An graduate and two other organizers of the clergy protest against the August 鈥淯nite the Right鈥� rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, will be honored by the National Council of Churches (NCC).
Brittany Caine-Conley, along with the Rev. Seth Wispelwey and the Rev. Osagyefo Sekou, will receive the President鈥檚 Award for Excellence in Faithful Leadership at a Nov. 9 awards ceremony during the NCC鈥檚 .
The trio 鈥減rovided exemplary leadership in the midst of a crisis that has become known as a turning point in America鈥檚 response to a rising tide of white supremacy, and continue to provide a faithful, moral witness in Charlottesville,鈥� said the Rev. Steve D. Martin, NCC鈥檚 communications director who joined the clergy counter-protest and witnessed their leadership. 鈥淭hese are exactly the kind of leaders we wish to see in the world, and by honoring them with the President鈥檚 Award, we hope their example will be more widely understood and that others will follow in their footsteps.鈥�
Caine-Conley, now in the final stages of the United Church of Christ ordination process, joined with Wispelwey, directing minister for the Charlottesville-based , to co-found Congregate Charlottesville in the months leading up to the Aug. 12 rally. The organization worked to train religious leaders in direct action, public witness and rapid response.
In early August, they led the for 1,000 clergy and faith leaders of all denominations to counter-protest the white supremacists.
Sekou was invited to join the clergy protest by the organizers. As a representative of the Fellowship of Reconciliation (the nation鈥檚 oldest interfaith organization), he At a prayer service in Charlottesville the night before August 12, upon learning a torch-lit march was approaching the church, Sekou would invite those gathered to sing.
Read more
- 鈥�,鈥� Brittany Caine-Conley’s post-rally perspective published on the Berkley Forum;
- 鈥�鈥� Caine-Conley’s pre-rally post and other writings on New Sacred, a UCC blog.
- from Vox.
- 鈥溾�� from Thinkprogress.
Coverage of Congregate C鈥檝ille was also featured in the and .
More coverage on the Aug. 12 event from 黑料正能量 News is here.
Just heard Brittney on thomHartman show. I liked all that she said. Wish we had someone like her here.