The Reverend Traci deVon Blackmon
Until the lion tells the story, the hunter will always be the hero.
~ West African Proverb
The Rev. Traci Blackmon is the Associate General Minister of Justice and Local Church Ministries for the United Church of Christ, and is responsible for the implementation of the domestic justice and advocacy initiatives of the denomination, as well as the education and resourcing of more than 5,000 churches from a denominational perspective.
As a public theologian and featured voice on many regional, national and international platforms, Rev. Blackmon's life work focuses on communal resistance to systemic injustice. Her response in Ferguson to the killing of Michael Brown resulted in national and international recognition, gaining her many audiences spanning the breadth of the White House to the Carter Center to the Vatican.
She is a pastor at heart and has had the joy of serving two congregations: Simpson Chapel African Methodist Church and Christ The King United Church of Christ. Currently Rev. Blackmon serves as Pastor-in-Residence for Eden Theological Seminary. Featured in several publications and documentaries, Rev. Blackmon’s insightful analysis of socio-political challenges through a theological lens resulted in her listing as one of St. Louis’ 100 most influential voices.
Appointed to the Ferguson Commission by Governor Jay Nixon and to the President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based Neighborhood Partnerships for the White House by President Barack Obama, Rev. Blackmon is a recipient of the NAACP Rosa Parks Award; The Urban League of St. Louis Woman in Leadership Award; and the National Planned Parenthood Faith Leader Award, to name a few. Rev. Blackmon is also one of Ebony Magazine’s Power 100 and is a featured writer in several justice publications.
She is a graduate of Leadership St. Louis and currently serves on the boards of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference and the World Parliament of Religions. She was also named the 2017 Citizen of the Year by The St. Louis American. Rev. Blackmon divides her time between St. Louis, Missouri and Cleveland, Ohio and is the proud mother of three adult children: Kortni Devon; Harold II; and Tyler Wayne Blackmon.
"I speak for the lions. And we are many!" ~ Rev. Traci D. Blackmon
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