29th Annual Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute
for Child Advocacy Ministry
for Child Advocacy Ministry
“Freedom Faith at 50”
July 17–20, 2023
Join Children’s Defense Fund for our 29th Annual Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry. Hosted annually on the sacred grounds of CDF Haley Farm in Clinton, TN, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute is where faith leaders and activists sing and pray, strategize and struggle, organize and advocate. Proctor is where we share our stories—our hurts and hopes, our pain and passion for justice—in beloved community. This powerful annual event refreshes and renews faith leaders so we can continue the hard, hopeful, sacred work of pursuing justice for children and ending child poverty.
About Our Theme: “Freedom Faith at 50”
This year’s theme, “Freedom Faith at 50,” was chosen to honor CDF’s 50th anniversary, as well as to uplift the memory and ministry of one of the establishing leaders of CDF’s Black Church Initiative: the late Rev. Dr. Prathia Hall.
Early in her life, Rev. Dr. Hall was an organizer with the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). In her last public campaign, Hall was co-chair of the Black Church Initiative of CDF’s Black Community Crusade for Children® and a consultant for CDF charged with facilitating relationships with Black denominations and caucuses.
By celebrating and centering Rev. Dr. Hall’s witness, we hope to edify the critical influence of womanist thought in projects of child well-being and child advocacy, especially in the Black community. “Freedom Faith at 50” also reinforces the necessary theological and spiritual work we must do to sustain our fight for justice, equity, and liberation. Hall proclaimed this in many settings, including Haley Farm, as she implored young people and faith leaders to “fan the fire of freedom’s faith.”
Prophetic Leadership
PROCTOR LEADERS AND SPEAKERS
See DetailsEvent Schedule
PLENARY AND WORKSHOP DETAILS
Registration Details and Pricing
Event registration includes lunch and dinner each day plus all event materials. Event lodging is not included in the cost of registration and must be booked separately. Area hotels offer breakfast on site.
See here for more details on event logistics and lodging options.
Register for 2023 Proctor Institute
Are you registering a group of five or more? Use our group registration link below.
“If you want the opportunity and the chance to meet, hear, and see history in the making, come to this Institute. It opens your mind, heart, and soul to issues you didn’t think were important or relevant and drives you to do more and better.”
“Haley is a place to rest and renew your spirit, challenge your faith, establish friendships with kindred spirits, hear great preaching, and then be ready and willing to go home and speak out and stand up for children!”
“Proctor is a loud voice in the wilderness that reminds me that grace abounds. It will inspire you and renew your hope and reassure your spirit of the fact that the world is in the capable hands of our young people.”
“If you care about the plight of children and the future of this country, you must come and learn to be an advocate for the rights of all God’s children!”
2023 Proctor Institute
Schedule of Events
Proctor Institute offers 16 workshop options on Tuesday, July 18 and Wednesday, July 19, 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m. Participants can choose two (2) each day to build their organizing skills, deepen their understanding of policy concerns, discover programs and strategies to try back home, and share their perspectives on justice, community, children, and the work to which we are called.
Note: check back for updates! Workshop information will be posted soon.
| Registration Online | |
| 8:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m. | Breakfast for Guest Lodging on Farm, CDF Staff and Volunteers |
| 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. | Pre-Session for Dale P. Andrews Freedom Seminary |
| 12:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. | Participant Check-In |
| 12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m. | Lunch for Early Arrivals |
| 2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. | Orientation for CDF Freedom Schools Children and Parents/Caregivers |
| 3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. | Guided Walking Tour of CDF Haley Farm |
| 4:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m. | Rehearsal for the Resurrection Choir |
| 5:30 p.m.–6:45 p.m. | Dinner |
| 7:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m. | Welcome and Opening Session |
| 7:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m. | Great Preacher Series |
| 6:00 a.m.–8:00 a.m. | Breakfast in Area Hotels |
| 7:00 a.m.–8:00 a.m. | Breakfast for Guest Lodging on Farm, CDF Staff and Volunteers |
| 7:15 a.m.–8:30 a.m. | Meditations for the Journey (optional) |
| 8:45 a.m.–9:25 a.m. | Morning Devotions |
| 9:25 a.m.–10:55 a.m. | Faith and Theology Study Session |
| 10:55 a.m.–11:00 a.m. | Break |
| 11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m. | Children’s Policy & Power Plenary |
| 12:15 p.m.–12:30 p.m. | Social Action |
| 12:30 p.m.–1:45 p.m. | Lunch |
| 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m. | 4 Afternoon Workshops – 90-min workshop, 30 min break/transition |
| 4:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m. | 4 Late Afternoon Workshops – 90-min workshop, 30 min break/transition |
| 6:00 p.m.–7:15 p.m. | Dinner |
| 7:30 p.m.–8:45 p.m. | Great Preacher Series |
| 9:00 p.m.–10:30 p.m. | Post-Worship Gathering (optional) |
| 6:00 a.m.–8:00 a.m. | Breakfast in Area Hotels |
| 7:00 a.m.–8:00 a.m. | Breakfast for Guest Lodging on Farm, CDF Staff and Volunteers |
| 7:15 a.m.–8:30 a.m. | Meditations for the Journey (optional) |
| 8:45 a.m. – 9:25 a.m. | Morning Devotions |
| 9:25 a.m.–10:55 a.m. | Faith and Theology Study Session |
| 10:55 a.m.–11:00 a.m. | Break |
| 11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m. | Children’s Policy & Power Plenary |
| 12:15 p.m.–12:30 p.m. | Social Action |
| 12:30 p.m.–1:45 p.m. | Lunch |
| 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m. | 4 Afternoon Workshops – 90-min workshop, 30 min break/transition |
| 4:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m. | 4 Late Afternoon Workshops – 90-min workshop, 30 min break/transition |
| 6:00 p.m.–7:15 p.m. | Dinner |
| 7:30 p.m.–8:45 p.m. | Great Preacher Series |
| 9:00 p.m.–10:30 p.m. | Post-Worship Gathering (optional) |
| 6:00 a.m.–8:00 a.m. | Breakfast in Area Hotels |
| 7:00 a.m.–8:00 a.m. | Breakfast for Guest Lodging on Farm, CDF Staff and Volunteers |
| 8:45 a.m.–10:00 a.m. | Children’s Policy & Power Plenary |
| 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. | Closing Charge and Celebration and CDF Freedom Schools Children’s Presentation |
| 12:00 p.m. | Box Lunch |
| 12:30 p.m.–2:00 p.m. | Dale P. Andrews Freedom Seminary Post-Event Session |
The CDF Freedom Schools® Program at Proctor
Proctor Institute provides children ages five through 15 a formative and enriching experience through an abbreviated CDF Freedom Schools® program right on site! Pre-register your child for Proctor’s CDF Freedom Schools program at the link below. Click here to download the Proctor CDF Freedom Schools Program Guide.
Note: Children must pre-register by June 9, 2023, in order to participate in Proctor’s CDF Freedom Schools program. No exceptions. There will be no on-site registration. Proctor Institute does not offer childcare for children under the age of 5.
Registration for the CDF Freedom Schools® Program at Proctor is now closed.
Dale P. Andrews Freedom Seminary
Proctor Institute invites graduate students who attend DAFS-affiliated seminaries and divinity schools the opportunity to participate for course credit in our Dale P. Andrews Freedom Seminary (DAFS). Those who are interested in registering for the credit-bearing graduate course must sign up through their seminary or university (to pay for and receive credit hours) as well as register for CDF’s Proctor Institute, which includes the DAFS sessions.
DAFS sessions will take place Monday, July 17, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. DAFS seminarians will then join in CDF’s Proctor Institute main sessions for the remainder of the week.
Event Logistics
Proctor Institute begins on Monday, July 17, 2023. The following information will help you plan your arrival time accordingly:
- The Pre-Session for Seminarians who have enrolled for graduate credit in the Dale P. Andrews Freedom Seminary is on Monday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
- Pre-Sessions for CDF cohort convenings will begin at on Monday at 9:00 a.m.
- Check-in and packet pick-up opens at 12:00 p.m. on Monday and continues until 7 p.m.
- Monday’s lunch will be available from 12:30 p.m.–2:00 p.m. for those who registered online.
- Family Orientation for CDF Freedom Schools scholars and accompanying adults begins at 2:00 p.m. Please see the Proctor CDF Freedom Schools program guide for more detailed information.
- Choir rehearsal for any interested singers begins on Monday at 4:00 p.m.
- Dinner is at 5:30 p.m.
- The formal start of the Proctor Institute is at 7:00 p.m. with a welcome address followed by the opening of the Great Preachers Series.
The last day of Proctor Institute is Thursday, July 20, 2023. Proctor Institute will end by 12:00 p.m.
We recommend you allow at least two hours between your CDF Haley Farm departure and your flight’s departure time. This will provide ample time for your shuttle ride to arrive at the airport and for you to check-in for your flight. We encourage you to schedule a flight that departs after 2:00 p.m. which will allow you to remain through the conclusion of the Proctor Institute at 12:00 p.m. You don’t want to miss this special culmination of the week!
CDF Haley Farm is located in Clinton, TN, approximately 30 miles north of Knoxville, TN.
If you will be flying, you should book your flight to McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, TN. CDF provides round-trip airport shuttle service for the 40-minute ride from McGhee Tyson Airport to CDF Haley Farm and nearby hotels for a fee of $90. Shuttle service can be purchased during registration.
If you will be driving, please enter 1000 Alex Haley Ln, Clinton, TN 37716 into your GPS app. There is ample free parking at CDF Haley Farm. The parking lot is a short walk from the rest of CDF Haley Farm.
Proctor attendees are responsible for booking their own hotel accommodations for the event. Lodging is not included in the event registration cost. The available hotels in Clinton, TN, are listed below. Please call the hotel directly and indicate that you are a Proctor Institute participant. Special rates are available for reservations confirmed by June 20, 2023.
A free shuttle will transport participants between these hotels and CDF Haley Farm. Each is within a mile of the Farm:
- Fairfield Inn and Suites: (865) 269-3254
- Hampton Inn: (865) 691-8070
- Holiday Inn Express: (865) 457-2233
- Super 8: (865) 264-9995
- Baymont Inn & Suites: (865) 269-8144
- Quality Inn: (865) 457-2255
If the hotels are all full by the time you call to make your reservation, please contact us at cdfhaley@childrensdefense.org or (865) 457-6466 to discuss other lodging options.
Weather in Tennessee in July is typically hot. The various buildings and other locations on the grounds of CDF Haley Farm are reached by walking gravel paths. Golf cart assistance is available for those with mobility needs. You are encouraged to pack casual, comfortable clothing for the weather, as well as a reusable water bottle, sunglasses, hat, and any other items to maximize your comfort in the heat, and comfortable shoes for walking the grounds.
For attendees in need of assistance while on site: to arrange golf cart assistance while on the Farm, parking for those with disabilities, or other accommodations for those who need extra assistance, please email cdfhaley@childrensdefense.org or call (865) 457-6466 in advance. Please also describe any mobility accommodations we can offer when you complete your event registration form.
Based on an interest in community health, CDF encourages guests of CDF Haley Farm to be vaccinated against COVID-19. CDF may require testing, with tests provided by CDF, if the local level of infections justifies greater precautions. CDF will also provide masks and tests as requested by guests. Additionally, quarantine bedrooms are available to those guests who test positive or have been exposed, and those who are at risk of having or spreading the COVID-19 virus.
Proctor Institute Scholarship Opportunities
The Proctor Seminarian Scholarship supports future leadership in the children’s movement. Seminarians are encouraged to join us at Proctor Institute as we engage with and enjoy fellowship around a theology of child well-being. This year, Children’s Defense Fund will financially support seminarians (enrolled in an accredited graduate degree program) to attend the 2023 Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute by covering the cost of registration and hotel. Applications are due by May 1, 2023. Awardees will be contacted by May 15, 2023. If you have questions about this scholarship opportunity or experience technical difficulties while applying, please contact us at faith-based@childrensdefense.org.
Sponsors
Justice and Local Church Ministries of the United Church of Christ
Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary
Contact the Proctor Team
CDF’s 2022 Proctor Institute
“Raising Democracy by Resurrecting Hope”
Plenary Program
Plenary Program
Children’s Policy & Power Plenaries
Tuesday, July 19, 11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m. EDT
“This is What Democracy Looks Like: Discerning and Describing Multiracial Democracy”
Presenters/Panelists
Dr. Nadia E. Brown, Professor of Government, chair of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program, Georgetown University
Rev. Dr. Earle Fisher, Senior Pastor, Abyssinian Missionary Baptist Church, Memphis TN
Youth/Young Adults: Andrew B. Pierce II, John Glenn College of Public Affairs
Moderator
Dr. Tracy Nájera, State Director at Children’s Defense Fund–Ohio
Wednesday, July 20, 11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m. EDT
“Let America be America Again: Why the Democratic Process Gives Us Pause”
Presenters/Panelists
Charlene A. Carruthers, political strategist, cultural worker and PhD student in the Department of African American Studies at Northwestern University
Youth/Young Adult: Divine Savell McAllister, Jr., DC Dream Center CDF Freedom Schools
Rev. Dr. Obery Hendricks, author of Christians Against Christianity: How Right-Wing Evangelicals Are Destroying Our Nation and Our Faith
Moderator
Patrick Bresette, State Director at Children’s Defense Fund–Texas
Thursday, July 21, 8:45 a.m.–10:00 a.m. EDT
“Otis’ Dream: When Hope Overcomes Voter Suppression”
Presenters
Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III, Senior Pastor, Trinity United Church of Christ, presents documentary Otis’ Dream;
Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, Jr., Pastor Emeritus, Olivet Institutional Baptist Church
Moderator
Makayla Elon Moss, daughter of Rev. Dr. Moss III and granddaughter of Rev. Dr. Moss, Jr.
CDF’s 2021 Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry Sessions
Tuesday, July 20, 5:30-8:30 EDT
- Opening
- Welcome: Marian Wright Edelman, Founder and President Emerita, CDF, and Starsky Wilson, CEO and President, CDF
- “Listening to the Children:” Patrick Reyes, Senior Director of Learning Design, Forum for Theological Exploration, and Asher Reyes, student
- Theology and Child Advocacy Plenary: Michael Tubbs, Special Advisor for Economic Mobility and Opportunity, Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
- Music/Spoken Word: Joe Davis
- Listening to the Children and Building Power for Child-Centered Policy: – Young people in conversation with Maria Caba and Hassanah Smith, CDF-New York
- Great Preacher Series: Bishop Minerva G. Carcano, San Francisco Area, The United Methodist Church
- Postlude: Don Lewis
Wednesday July 21:
First Workshop 12-1:30 p.m. EDT
- Guaranteed Income Strategies – moving beyond the pandemic—Bharti Wahi, Director, CDF Minnesota
- CDF Freedom Schools®– CDF staff
- Broken Voices: Restorative Justice and Justice Involved Youth – Eric Alexander, founding member, Incarcerated Children’s Advocacy Network, Travis Claybrooks, CEO, Raphah Institute, and Ashlee Sellars, Restorative Justice Diversion Program Coordinator, Raphah Institute
- Queer Liberation, Racial and Economic Justice Organizing–Mandy Carter, co-founder of SONG (Southerners On New Ground), the National Black Justice Coalition and Equality NC, and Shea Howell, co-founder of the James and Grace Lee Boggs Center, co-editor of Riverwise Magazine and communications professor
Freedom Schools National Day of Social Action: Watch Facebook Livestream 1:30-2:00 p.m .
Second Workshop 2-3:30 p.m. EDT
- How Much a Dollar Cost – Derek Hicks, Associate Professor of Religion and Culture, Wake Forest University School of Divinity
- Organizing Listening Parties: Celebrating Your Community’s Memories – Arielle Brown and Mauricio Salgado, Remember 2019
- Growing Up to Be a Child: The Heart of Spiritual Maturity – Dorsey Blake, Faculty Associate, Leadership and Social Transformation, Pacific School of Religion and Presiding Minister, Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples
- Make History. Create Future–Omari Booker, artist and animator, with “Freedom through Art” studios in Nashville and Los Angeles
Wednesday, July 21, 5:30-8:30 EDT
- Opening
- Intergenerational Movement Building: Ash-Lee Henderson, Co-Director, Highlander Research and Education Center; and Gus Newport, National Council of Elders
- Listening to the Children: Shively Smith, Assistant Professor of New Testament, Boston University School of Theology; and Claudia Smith, student
- Theology and Child Advocacy Plenary: Traci West, James W. Pearsall Professor of Christian Ethics and African American Studies, Drew University Theological School
- Music/Spoken Word
- Listening to the Children and Building Power for Child-Centered Policy: Young people in conversation with Joy Masha, DC Freedom Schools Instructions and Administrative Supervisor CDF Freedom Schools®
- Great Preacher Series: Gail Song Bantum, Lead Pastor, Quest Church, Seattle
- Postlude: Don Lewis
Thursday, July 22:
First Workshop 12-1:30 p.m. EDT
- Liberating Sunday School – Rebecca Davis, Associate Professor of Christian Education, Union Presbyterian Seminary
- Nonviolent Direct Action Organizing – James Lawson, National Council of Elders, and Charlene Sinclair, founder, Center for Race, Religion, and Economic Democracy
- Telling Our Stories of Communities in Crisis – Cristian Franco Jr, rites of passage facilitator and cultural healing mentor, Juan Gomez, co-founder and Executive Director, MILPA, bel Reyes, Innovation Bridge, and Patrick Reyes, Senior Director of Learning Design, Forum for Theological Exploration
- Cash for Kids: Working Towards a Guaranteed Income for Families with Children – Emma Mehrabi, Director of Poverty Policy, CDF
Second Workshop 2-3:30 p.m. EDT
- Organizing a Children’s Sabbath as a Catalyst for Change – Shannon Daley-Harris, Proctor Institute Director, CDF
- Healing Haunted Histories – Elaine Enns and Ched Myers, Co-Directors, Bartimaeus Cooperative Ministries
- Intergenerational Conversation – Ash-Lee Henderson, Co-Director, Highlander Education and Research Center, and Gus Newport, former mayor of Berkeley, California, and member of the National Council of Elders
- To Make a Rest of Motion: Reflecting on These Days – Will Gipson, Emma Jordan Simpson, Candace Simpson, and Jerry Streets, Proctor Institute Co-Chaplains in Residence – list who they are?
Thursday, July 22, 5:30-8:30 EDT
- Opening
- Intergenerational Movement Building: Ash-Lee Henderson, Co-Director, Highlander Research and Education Center; and James Lawson, civil rights strategist and member of National Council of Elders
- Theology and Child Advocacy Plenary: Rabbi Lydia Medwin, Director of Congregational Engagement and Outreach, The Temple, Atlanta, and Patrick Reyes, Senior Director of Learning Design, Forum for Theological Exploration
- Listening to the Children and Building Power for Child-Centered Policy: Young people in conversation with Shimica Gaskins, Executive Director, CDF-California
- Great Preacher Series: Otis Moss III, Senior Pastor, Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago
- Closing Charge: Starsky Wilson, CEO and President, Children’s Defense Fund
- Postlude: Don Lewis
Small Group Options
CDF’s Proctor Institute offers more than 50 interactive small group options on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons. Choose two each day to build organizing skills, deepen understanding of policy concerns, discover programs and strategies to try back home, and share perspectives on justice, community, children, and the work to which we are called.
Proctor Institute Scholarship Opportunities
The Lindner Fellows Scholarship Fund, established in honor of Rev. Dr. Eileen W. Lindner, Proctor’s inaugural Dean of the Chapel, supports future leadership in the children’s movement. Each year, the Lindner Fellows Scholarship grants financial support to three recipients to attend Proctor Institute, covering the cost of registration and lodging. Honoring Dr. Lindner’s work as a pastor, ecumenical leader, and mentor, each year the three annual Lindner Fellows grants will be awarded to: one pastor, one person serving in an ecumenical organization, and one person in the first five years of their professional life. Applications are due by May 1, 2023. Awardees will be contacted by May 15, 2023.
The Proctor Seminarian Scholarship supports future leadership in the children’s movement. Seminarians are encouraged to join us at Proctor Institute as we engage with and enjoy fellowship around a theology of child well-being. This year, Children’s Defense Fund will financially support seminarians (enrolled in an accredited graduate degree program) to attend the 2023 Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute by covering the cost of registration and hotel. Applications are due by May 1, 2023. Awardees will be contacted by May 15, 2023. If you have questions about this scholarship opportunity or experience technical difficulties while applying, please contact us at faith-based@childrensdefense.org.