership Council, the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists and a life member of the NAACP. He serves on the boards of the Henry Ford Community College Employment and Training Development Center, the Detroit Public School Compact Association and the North Rosedale Park Civic Association. Mr. Settles graduated from Detroit s Northwestern High School and attended Wayne State University and the Detroit Institute of Technology. Dr. William Spriggs is a professor in, and former chair of, the Department of Economics at Howard University and serves as chief economist to the AFL-CIO. In his role with the AFL-CIO, he chairs the Economic Policy Working Group for the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and serves on the board of the National Bureau of Economic Research. From 2009 to 2012, Spriggs served as assistant secretary for the Office of Policy at the Department of Labor, having been appointed by President Barack Obama, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. At the time of his appointment, he also served as chairman of the Health Care Trust for UAW Retirees of the Ford Motor Co.; chairman of the UAW Retirees of the Dana Corporation Health and Welfare Trust; vice chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Political Education and Leadership Institute; on the joint National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Public Administration s Committee on the Fiscal Future for the United States; senior fellow of the Community Service Society of New York; and served on the boards of the National Employment Law Project and very briefly for the Eastern Economic Association. He is a former president of the National Economics Association, the organization of America s professional black economists. He graduated from Williams College in Massachusetts and holds a doctorate in economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He also taught six years at Norfolk State University and for two years at North Carolina A&T State University. The Rev. Dr. Almella Y. Starks-Umoja is an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC) and has served as a pastor of several churches in the denomination. She is a native of Memphis, TN and graduate of the University of Memphis and Memphis Theological Seminary. She received her Doctor of Ministry degree from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, IL. Her passion for social justice began as a teenager when with her family she supported the Memphis Sanitation Strike. She continues pursuit of this passion as an active member of the Lynching Site Project of Memphis, TN. She is a charter member of the Dr. Henry Logan Starks Scholarship Awards Ceremony and the Starks Institute for Faith, Race, and Social Justice. She is a graduate of Leadership Memphis and a life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. 47

48 SDPC Plenary SPeakerS Rev. Dr. Raphael Gamaliel Warnock serves as the Senior Pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, spiritual home of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. Warnock, at age 35, became the fifth and youngest person ever called to the senior pastorate of this congregation, founded in Yet, before coming to Ebenezer, America s Freedom Church, he was blessed to train and serve within the pastoral ranks of leading congregations also known for their deep spiritual roots and strong public witness; Sixth Avenue Baptist Church of Birmingham, Alabama and four years as the Assistant Pastor of the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church of New York City. Finally, before taking the helm of Ebenezer, Pastor Warnock immersed himself further in the challenges of urban ministry, in the 21st century, while serving for 4 ½ years as the Senior Pastor of Baltimore s Douglas Memorial Community Church, also a spiritual base of social activism. As a pastor, Rev. Warnock sees the whole community as his parish. Accordingly, he has defended voting rights in his own state of Georgia. When, in 2006, the State of Louisiana failed to protect the voting rights of recent Katrina evacuees, he led a Freedom Caravan of citizens back to New Orleans to vote. Dr. Warnock has also taken on the contradictions in our criminal justice system through his preaching and through his fierce public advocacy. Under Pastor Warnock s leadership, more than 3,000 new members have joined Ebenezer, enhancing the Church s legacy of social activism with both spiritual and numerical growth. 48

49 ProCtortalkS Asha Bandele, serves as the Senior Director of Grants, Partnerships and Special Projects for Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), Brooklyn, New York. DPA supports grassroots organizations by providing financial and intellectual resources, while regularly engaging a wide array of audiences in public conversations about drugs and drug policy. Asha, the author of the award-winning best-selling book, The Prisoner s Wife, is also a journalist whose articles have been read widely in publications that include the New York Times, Ebony, and Essence. Rev. Dr. Valerie Bridgeman is Interim Academic Dean Associate Professor of Homiletics and Hebrew Bible, Methodist Theological School in Ohio. She also is CEO and president of WomanPreach, Inc., an organization serving as a forum and tangible entity for female preachers, pastors and seminarians, to discuss their faith, avail themselves of training, guidance and a plethora of theological resources. Dr. Bridgeman believes preaching, a sacred calling, to be the highest of all art forms. Rev. Diane Ford Dessables is a Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference Micah Institute national cohort member that has been singularly focused on establishing a solidarity cooperative venture since December Ordained in the United Church of Christ, Rev. Dessables has advocated for public policy advancement through faith based institutions. She has partnered with coalitions, networks, and supported social movements on behalf of impoverished communities here in the US and abroad for 20 years. Catherine Alicia Georges, Ed.D., RN, FAAN, (President-elect) is professor and chair of the Department of Nursing at Lehman College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. She is president of the National Black Nurses Foundation. She serves on the Board of the Black Women s Health Study and R.A.I.N., Inc. She earned her undergraduate degree from the Seton Hall University College of Nursing, her M.A. in Nursing from New York University and a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Vermont. She resides in Bronx, N.Y. Rev. Cheryl L. Green serves on the Ministerial Staff of Cathedral of Grace-St. John AME Church, Aurora IL. Preacher-Teacher, Scholar-Activist, Rev. Green is committed to the work of disrupting, destabilizing, and dismantling global systems and structures that oppress, dehumanize, disenfranchise, and marginalize persons. As a 2nd year PhD student at Chicago Theological Seminary concentrating in Theology, Ethics and Human Sciences, Cheryl s area of research addresses God-talk for and to Afro-descendent women in selected regions of Spanish speaking Central and South America whose lives are marked by historically established transnational multiple macro and micro-aggressions. Honorable Rev. William Griffen is Pastor of New Millennium Church in Little Rock, AK and a Trustee of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference. He is also the Chief Executive Officer of Griffen Strategic Consulting (GSC and pastor of New Millennium Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. For more than three decades, Rev. Griffen s principal areas of emphasis within GSC include diversity and inclusion, strategic planning and development, people development and teambuilding, public policy and government relations, law and technology (including ethical issues arising from the interaction of law and technology), legal affairs and litigation management. Rev. Griffen is a Pastor, judge, social justice advocate, and consultant on cultural competency, justice, and relation between faith and public policy. 49

50 ProCtortalkS Rev. Dr. Clifford A. Jones, Sr. serves as senior Minister of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, Charlotte NC. Dr. Jones has organized and led numerous medical and religious mission teams of preachers, doctors, nurses, technicians and teachers to provide needed healthcare, medical supplies and educational training in Jamaica, Africa, and Guyana, South America for children and families struggling in poverty. Friendship established a partnership with a school in Mabopane, South Africa to aid in the purchase, building and equipping of a Christian educational center. He is the 2018 Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference BATF Awardee. Rev. Dr. Pamela Lightsey is Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, Associate Professor of Constructive Theology at Meadville Lombard Theological Seminary. In addition to this work, Dr. Lightsey serves as co-chair of the Womanist Approaches to Religion and Society Group of the American Academy of Religion. Dr. Lightsey is a scholar, social justice activist, and military veteran whose academic and research interests include: classical and contemporary just war theory, Womanist theology, Queer theory and theology, and African American religious history and theologies. She was the first outafrican American queer lesbian clergy in the United Methodist denomination. As an activist, Dr. Lightsey has worked within the LGBTQ community to end Don t Ask, Don t Tell military policy and to ensure marriage equality, and she continues to critique churches for homophobic polity, liturgy and homiletics. Rev. Michael McBride (known as Pastor Mike ) serves as the Lead Pastor for The Way Christian Center in West Berkeley, CA. Pastor McBride s commitment to holistic ministry can be seen through his leadership roles in both the church and community organizations. He has served on a number of local and national task forces with the White House and Department of Justice regarding gun violence prevention, boys and men of color and police-community relationships. Eric Mitchell is Government Relations Director at Bread for the World. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Congressional Hunger Center and the Coalition for Human Needs. Eric has been a champion of anti-hunger and poverty programs for almost a decade; a leading voice to ending hunger in the U.S. and around the world. He fights to protect domestic nutrition programs, like SNAP (formerly known as Food Stamps), from drastic cuts - while also advocating for foreign assistance in some of the world s poorest countries. As an expert in the federal budget process, he has successfully secured funding for priorities ranging from heart disease research to afterschool programs. Because of these efforts, Eric has been listed in The Hill Newspaper, as one of The Hill: Top Lobbyists five years in a row, from , and was recognized by TheRoot.com as one of the 100 most important black influencers in Derick Pearson is founder, president, and CFO of Code Fever Miami. Derick started his career as a financial analyst and transitioned into experiential marketing managing campaigns for national brands. After discovering the wealth gap in Miami, learning of the horrible diversity numbers of tech firms, witnessing the wealth generating ability of the innovation sector and Miami s Black communities struggling to find meaningful employment and startup support, Derick dove into his own belief in the power of economic development and community building. 50

51 ProCtortalkS Dr. Steven Pitts is a labor policy specialist for UC Berkeley s Labor Center. At the Labor Center, Dr. Pitts focuses on issues of job quality and Black workers. In this arena, he has published reports on employment issues in the Black community, initiated a Black union leadership school, and shaped projects designed to build solidarity between Black and Latino immigrant workers. - Currently, a major area of his work involves providing technical assistance to efforts in developing Black worker centers around the country. Rev. Quincy James Rineheart serves as Scholar-In-Residence for the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. and served as Interim Pastor of Immanuel United Church of Christ in Streamwood, Illinois. Rev. Rineheart is a Cis queer African American religious historian, theologian, academic activist, and teacher. He is a fourth-year Ph.D. student at Chicago Theological Seminary. His area of scholarship is in the field of American Religious History and Cultural Studies with an emphasis in 20th century African American Religion. His doctoral project is intersectional, examining Bayard Rustin, Black Gay Men s Bodies and the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. His doctoral research has afforded him the opportunity to present at Harvard University, Oxford Symposium on Religion at the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin of Oxford, Oxford, England, Morehouse College and Governors State University. Rev. Dr. Christophe Ringer serves as Assistant Professor of Theological Ethics and Society at the Chicago Theological Seminary and Pastor at Howard Congregational (UCC) in Nashville, TN. His multifaceted expertise is in multiple areas of theological and social ethics, the social sciences, theology and public policy, and African American religion. Dr. Ringer s teaching experience included courses in Christian Ethics and Social and Political Theologies at Christian Brothers University. Rev. Dr. Arlecia D. Simmons is an exhorter, preacher, and teacher whose assignment is to share the Gospel so people are encouraged to lead abundant and faithful lives. She has been called to challenge and motivate people to look and live. She has served as an associate minister at First Calvary Baptist and the historic Tabernacle Baptist Church in Augusta, GA. Simmons has ministered during youth and women s conferences, and given motivational speeches in a variety of settings. In 2015, she became one of the featured speakers of the Aim to Inspire Series hosted by the Cjaye Group LLC of Atlanta, GA. Pierrette Petee Talley serves as the Ohio AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer. She is the first woman elected to hold one of the two top offices in the history of the Ohio AFL-CIO. She continues her work as a grassroots activist mobilizing workers and communities around local living wage ordinances, advocating for affordable prescription drugs, fighting for a fair minimum wage and protecting the rights of Ohio voters. Rev. John Vaughn is the Executive Vice President of the Auburn Seminary and is responsible for the overall planning and management of the Auburn Seminary. Previously, Rev. Vaughn served as the Executive Director of the Peace Development Fund, which provides funding, training and assistance for grassroots peace and justice community organizing throughout the United States and select countries internationally. 51

52 ProCtortalkS Rev. Dr. Dennis W. Wiley, Pastor Emeritus of the Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ in Washington, DC, is a distinguished liberation theologian, prominent community activist, and gifted musician who has devoted his career to bridging the three-way divide between church, academy, and community from the local black church context. As a prophetic trailblazer for freedom, justice, and equality for all, his intersectional approach compels him to combat not only racism, but also all forms of xenophobia and human oppression. He is the 2018 Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference BATF Awardee. Robin Williams is the International Vice President and Director of the Civil Rights and Community Action Department for the United Food Commercial Workers Unions. Robin also serves as a trustee for the Coalition of Black Trade Unions. Among her years of fighting for worker rights, Robin has a legacy for speaking out against racial and social injustice and building labor and community coalitions throughout the country, especially in the South. She has worked to organize workers, engage Blacks and union members in the political process and empower communities of color. Robin is a trustee for the Samuel DeWitt Proctor conference, a board member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and a member of the AFL- CIO s Labor, Racial and Economic Justice Advisory Committee. Jamye Wooten serves as Founder and Publisher of KineticsLive.com and CEO of Kinetics Communications, LLC. He is the former program director of the Collective Banking Group, Inc. (CBG), a Christian ministry that draws together leaders from the faith, business, and public service sectors to develop and enhance economic empowerment strategies for the African American community. Jamye has consulted and partnered with many local and national organizations including the African American Leadership Institute and Institute for Urban Research. 52

53 WorkShoP PreSenterS Dr. W. James Abbington is one of the nation s most respected choir directors, musicians and authors. He is the Associate Professor at Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA. Dr. Abbington is also the executive editor of the African American Church Music Series by GIA Publications (Chicago). His research interests include music and worship in the Christian church, African American sacred folk music, organ, choral music, and ethnomusicology. In addition to writing and editing, he has produced numerous recordings under GIA. In 2015, he became the second African American to be named a Fellow of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada. Rev. Aundreia Alexander is the Associate General Secretary for Action and Advocacy for Justice and Peace for the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC). The NCC is a leading force for ecumenical cooperation among Christians in the United States focusing on issues of social justice, interreligious relationships and the bible and Christian life. For over twenty years Rev. Alexander has worked with ecumenical, interfaith, and government entities such as the United Nations, World Council of Churches, Church World Service and others, on a variety of justice issues. Min. Liz Alexander is the founder of She Dreams of Freedom Consulting Group (SDFCG), a national consulting firm that is committed to improving the outcomes of girls in the criminal and juvenile justice system between the ages of Minister Alexander is a change agent, womanist practitioner and entrepreneur. In 2017, Min. Liz co-founded The Millennial Womanism Project (TMWP) with Rev. Melanie C. Jones. Millennial Womanism draws upon a unique womanist epistemological and methodological framework that centers emerging voices of millennial women of faith born between the years Rev. Dr. Dorsey Ordell Blake serves as Visiting Associate Professor of Pastoral Leadership and Social Transformation at Pacific School of Religion and is residing Minister of The Church for The Fellowship of All Peoples. He has extensive field ministry experience with interfaith groups addressing justice and peace issues, including the California People of Faith against the Death Penalty, The Interfaith Alliance for Prison Reform, Genesis and The San Francisco Interfaith Council. Currently, he serves as Board Chair for IDA, a social networking platform that seeks to empower women and communities of color most affected by today s economic crisis. Dorien Paul Blythers serves as an environmental advocate, building at the intersection of environmental advocacy, diversity and outreach which provides numerous opportunities with the U.S. Congress, People for the American Way, The Outdoor Foundation, Sierra Club and U.S. Green Building Council. As an intern of National Ocean s Policy team at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Dorien laid the groundwork for a Partnership for Environmental Leadership with Howard University, the first initiative of its kind. Rev. Dr. Dionne P. Boissière is the Chaplain of the Church Center for the United Nations (CCUN). Rev. Boissière is the first woman of African Descent to hold this position in the history of this New York ecumenical and inter-faith landmark. She is a preacher, worshipper, educator, womanist, activist, organizer, counselor, motivator, and non-profit consultant where she works as a motivational speaker and travels across the country conducting workshops for educational, religious, social, civic and women s organizations. Whitney Bond is the founder of The Sisters Chapel Mime Ministry, Anointed Vessels. This ministry grew from 5 to 25+ members by its second year, and continues to be a vibrant part of Sisters Chapel at Spelman College. Whitney s gift for mime afforded her the opportunity to minister in Senegal, West Africa, at the American Academy of Religion (AAR) and was featured in the Black Entertainment Television documentary. Her research centers on bridging gaps between pastoral care, practical theology, and psychology within human sexuality. 53

54 WorkShoP PreSenterS Tiauna Boyd Webb serves as the Director of Missions & Programs, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. She focuses on SDPCs national and international memberships, initiatives and programs that fall under the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent- which includes resilience and security (in relation to food, health, education, peace), women s and girls rights (nutrition, gender based violence and inclusion of women s health rights), and human security issues (researching and programming to combat human rights violations) across the Diaspora. Rev. Charles Franklin Boyer is Pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Woodbury, NJ. He is a social justice advocate with a focus on racial justice calling the Black church back to its liberationist roots, particularly regarding mass incarceration. Rev. Boyer led and co-authored an A.M.E. strategic response to mass incarceration entitled The Covenant Project to Eradicate Mass Incarceration, (a joint project with the Social Action Commission of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and Payne & Turner Theological Seminaries). Daryle Brown serves as Executive Director of Multimedia and Communications for Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago, IL. As an active member of Trinity s Prison Ministry, Daryle began organizing around ending mass incarceration and formed The Next Movement (TNM), an interfaith committee of the ministry, to begin to evangelize, organize and strategize to address the epidemic of incarceration in America. As part of their work, TNM is in midst of launching their 5th Annual (In)Justice For All International Film Festival. Rev. Dr. Heber M. Brown, III is the Senior Pastor of Pleasant Hope Baptist Church in Baltimore City, MD and Founding Director of Orita s Cross Freedom School - a multi-site youth development program. In 2015, he launched the Black Church Food Security Network which provides seed funding and support to help churches begin growing food on their land. The Network also links Black Churches and Black Farmers in partnership in an effort to create a community-controlled, alternative food system based on self-sufficiency and Black food and land sovereignty. Faith Bynoe is president of Y I Give, a philanthropic investment firm focused on supporting and building the capacity of individuals and groups to do strategic philanthropy. Through her work in Y I Give, Ms. Bynoe has supported her clients in their rebuilding efforts of Haiti, the growth of anchor institutional work and building a toolkit for black philanthropy. Ms. Bynoe s life mission is supporting, strengthening and uplifting residents in the development of their neighborhoods and communities with a particular emphasis on the Caribbean Diaspora. Rev. Dr. Stephanie M. Crumpton is the Assistant Professor of Practical Theology at McCormick Theological, Chicago, IL. Previously, she served as professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling at Hood Theological Seminary. Her specialty is pastoral theological methodology, theories of personality development, historical and social dimensions of pastoral counseling, pastoral counseling as a specialized form of the church s ministries, family systems theory. She is the author of A Womanist Pastoral Theology Against Intimate and Cultural Violence. Derrick Dailey serves as National Chair for The National Black Law Students Association, making him the first Fordham Law student to hold the prominent position. As national chair, Dailey will act as executive director of NBLSA, a 48-year-old student-run, nonprofit organization boasting 200 local chapters and tens of thousands of students, alumni, professors, administrators, and corporate sponsors. He will also act as chairman of NBLSA s board of directors. 54

55 WorkShoP PreSenterS Rev. Brandon Davis is managing director of GPS Impact s Washington, D.C. He is a leading progressive strategist with broad experience in political advocacy, organizing, and management. Over the past decade, Davis has served progressive causes in a variety of arenas, serving on the boards of America Votes, the Black and Latino Civic Engagement Funds (Democracy Alliance), Priorities USA, and State Voices. Rev. Dr. Curtiss Paul DeYoung, an ordained minister in the Church of God, is the CEO of the Minnesota Council of Churches. Previously, he was the Executive Director of the Community Renewal Society in Chicago and the inaugural Professor of Reconciliation Studies at Bethel University in St. Paul. He is an author and editor of ten books on reconciliation, interfaith social justice activism, racism, and cultural diversity. Rev. Emmett Lafayette Dunn serves as Pastor of West Hyattsville Baptist Church. Until recently, he also served on the Executive Staff of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA). The BWA leads in evangelism, responds to people in need, defends human rights and promotes theological reflection. For the last 22 years, Rev. Dunn has traveled to more than 100 countries encouraging, equipping, and empowering the people of God for the Kingdom of God. Kassandra Frederique is the New York State Director at the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA). In addition to working for policy solutions to reduce the harms associated with drug use, Ms. Frederique works with communities throughout the state to address and resolve the collateral consequences of the War on Drugs State violence. She cultivates and mobilizes powerful coalitions in communities devastated by drug misuse and drug criminalization to develop municipal strategies to foster healthier and safer communities. Ronnie Galvin served as the Senior Advisor on the organization s economic justice team at the Center for Community Change. In that role, he helped to deploy a new strategy to engage high profile public leaders in the fight to confront poverty in America. Mr. Galvin is a career community builder who has committed his life s work to community organizing and social change. Linetta J. Gilbert serves as Managing Partner of Gilbert & Associates. A respected leader in the philanthropic community, Linetta has served foundations such as Ford and Casey, providing consulting, coaching and network-building support for both large and small non-profits and emerging thought leaders. Her areas of practice include strategy development/planning and technical assistance for advancing organizational and community wide racial equity outcomes; board development; strategic planning; leadership development; and group facilitation. Rev. Dr. Neichelle R. Guidry is the creator of shepreaches, a virtual community and professional development organization that aspires to uplift African-American millennial women in ministry through theological reflection, fellowship, and liturgical curation. She is a graduate of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (2017), where she completed her Doctor of Philosophy in the area of Liturgical Studies with a concentration in Homiletics. Her dissertation is entitled, Towards a Womanist Homiletical Theology for Subverting Rape Culture. 55

56 WorkShoP PreSenterS Rev. Dr. Lisa Harper is the founder and president of FreedomRoad.us, a consulting group dedicated to shrinking the narrative gap in our nation by convening forums and experiences that bring common understanding, commitment and action toward a just world. Rev. Harper has long been involved in the fight for social justice, training and catalyzing evangelicals in St. Louis and Baltimore and faith leaders in South Africa in their efforts to shape their new democracy in a way to make life more just for all people. Dr. Forrest E. Harris is the President of American Baptist College, a Trustee for the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference and the Director of Vanderbilt Divinity School s Kelly Miller Smith Institute on Black Church Studies. Through the Institute and with grants from the Lilly Endowment and the Pew Charitable Trusts, Dr. Harris coordinated a national ecumenical dialogue on What Does It Mean to be Black and Christian? Rev. Dr. Melanie Harris is the American Council of Education Fellow at the University of Denver and Founding Director of African American and Africana Studies and Full Professor of Religion and Ethics at Texas Christian University (TCU). Her scholarship critically examines intersections between race, religion, gender and environmental ethics. Dr. Harris is a community leader whose passion for education is linked to a commitment to social justice, She is the author of many scholarly articles and books including Gifts of Virtue: Alice Walker and Womanist Ethics. ). Dr. Harris is a former broadcast journalist who worked as a news producer for ABC, CBS, and NBC affiliates. Jeanné Isler is Vice President and Chief Engagement Officer at the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP), dedicated to building bridges between groups to find new ways to build just and empowered communities. Jeanné leads the team that designs and implements strategies for engaging progressive social justice nonprofit organizations and more than 80 foundation supporters. She was an inaugural member of the Leadership Council of Within our Lifetime, a national movement to end racism. Alexandra James is the Chief Executive Officer for the Trinity Family Life Center (TFLC). Ms. James currently serves on the Board of Directors for Partnership for Families located in Northside of Richmond, VA. and as Chairperson for the Board of Directors for Be Strong Families, a national nonprofit based in Chicago, Illinois. Ms. James areas of expertise include: scope of work development, fiscal management, program development and implementation, partnership development, community capacity building, staff development and facility management. Rev. Dr. Alisha Lola Jones is an assistant professor in the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology at Indiana University, Bloomington IL. As a performer-scholar, Jones has done fieldwork and led workshops on religious music and masculinity throughout the world. In spring 2016, she received a College of Arts and Humanities Institute (CAHI) grant to expand upon research on music of the African diaspora to the Pacific Islands, focusing on Pacific African Americans musical responses to the #BlackLivesMatter and #SayHerName movements in the United States. 56

57 WorkShoP PreSenterS Dr. Tamara Lewis is the Assistant Professor of the History of Christianity at Perkins School of Theology, SMU. Her research and scholarship is in seventeenth century English Reformed and Arminian thought, the origins of race in early modern English theological discourse, and African religious leadership in early modern England. She teaches courses on the history of the Christian tradition, the Protestant Reformations, and African American religious history. She received a Ph.D. in Historical Studies from Vanderbilt University, and she is an ordained elder in the Tennessee Conference of the UMC. Rev. Dr. Susan Mitchell serves as UCC Church Building & Loan Fund s Associate Director Strategic Initiatives, following seven successful years as capital fundraising executive. Rev. Mitchell is an ordained minister in the Southeast Conference of the United Church of Christ. She has spent more than 15 years in parish ministry, including serving as founding co-pastor of Sankofa UCC in Atlanta, Georgia, and remains active as an associate minister at Rush Memorial UCC in Atlanta. Peggy Morrison Outon is the founding Executive Director of the Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management at Robert Morris University. Peggy has over three decades of experience in the nonprofit sector, personally serving more than 800 nonprofit organizations. As a volunteer, she has served on 34 boards 8 as president, including chairing the founding national board of the Alliance for Nonprofit Management. She also served as a founding member of the Drucker Foundation s international training team. She has been named by a leading national publication for nonprofit management to The Nonprofit Times Top 50 for Power and Influence. Dr. Rev. Michael C. R. Nabors is senior pastor of the Second Baptist Church of Evanston, Illinois and Director of the Master of Divinity and Student Life Programs at Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit where he is professor of Homiletics and African American Religious History. His primary academic interest is in helping students practice homiletical preparation for preaching in the changing world of the 21st century. He has used Samuel Proctor s Hegelian Dialectic, Paul Scott Wilson s Four Pages of the Sermon, and William Buechner s literary genre as a foundation for his preaching courses. Dr. Patricia Newton, MD is the CEO and Medical Director of Black Psychiatrists of America and President and Medical Director of Newton & Associates, specializing in Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine. She has served as Asst. Prof. of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and School of Public Health as well as a past examiner for the American Board of Psychiatry. Dr. Newton has worked over 41 years for the liberation of African people. She is the author of the book and term Post Traumatic Slave Disorder. Jacqueline Oselen is a holistic health practitioner grounded in the body s ability to heal itself. As a light, healer and guide she believes that alignment of spirit, mind and body results in the whole being experiencing abundant living. The culture of Caritas (Latin love of humankind) Village has shaped Jacqueline s value of inclusivity and non-judgement as a teacher and informed her intention to create a welcoming community that fosters acceptance, healing and support by meeting on the mat for a yoga practice. Rev. Theophous H. Reagans, Esq. is the Minister of Global Ministries at Allen Temple Baptist Church, Oakland, CA. where he also serves as Chaplain to the Manor Residence. Under his leadership, Global Ministries provides missionary exchange opportunities and leadership training to youth and young adults in the United States and South Africa. Additionally, Rev. Reagans currently works as a supervisory attorney for the Office of the Regional Chief Counsel. 57

58 WorkShoP PreSenterS Minister Candace Simpson is the site coordinator of the Concord Freedom School, a literacy-based social justice education program for children in Bedford- Stuyvesant, NY. She is a sister, a writer, and an educator. She weaves her passions for teaching, ministry, and community organizing for the ultimate aim of building more loving and sustainable spaces. A recent graduate from Union Theological Seminary, New York, her thesis focused on community controlled programming, Womanist ethics, and Freedom School. Dr. Charlene Sinclair is Director of Reinvestment for the Center for Community Change. A community organizer for over 20 years, Charlene has worked with national and local organizations to develop comprehensive grassroots organizing and political strategy as well as policy and power analysis. Charlene has also worked as an organizational-development consultant, analyzing institutional strengths and weaknesses, promoting effective non-profit management, and mediating between staff and management. Tamika Stembridge, Esq. is the executive director of dfree Global Foundation. Tamika is a corporate woman turned nonprofit save the children executive, turned entertainment attorney, talent manager, and creative consultant, turned non-profit save the community executive. She has developed the only strategic wealth-building system created to empower the African American community for financial freedom. Min. Stembridge is financially savvy. Rev. Dr. Itihari Toure is Christian Education Director for the Center for African Biblical Studies (CFABS) and Director of the Sankofa Center for Data Evaluation and Quality Enhancement for the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC). The Center functions as the office for institutional research, planning and effectiveness. Dr. Toure also serves as a Consultant to the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. Rozella Haydée White serves as the Houston City Director for Mission Year, a faith based gap year organization committed to walking with young adults as they fall in love with Jesus and the city, come alive in their gifts and purpose, build beloved community across dividing lines and become advocates for God s justice in our world. She is a life and leadership coach, creator, and LEAD consultant. She is the owner of RHW Consulting, which was birthed out of Ms. Rozella s desire to help restore people s hearts to wholeness. Rev. Vanessa M. Wilson, Esq. serves as Senior Pastor of Magnolia Road United Methodist Church, a crossracial/cross-cultural appointment and as Chairperson of the Greater New Jersey Commission on Religion and Race. She is a Nationally Certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor and a Healing Communities USA Trainer. She is a strategist, speaker, writer and educator. Rev. Vanessa was one of 35 United Methodists invited to participate in a National Mobilization to End Mass Incarceration. 58

59 Malachi 3:16-17 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) The Reward of the Faithful 16 Then those who revered the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD took note and listened, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who revered the LORD and thought on his name. 17 They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, my special possession on the day when I act, and I will spare them as parents spare their children who serve them. Mrs. Bessie Louise Proctor October, 2017 Edwin Hawkins January 15, 2018 Rev. Dr. Dale P. Andrews (Homiletics/Vanderbilt) June 23, 2017 Mr. Anderson Ayers July 12, 2017 Simeon Wright (Cousin of Emmett Till) September 4, 2017 Bishop John Hurst Adams (2009 BAFT Honoree) January 12,

60 Queen mother lois JohnSon ( ) Dear Proctor Family, Thank you for the many prayers that continue to be lifted up for us as we journey on this side without our Queen Mother, Mommy, Moms, Mama Lois, Ms. J. Darnell s words capture the love in our hearts for her; the pictures exude the love she had for you as you enfolded her in this community of faith. Nothing but Holy Praise will do! Iva, Christopher and Darnell. January 5, 2018 I miss you Moms. I am still having a hard time accepting the fact that you have transitioned and that heaven is now your home I look back now on the entirety of our relationship and am so deeply humbled that God would bless someone like me with someone like you. Know that when I breathe, I breathe for us. I am constantly inhaling and exhaling the airs of remembrance, love and gratitude. Just as you were the wind beneath my wings, you ve become a part of the air I breathe as well. I have a picture of us laughing and holding hands at the Proctor Conference in Thank you for teaching me how to snatch stars out of the sky and how to hold my head up in spite of any weight that was holding me down. In case you are worried about Ma, please don t trouble yourself. Chris and I will take good care of her and see to it that she is fine. She has given us a great example of how to love a parent and we will follow suit... I will be graduating in four months and continuing to further my education. I plan to use my education to help make this world a better place for my people and community. Know that when I walk across that stage, I will be thinking about you and how you helped me make it through. I love you, Moms Cya round. Be good to yourself and don t take any wooden nickels. They don t spend well Love Always, Darnell 60

61 Queen mother lois JohnSon ( ) Thank-you for the shared journey and love. Stay Woke! Queen Mother Lois 61

62 american JuStiCe- She ain t blind a SPeCial exhibit in PartnerShiP With the StallWorth legal group American Justice- She Ain t Blind consist of close to 250 works of art by 35 artists, presenting a variety of injustices embedded within the American landscape that impacts the lives of Black and Brown defendants. Artist: Keenya Brooks Atty. Stanley Stallworth is the managing partner of The Stallworth Legal Group, LLC ( TSLG ), a law firm providing a wide range of transactional advice to clients in principally real estate and lending offering targeted advice in litigation and employment matters. He has been a member of the Illinois and Alabama State Bar Associations for 27 years. In 2013, the unthinkable occurred: he was wrongfully accused of a crime. Stallworth spent the next two years clearing his name and winning a major victory of exoneration. The experience opened his eyes to how difficult it is for criminal defendants who do not have the means for securing top shelf representation. He has committed to using his personal resources, artistic and legal expertise to encourage and sustain the expressions of our narrative to speak truth to power and freedom for all. In so doing, he is charting a new path for artists collaboration, public access to art and intellectual property law. The Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference is pleased to have The Stallworth Legal Group as an educational partner as we embark on our 2018 Truth Telling Agenda. 62

63 Call to assembly litany Leader: Assembly: Leader: Assembly: Leader: Assembly: Leader: Assembly: Leader: Assembly: Leader: Assembly: Israel s sentinels are blind, they are all without knowledge; they are all silent dogs that cannot bark; dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber. The dogs have a mighty appetite; they never have enough. The shepherds also have no understanding; they have all turned to their own way, to their own gain, one and all. May the Word of God be engraved upon our hearts. Some pastors have given up on filling the shoes of Amos, Micah, Isaiah, or Jeremiah God bless those pastors who stand tall and who, in love, tell the truth. They are the watchpersons in the tower, the sentinels at the gate who can save us from total pollution. May the wisdom and words of Dr. Samuel DeWitt Proctor renew our call. For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully. May the standards for education and excellence of Dr. Proctor guide our daily preparation for the work we are called to do. Because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, if I perish, I perish. May the uncompromised integrity of Dr. Proctor be an example to us all. For the least among all of you is the greatest. May the humility of Dr. Proctor permeate our being and our doing. But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children s children. May the sacrifices and legacy of Dr. Proctor, and all the men and women who labor as he did, be known by generations yet to come. 63

64 Call to assembly litany continue Leader: Assembly: Leader: ALL: I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another. May the loving spirit of Dr. Proctor be reflected in our relationships to family, friends and strangers in our midst. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. May the words and faith of Dr. Proctor always lead us to the power beyond our fragile will through which a new human paradigm can be achieved. We, those who gather in the name of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, now do pledge to remember and honor his memory by our faithfulness to the One he served. (Isa 56:10-11; 2 Tim 4:3-5; Acts 17:31;Esth 4:16; Lk 9:48; Deut 4:9; Jn 15:17; Heb 11:1) (NSRV) 2003 Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. 64

65 a litany for the rights and Dignity of the Poor (adapted from bill of rights for the Poor by Dr. frederick haynes, iii) Leader: Assembly: Leader: Assembly: Leader: Assembly: Leader: Assembly: Leader: Assembly: We, God s people, believe in the liberation and empowerment of oppressed people all over the world. We believe that the criminalization and dehumanization of the poor is immoral and against the will of God. We believe, as Dr. Martin Luther King said, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. All people, including the poor, have the right to pursue life, liberty and happiness without institutional barriers. We stand in opposition to the continuation of racism, sexism, classism, imperialism and policies which result in the disenfranchisement of all marginalized people. The poor are human beings, created by God, with a right to public policies which invest in them and in their well-being. We call for partnerships between corporate and community-based groups which open doors and invest in the least of these.. One in every six children in America is a victim of poverty; one in every three children of color is growing up in poverty. To be pro-life is to be supportive of the needs of poor children, too many of whom do not have access to quality health care, education and housing. Lord, in your mercy, hear us! All people should have equal protection under the law as is stated in the United States Constitution, and the poor must be protected from injustice meted out by the justice system.. To be poor is not a crime. We call for an end to their criminalization in our justice system. Lord, in your mercy, hear us! We call for unequivocal civilian control of our neighborhoods and citizen review boards which have the power to discipline police officers who engage in abusive treatment of human beings, many of whom s only crime is that they are poor. All forms of human oppression must be dismantled. Lord, hear our prayer! 65

66 Leader: Assembly: Leader: Assembly: Leader: Assembly: ALL: While many criticize the poor for their plight, the fact of the matter is that many poor people are underemployed, working two to three jobs and still unable to make ends meet.. Employers often steal their wages by making them work hours for which they are not paid. The poor have the right to full employment and a guaranteed income that equip them to rise above poverty. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer and convict those who employ the poor to treat them as they themselves would want to be treated! Punishing the poor by exploiting them is not in alignment with the will of God, who maintained that how we treat the least of these is how we treat the God we say we love. The God of Justice cannot be pleased. We call for pay equity for women, for people of color, for all marginalized people; we call for legislation which protects and honors their work and their humanity. All women have the right to be treated with dignity. Lord, hear our prayer and mobilize us to work for their protection and justice. We, God s people believe in the liberation and empowerment of oppressed people all over the world. We covenant with You, almighty God, to work for the liberation, protection and fair treatment of all of Your children. We know that until all of us are free, none of us are free. We believe in the moral imperatives given by God and in the premise that this should be one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. We stand, shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, to work against the immoral policies and systems which cause too many people to live in and suffer from poverty. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer! 66

67 SerViCe of CoVenant litany Leader: Assembly: Leader: Assembly: Leader: Assembly: Leader: ALL: The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; To proclaim the year of the Lord s favour, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion; to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory. Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations. Thus says the Lord: Maintain justice, and do what is right, for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed. No weapon that is fashioned against you shall prosper; and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, says the Lord. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us. In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. (Isa 61:1-3; Jer 1:5; Isa 54: 17; Isa 58:11-12; Eph 6:13; Heb 12:1; 2 Tim 4:1-2) (NRSV) 2003 Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. 67

68 With special thanks to those seminary and university institutional partners who grant credit for conference student participation according to ATS standards and whose faculty provide program support Seminary & university institutional PartnerS american baptist Seminary of the WeSt andover newton theological Seminary boston university SChool of theology brite DiVinity SChool CatholiC theological union ChiCago theological Seminary ChriStian theological Seminary Claremont SChool of theology DreW university Duke DiVinity SChool eden theological Seminary forum for theological exploration fuller theological Seminary garrett-evangelical theological Seminary howard university SChool of DiVinity iliff SChool of theology interdenominational theological Center lancaster theological Seminary louisville PreSbyterian theological Seminary mccormick theological Seminary mcafee SChool of theology, mercer university memphis theological Seminary new brunswick theological Seminary new york theological Seminary oblate SChool of theology PaCifiC SChool of religion Payne theological Seminary PittSburgh theological Seminary PrinCeton theological Seminary San francisco theological Seminary ShaW university DiVinity SChool Smu PerkinS SChool of theology Southern baptist theological Seminary union PreSbyterian Seminary union theological Seminary united theological Seminary WebSter university WeSley theological Seminary 68

69 2018 Program & Educational Partners We deeply appreciate the following program partners whose sustained collaboration and grant dollars to support our ongoing ministry activities. amalgamated transit union afl-cio/clc, (atu) Silver Springs, MD american federation of State, County and municipal employees (afscme) Washington, DC CaSey family ProgramS Seattle, WA Center for responsible lending (Crl) Durham, NC Coalition of black trade unionists (Cbtu) Washington, DC CommuniCationS WorkerS of america (CWa) Washington, DC DeaConeSS foundation St. Louis, MO Drug PoliCy alliance (DPa) New York, NY hassib Sabbagh foundation (hsf) Takoma Park, MD lilly endowment, inc. Indianapolis, IN open SoCiety foundations (osf) New York, NY united automobile WorkerS (uaw) Detroit, MI united ChurCh of ChriSt building & loan fund (ucc) Cleveland, OH united ChurCh of ChriSt JuStiCe and WitneSS ministries (ucc) Cleveland, OH united food and CommerCial WorkerS (ufcw) Washington, DC VitaS healthcare Miami, FL 69

70 2018 Exhibitors a SPeCial thanks to our exhibitors With much gratitude afrique Clothing and bridalwear american baptist Seminary of the WeSt baptist PeaCe fellowship of north american-bautistas Por lapaz bread for the WorlD ChiCago theological Seminary Duke DiVinity SChool fuller theological Seminary garrett-evangelical theological Seminary gia PubliCationS, inc. goree ShoP hope for life international iliff SChool of theology JuDSon PreSS lancaster theological Seminary lilly endowment- ChriStian theological Seminary louisville Seminary mccormick theological Seminary memphis theological Seminary new brunswick theological Seminary new york theological Seminary oblate SChool of theology PaCifiC SChool of religion PlanneD ParenthooD federation of america PrinCeton theological Seminary religious Coalition for reproductive ChoiCe, rcrc San francisco theological Seminary ShaW university DiVinity SChool Starr king SChool for the ministry the Village boutique, inc transform network union theological Seminary new york united theological Seminary, Dayton,oh urban ministries, inc. WeSley theological Seminiary 70

71 2018 Disciple Circle nancy V. adams Dr. alvenia rhea albright audrey l. allen barbara amos bayer Center for non Profit management * brentwood baptist ChurCh CeleSte anderson SuShama austin-connor Dr. Colleen birchett Dr. Charlotte blackman Deborah C. blue rev. Dr. Walter butts Dr. WebSter Clayton, iii rev. Dr. JameS Cone andrew l. CooPer CoVenant baptist united ChurCh of ChriSt * CoVenant united ChurCh of ChriSt mary fears Crayton reginal b CrenShaW Jay CummingS Charlotta Daugherty rev. Dr. yvonne Delk PhyliSS Doggett Dr. Carol edwards Juanita eldridge minister ericka elion fellowship of reconciliation first institutional baptist ChurCh monique fisher rev. Dr. Walter fluker gilbert & associates rev. Dr. & mrs. herbert ford PriSCilla giles * good JobS nation rev. Dr. neichelle r. guidry rev. barbara heard ida l. hawkins Joann hicks thelma hogg ann holmes * international union of PainterS and allied trades rev. alice harper JoneS CeDriC JoneS Doria JohnSon mama lois JohnSon lois JohnSon rev. Dr. John JaCkSon, Sr. Carl JaCkSon bishop Dr. barbara l. king Janet king rev. toni bond leonard barbara J. little PatriCia lofton Dr. kimberly lymore Dr. William lucy Charlotte mccaskill bishop & Dr. elma and DenniS mcmurray Dr. maurice mcneil Dr. elaine mosley rev. Dr. terrill murff * ohio afl-cio rev. Dr. marilyn Pagan-bankS rev. Dr. DonalD Perryman reah of hope foundation rev. laticia SCott Dr. ann Smith rev. Dr. PariS Smith Sr rev. Dr. SuSan k. Smith Sharon Stanley * St. JuDe ChilDren S research hospital Pierrette talley, ohio afl-cio rev. Dr. linda e. thomas rev. StePhen tillett the PubliCity WorkS rev. Dr. linda e. thomas tobia thurman rev. Dr. emile m. townes trinity family life Center * trinity united ChurCh of ChriSt truth telling ProJeCt of ferguson h ron White mariama White hammond rev. Dr. reginald WilliamS, Jr. SyDneye WilSon rev. atty. timothy Wright michael young *Justice Disciple Circle Charter members: Those whose year-end special program gifts of $1000 or more to 71help launch our Founders Legacy Fund.

72 2018 Sponsors a SPeCial thanks to our SPonSorS With much gratitude afscme (American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees) Cbtu (Coalition of Black Trade Unionists) Center for responsible lending DeaConeSS foundation union theological Seminary ufcw (United Food & Commercial Workers) american federation of teachers 72

73 2018 Sponsors a SPeCial thanks to our SPonSorS With much gratitude religious Coalition for reproductive ChoiCe (rcrc) united ChurCh of ChriSt ChurCh building & loan fund PlanneD ParenthooD federation VitaS healthcare united ChurCh of ChriSt JuStiCe and WitneSS CommuniCationS WorkerS of america (CWa) united automobile WorkerS, (uaw) St. JuDe ChilDren S research hospital 73

74 2018 SPeCial acknowledgements We gratefully acknowledge the work and prayers of our many volunteers, vendors and supporters. And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands. Psalm 90:17 (NKJV) Administrative Staff and Volunteer Team Min. Danielle Ayers Dr. Iva Carruthers Devon Crawford Phyllis Doggett Min. Ericka Elion Doria Johnson Holly Joiner Janet King Green Rev. LaRita Logan Dr. Elaine Mosley Rev. Quincy James Rineheart Shirlene Small Rev. Dr. Susan Smith Rev. Marcus Tabb Dr. Itihari Toure Dr. LaRon Washington Min. Tiauna (Boyd) Webb Conference Volunteer Team Herbert Allen Pamela Ambrose Melonye Batson Dr. Charlotte Blackman Bernice Brown Rev. Dr. Marquita Carmichael Burton Rev. Luthetis Carey Rev. Darnell Carruthers Mary Fears Crayton Terence Crayton Minister Stacy Dandridge Shun Davenport Dr. Carol Edwards Rev. James Fitzgerald Carlos Fletcher Stanita Gaddy John Green Veta Holt Gracie Horton Stephanie Johnson Shelia Jones Joyous Joiner Tanesa Lee Rev. Chuck Lester Corey Love Dr. Jeralyn Major Angela McDow Rhoda McKinney - Jones Dr. Maurice McNeil L. Julie Torrey Parker 74 Desmond Patterson Sheila Robertson Dr. Ann Smith Adrian Stitt Tobia Thurman Fauita Watkins Christopher Wells Dr. Nadolyn Woody-Dunigan Media Support John Butler II Tony Carpenter Rev. D Andre James-Daniels Roderick Josey Darin DK Kent Viola Henry Orlando Smith Phil Thomas Michael Peery, Lengar Media Historiography Dr. Larry G. Murphy Prayer Warriors Rev. Dr. Yvonne Delk Rev. Ronnie Galvin Thelma Hogg Barbara Little Rev. Earle Fisher Rev. Dr. Leah Gaskin Fitchue Rev. Dr. B. Herbert Martin Dr. Charlene Sinclair Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. Music Ministry Dr. James Abbingon Rev. Dr. Angelo Chatmon Dr. Leo H. Davis, Jr. Rev. Dr. Ozzie E. Smith, Jr. Special Services Partners Jack Akana Jr., Reflections HD Mid Atlantic Media Rev. Dr. Ozzie E. Smith, Jr. Atty. Anthony Stallworth Rev. Minnie Watkins Sydneye Wilson, Travel Consultant

75 2018 Samuel DeWitt ProCtor ConferenCe, inc. Board of Trustees rev. traci blackmon Christ the King United Church of Christ St. Louis, MO rev. Dr. Valerie bridgeman Methodist Theological School in Ohio Delaware, OH Dr. iva e. CarrutherS General Secretary SDPC, Inc. Chicago, IL rev. martin l. espinosa Ray of Hope Community Church Nashville, TN rev. Dr. JameS a. forbes, Jr. Healing of the Nations Foundation New York, NY hon. rev. WenDell l. griffen New Millennium Church Little Rock, AR Dr. forrest e. harris, Sr. American Baptist College Nashville, TN rev. Dr. frederick D. haynes, iii Friendship-West Baptist Church Dallas, TX bishop gregory ingram Presiding Prelate, 1st Dist. AME Church Philadelphia, PA ms. tyra mariani Co-Chair, SDPC, Inc., New America Foundation Washington, DC Rev. Dr. Earl B. Mason, Sr. Bible-Based Fellowship Church of Temple Terrace Tampa, FL Rev. Dr. Michael Pfleger Community of Saint Sabina Church Chicago, IL Rev. Dr. Joe Samuel Ratliff Brentwood Baptist Church Houston, TX Rev. Dr. William Marcus Small New Calvary Baptist Church Norfolk, VA Rev. Dr. Gina M. Stewart Christ Missionary Baptist Church Memphis, TN Rev. Anthony L. Trufant Emmanuel Baptist Church Brooklyn, NY Ms. Robin P. Williams United Food and Commercial Workers Washington, DC Rev. Starsky D. Wilson Saint John s Church & Deaconess Foundation St. Louis, MO Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. Trinity United Church of Christ Chicago, IL Rev. Dr. Larry Murphy Historiographer 75

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