African-American Clergy Call on Congress to Demand a Moral, Just Federal Budget, Protect Medicaid
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 17, 2017
CONTACT
Michelle Nealy, mnealy@faithinpubliclife.org, (202)735-7123
Greg Williams, gwilliams@faithinpubliclife.org, (443) 854-1405
African-American Clergy Call on Congress to Demand a Moral, Just Federal Budget, Protect Medicaid
Washington, DC – On Tuesday, July 18th, African-American clergy from across the nation will convene on Capitol Hill to call on Congress to reject both the immoral budget proposed by the Trump Administration and the equally unjust health care bill that the Senate is scheduled to have a procedural vote on in the coming weeks. A vote initially scheduled for Tuesday has been postponed.
Faith leaders will address the many ways the proposed budget will negatively impact African-American families and communities, including deep cuts to education, Medicaid, civil rights departments in government agencies, community development block grants and housing vouchers as well as creating a hospitable environment for predatory lending. The African-American clergy, who represent national denominations, state ecumenical bodies and local congregations, are coming to the nation’s capital from states and districts whose representatives in Congress will have influence over the budget process and the Senate healthcare bill.
An ecumenical worship service with some of the most powerful African-American faith voices in the country will be held the night before on Monday, July 17 at 7 p.m. at Ebenezer United Methodist Church, a historic church in the Washington whose pulpit has been graced by W.E.B DuBois, Frederick Douglass and others. The ecumenical worship service will serve as a unifying and fortifying event before the meetings with members of Congress on Tuesday.
Some of the African-American clergy assembled will participate in direct action on Tuesday afternoon following the scheduled meetings with lawmakers.
Also, faith leaders will also debut an aggressive social media campaign to amplify calls for Congress to withdraw the controversial healthcare bill that could strip life-saving health coverage from millions of Americans. #BlackClergyUprising #BlackClergyVoices
WHAT
Ecumenical Worship Service & Press Conference
WHEN & WHERE
Ecumenical Worship Service
Ebenezer United Methodist Church, 400 D Street, SE, Washington, D.C.
7 p.m.
Press Conference
Tuesday, July 18, 2017
10:30 a.m.
U.S. Capitol Building
East Front of the U.S. Capitol (across from the Supreme Court and First Street)
WHO
Rev. Dr. Teresa Hord Owens, General Minister and President, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the US and Canada
Rev. Jimmie R. Hawkins, Director, Presbyterian Church (USA), Office of Public Witness
Rev. Dr. Barbara William Skinner, Co-Chair, National African American Clergy Network
Rev. Dr. Leslie Copeland Tune, Director, Ecumenical Poverty Initiative
Bishop Frank Madison Reid, III, Bishop of Ecumenical & Urban Affairs, African Methodist Episcopal Church
Rev. Dr. Cynthia Hale, Pastor, Ray of Hope Church, Decatur, GA
Rev. Dr. Donald Gillett, II, Executive Director, Kentucky Council of Churches
Rev. Aundreia Alexander, Esq, Associate General Secretary, National Council of Churches
Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock, Pastor, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Chair, Social Justice Committee, Progressive National Baptist Convention
Rev. Dr. Willie Gable, Pastor, Progressive Baptist Church, New Orleans, LA, Chair, Housing and Economic Development Commission, National Baptist Convention USA, Inc.
###