Re-Imagining Our Future: Children, Justice and Joy
July 21-22, 2020
Although we cannot gather in person at CDF Haley Farm this year, at this unprecedented moment it is clearer than ever that fierce faith, beloved community, and commitment to ongoing work for communal well-being and justice are urgently needed.
Please plan to join us as we gather, scattered across the country but united in our commitment to reimagining our future for children with justice and joy.
An inspiring online 2020 Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry event, “Reimagining Our Future: Children, Justice, and Joy,” will take place Tuesday, July 21 and Wednesday, July 22 from 12:00–4:00 pm Eastern and 7:30–9:00 pm Eastern.

Register for our virtual Proctor event here.
An additional 14 hours of online content will be available for seminarians and undergraduates who are taking the 2020 course with the Children’s Defense Fund Proctor Institute’s Dale Andrews Freedom Seminary. Any other participants who wish may also join us for these additional sessions on Sunday, July 19, Monday, July 20 and Thursday, July 23.
Register for the Dale Andrews Freedom Seminary here.
Below you will find the agenda for our two-day virtual Proctor Institute, the agenda for the Dale Andrews Freedom Seminary, a suggested reading list, and information about many of the prophetic leaders who will serve as speakers and presenters for this virtual event.
All sessions will be recorded and available to those who register.
2020 Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry
Tuesday, July 21st
12:00-4:00 pm ET
“Welcome Home”
12:00 | Gathering: CDF Freedom Schools songs Shannon Daley-Harris and Janet Wolf, Directors of CDF’s Proctor Institute and Dale Andrews Freedom Seminary |
12:10 | Welcome Home Marian Wright Edelman, Founder and President Emerita, Children’s Defense Fund |
12:20 | Beloved Community
Charlene Sinclair, Founder and Director of the Center for Race, Religion and Economic Democracy |
12:50 | Theology and Child Advocacy: “For Such a Time as This”
Patrick Reyes, Forum for Theological Exploration and author of Nobody Cries When We Die: God, Community and Surviving to Adulthood |
1:30 | Panel: “Race, Poverty, and Children in the Pandemic”
Starsky Wilson, President and CEO, Deaconess Foundation, moderator |
2:40 | Intergenerational Conversation: “Organizing in a Time Like This to Put Flesh On Faith”
Ash-Lee Henderson, Co-Director, Highlander Research and Action Center, Movement for Black Lives organizer |
3:25 | Call to Advocacy Action
CDF Policy Team |
3:35 | Anchored in the Current: Discovering Howard Thurman as Educator, Activist, Guide and Prophet
Greg Ellison II, Candler School of Theology and Fearless Dialogues, editor of Anchored in the Current |
3:45 | Howard Thurman Reflection
Luther Smith, Jr., Pan Methodist Campaign for Children in Poverty, Candler School of Theology* |
7:30-9:00 pm ET
Great Preacher Series
7:30 p.m. | Welcome & Music
Will Gipson, Vice-Provost for Equity and Access, University of Pennsylvania, and CDF Freedom Schools Scholars |
7:45 | Introduction of the Preacher
Emma Jordan Simpson, Executive Director, Fellowship of Reconciliation, and Pastor, Concord Baptist Church of Christ |
7:50 | Great Preacher Series
Otis Moss III, Senior Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago |
8:30 | Howard Thurman Reflection
Shively Smith, Boston University School of Theology* |
Wednesday, July 22
12:00-4:00 pm ET
12:00 | Welcome
Frederick (Jerry) Streets, CDF Proctor chaplain, Senior Pastor of Dixwell Ave. Congregational UCC, and Adjunct Professor of Yale University Divinity School |
12:05 | Centering
Kim Brazwell, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, KiMISTRY |
12:20 | Introduction of the Preacher
Candace Simpson, writer and educator, Fish Sandwich Heaven |
12:25 | Preaching
Otis Moss Jr., Pastor Emeritus, Olivet Institutional Baptist Church, and former staff member with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. |
1:00 | Theology and Child Advocacy
Emma Jordan Simpson, Executive Director, Fellowship of Reconciliation, USA, and Pastor, Concord Baptist Church of Christ |
1:35 | Panel: Who Counts? Democracy, Citizenship Schools, and Nonviolent Direct Action Organizing
Charlene Sinclair, moderator |
2:20 | Spoken Word
Dejuan Bland, organizer and artist |
2:35 | Panel: Dismantling the Cradle to Prison Pipeline
Damien Durr, Executive Pastor of Community Development, Friendship-West Baptist Church, moderator |
3:20 | Call to Advocacy Action
CDF Policy Team |
3:30 | Charge
Marian Wright Edelman, Founder and President Emerita, Children’s Defense Fund |
3:35 | Howard Thurman Reflection
Parker Palmer, Founder, Center for Courage and Renewal* |
7:30-9:00 pm ET
Great Preacher Series
7:30 | Welcome
Damien Durr, Executive Pastor of Community Development, Friendship-West Baptist Church |
7:45 | Introduction of the Preacher
Damien Durr |
7:50 | Great Preacher Series
Bishop Yvette Flunder, Presiding Bishop of The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries, founding member of the City of Refuge United Church of Christ, adjunct professor at the Pacific School of Religion |
8:30 | Howard Thurman Reflection
Tyler Sit, Founder and Pastor, New City Church* |
8:40 | Closing & Music
Marian Wright Edelman and CDF Freedom Schools |
*Each of the contributors for the Howard Thurman reflections wrote a chapter in the soon to be released book, Anchored in the Current, edited by Greg Ellison II, available at the end of July with a significant discount for Proctor participants – see code at the end of the reading list below.
CDF Proctor Institute’s Dale Andrews Freedom Seminary Sessions
(Open to All)
Sunday, July 19
5:30-8:00pm ET
5:30 | Welcome and Framing
Charlene Sinclair, Founder and Director of the Center for Race, Religion and Economic Democracy |
6:00 | Viewing Party of “Backs Against the Wall,” PBS documentary on Howard Thurman
Introductory framing by Greg Ellison II, Candler School of Theology and Fearless Dialogues |
7:20 | Howard Thurman Panel
Martin Doblmeier, filmmaker, moderator; |
Monday, July 20
12:00-4:00pm and 6:30-9:00pm ET
12:00 | Welcome
Charlene Sinclair, Founder and Director, Center for Race, Religion and Economic Democracy |
12:15 | Let Your Light Shine: Mobilizing for Justice with Children and Youth
Introduction to Freedom Seminary’s faculty book led by editors Virginia Lee and Reggie Blount, Garrett-Evangelical School of Theology |
12:30 | Practical Theology as Knowledge of Origin and Migration
Discussion facilitated by Patrick Reyes, Forum for Theological Exploration |
1:10 | Reconnecting Seminary, Sanctuary, Streets, and Soil: Creating Alternative Space for Theological Education
Discussion facilitated by Ched Myers and Elaine Enns, Bartimaeus Cooperative Ministries, co-authors, Ambassadors of Reconciliation, Volumes I and II |
1:45 | From Sabbath Schools to Freedom Schools: Christian Vocation and the Power of Voice & Something Inside So Strong: Learning from the Freedom Schools Movement
Discussion facilitated by Virginia Lee and Reggie Blount |
2:30 | Reimaging the Voices of Immigrant Children Through Storytelling and Art
Omari Booker, artist and organizer, and Karla McKanders, immigration lawyer and Vanderbilt Divinity School student, will facilitate discussion on their new children’s book on migration stories of immigrant children |
3:15 | Building Up a New World: The Children’s Defense Fund and the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry
Discussion facilitated by Shannon Daley-Harris, Director of CDF’s Proctor Institute, and Eileen W. Lindner, Proctor Institute Theologian-in-Residence |
6:30 | From Murder to Mercy
Introduction to documentary about Cyntoia Brown, led by Charlene Sinclair |
6:45 | Viewing of “From Murder to Mercy” |
8:15 | Art Interlude
Charlene Sinclair |
8:25 | Panel Discussion of “From Murder to Mercy”
Charlene Sinclair moderator |
8:55 | Closing |
Thursday, July 23
9:00am-12:00pm ET
9:00 | Welcome
Greg Ellison II, Fearless Dialogues, Candler School of Theology and author, Fearless Dialogues, Cut Dead But Still Alive: Caring for African American Young Men, editor, Anchored in the Current: Discovering Howard Thurman as Educator, Activist, Guide and Prophet |
9:15 | Panel: Anchored in the Current: Discovering Howard Thurman as Educator, Activist, Guide and Prophet
Greg Ellison II, moderator Parker Palmer, Founder, Center for Courage and Renewal Liza Rankow, Pacific School of Religion and OneLife Institute Matthew Williams, President of the Interdenominational Theological Center Luther Smith, Jr., Pan Methodist Campaign for Children |
10:15 | Art Interlude
Patrick Reyes, Forum for Theological Exploration and author of Nobody Cries When We Die: God, Community and Surviving to Adulthood |
10:30 | Panel: Another Way: Living and Leading Change on Purpose
Patrick Reyes, Forum for Theological Exploration, moderator Matthew Williams, President of the Interdenominational Theological Center (FTE) Dori Baker, Senior Fellow with FTE and co-founder of The Listening Freedom School Stephen Lewis, President of the Forum for Theological Exploration (All co-authors of Another Way) |
11:15 | Art, Culture and Social Change
Damien Durr, Executive Pastor of Community Development, Friendship-West Baptist Church, Brandon McCormack, Department of Pan-African Studies, Louisville University, and Bryan Eason, public school teacher, former Children’s Defense Fund Ella Baker Trainer |
11:45 | Closing
Shively Smith, Assistant Professor of New Testament, Boston University School of Theology |
2020 Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute and Dale Andrews Freedom Seminary Reading List
Recommended Books by 2020 Proctor Leaders
Baldwin, Lewis and Victor Anderson, editors. (2018) Revives My Soul Again: The Spirituality of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Blount, Reginald and Virginia Lee, editors. (2019) Let Your Light Shine: Mobilizing for Justice with Children and Youth, A Reader.
Daley-Harris, Shannon. (2016) Hope for the Future: Answering God’s Call to Justice for Our Children.
Edelman, Marian Wright. (1999Z) Lanterns: A Memoir of Mentors.
Ellison II, Gregory (2020) Anchored in the Current: Discovering Howard Thurman as Educator, Activist, Guide and Prophet; (2017) Fearless Dialogues: A New Movement for Justice. (2013) Cut Dead but Still Alive: Caring for African American Young Men.
Fluker, Walter. (2018) The Ground Has Shifted: The Future of the Black Church in Post-Racial America. (2009) Ethical Leadership: The Quest for Character, Civility and Community.
Flunder, Yvette. (2005) Where the Edge Gathers: Building a Community of Radical Inclusion.
Haga, Kazu. (2020) Healing Resistance: A Radically Different Response to Harm.
Lewis, Stephen, Matthew Williams, Dori Baker (2020) Another Way: Living and Leading Change on Purpose
Moss, III, Otis. (2015) Blue Note Preaching in a Post-Soul World: Finding Hope in an Age of Despair. with David Maxwell, (2016) Race in a Post-Obama America: The Church Responds.
Myers, Ched and Elaine Enns. (2009) Ambassadors of Reconciliation, Volume I: New Testament Reflections on Restorative Justice and Peacemaking. Volume II: Diverse Christian Practices of Restorative Justice and Peacemaking.
Palmer, Parker. (2018) On the Brink of Everything. (1999) Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation.
Reyes, Patrick. (2016) Nobody Cries When We Die: God, Community, and Surviving to Adulthood.
Smith, Shively. (2016) Strangers to Family: Diaspora and I Peter’s Invention of God’s Household.
Smith Jr., Luther. (2007) Intimacy and Mission: Intentional Community as Crucible for Radical Discipleship. (2007R) Howard Thurman: The Mystic as Prophet.
Wolf, Janet. (2019) Practicing Resurrection: The Gospel of Mark and Radical Discipleship
Proctor participants qualify for a 40% discount for Anchored in the Stream if you pre-order and use the promo code ANCHORED. Use this link to order.
Prophetic Leadership