Episode 230: Daily Devotional For The Children
The coronavirus pandemic taught us many things. The expansion of The Child Tax Credit, SNAP, and stimulus checks etc. brought child poverty, according to the US Census, to a record low of 5.4%. As of 2021 the child poverty rate has skyrocketed to 16.9% with the rollback of that aid. What we can garner from this is child poverty, as L. Joy states, is a political choice and reflection of our values. To take us to church on understanding child poverty, help us think through actions and solutions, Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson joins L. Joy at the front of the class.
Homework:
Read “We Pray For Children” by Ina Hughs https://www.appleseeds.org/childpry.htm
Check out the work these organizations mentioned by Rev. Dr. Wilson are doing to help end child poverty:
Children’s Defense Fund https://www.childrensdefense.org/
Faith In Action: https://faithinaction.org/
The Gamaliel National Network https://gamaliel.org/
Census information on child poverty: Child Poverty Fell to Record Low 5.2% in 2021 (census.gov)
Which States Have the Highest Child Poverty Rates from USA Facts Which states have the highest child poverty rates? - USAFacts
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Our Guest:
Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson is president & CEO of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) and CDF Action Council. CDF envisions a nation where marginalized children flourish, leaders prioritize their well-being, and communities wield the power to ensure they thrive. Wilson is board chair for the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) and the Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE).
From 2011 through 2020, Rev. Wilson was president & CEO of Deaconess Foundation, a faith-based philanthropy for child well-being and racial justice in St. Louis. From 2008 through 2018, Dr. Wilson also pastored Saint John’s Church (The Beloved Community), a multiracial congregation in the city. Under his leadership, the foundation constructed and established the Deaconess Center for Child Well-Being, a community action tank engaging thousands of citizens annually. After the police killing of Michael Brown, Jr., the church hosted the #BlackLivesMatter Freedom Ride to Ferguson and other mobilizations.
Wilson was appointed co-chair of the Ferguson Commission, which released the ‘Forward Through Ferguson: A Path Toward Racial Equity’ Report, calling for sweeping changes in policing, the courts, child well-being and economic mobility in 2015. He currently serves boards for Duke Divinity School, the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Dr. Wilson earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Xavier University of Louisiana, Master of Divinity from Eden Theological Seminary, and the Doctor of Ministry from Duke University. A member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Starsky is married to Dr. LaToya Smith Wilson, a dentist and child advocate. They are raising four children.
