John,
Building a movement for child well-being and racial justice is hard work. It takes intentionality, persistence, faith, and community. So, for nearly 30 years, Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) has brought together faith-based advocates and educators, organizers and leaders, and parents and youth in intergenerational, interracial, multi-ethnic, and ecumenical community to attend our annual Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry.
This year’s theme, “Freedom Faith at 50,” honors CDF’s 50th anniversary and celebrates the memory and ministry of one of the establishing leaders of CDF’s Black Church Initiative, the late Rev. Dr. Prathia Hall. A fearless leader, theologian, activist, organizer, and child defender, Dr. Hall envisioned a community where adults embrace and prioritize America’s children and youth. CDF’s Proctor Institute does just that. On the Farm at Proctor, young people are active participants in the pursuit of justice. Faith leaders are equipped to address children’s concerns in their communities. Dr. Hall underscored this need in her sermon at the 1998 CDF Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry, when she mused, “Perhaps the most difficult way for adults to receive children is to listen to them.”
On the storied grounds of CDF Haley Farm in Clinton, TN, CDF’s Proctor Institute is where we sing and pray, strategize and organize, and congregate and advocate in our pursuit of justice for our nation’s children. We share stories of struggle and of hope, and we learn from each other, a beloved community committed to realizing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision for every young person and ending child poverty.
You will be inspired by incredible speakers and preachers including Rev. Courtney Pace, Ph.D., author of Freedom Faith: The Womanist Vision of Prathia Hall; Dr. Patrick Reyes of the Forum for Theological Exploration; Dr. Lorena Parrish of Wesley Theological Seminary; Rhonda Magee, JD, author of The Inner Work of Racial Justice: Healing Ourselves and Transforming Our Communities Through Mindfulness; and many more!
In order to address the multitude of challenges facing our children and youth today, it will take commitment, support, and action from individuals and organizations across a variety of sectors. Though Proctor Institute is rooted in the faith community’s legacy of engagement in civil rights organizing and collective action, participation is not limited to attendees who identify with a religion. It is an exciting opportunity for personal and collective learning and growth for anyone interested in child wellbeing, racial justice, and social justice.
Join us this year for our 29th annual Proctor Institute where we will be led in theological, political and personal discussions as we also celebrate CDF’s 50th anniversary.
