Spiritual restoration and prayerful resistance took over Northwest D.C., on Saturday, Sept. 19, as the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) 55th Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) convened hundreds for the Day of Healing Prayer Breakfast.
Held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, the long-time tradition is a beacon of hope for the clergy, policymakers, community leaders and constituents who attend annually from across the nation.
In his keynote sermon, the Rev. Dr. George L. Parks Jr. likened what is happening in the nation today to the biblical stories of Nebuchadnezzar, emphasizing that such a moment requires quiet strength of faith and willingness to serve God “without guarantee.”
“It is true that we won’t stand by and see our women objectified. It is true that we will not stand idle and allow people who think they are superior to take this country,” Parks, pastor of the historic Metropolitan Baptist Church in Largo, Maryland, said. “I want to remind someone: you can’t die on every hill, and not every hill is worth your blood. But all of us ought to find a hill that is worth your blood.”
A few weeks ahead of the annual conference, CBCF President Nicole Austin-Hillery told The Informer that events from the annual Town Hall to the Day of Healing serve as more than a convening, but to leave participants “Rooted, Ready and Rising” — in the words of the ALC55 theme — to continue the work in their own communities.
Featuring the sounds of the Grammy-nominated John P. Kee & The New Life, and a passionate closing plea, Sept. 19 was a reflection of that mission, coupled with a powerful reminder of how God has historically turned the prevailing winds for those oppressed.
“The winds will be changed,” Austin-Hillery said in her final remarks on Saturday. “And when those winds change, we are going to do what the late Great John Lewis told us to do in his biography: We’re going to walk with the wind.”
