Future of Hope’s Annual Faith & Justice Summit
The 2022 Faith and Justice Summit is now over, but we hope to see you next year!
The 2022 Faith and Justice Summit calls participants to engage with and take action on issues of faith and justice facing their community. This year's theme centers on education inequity and how it affects our communities in ways we see and those we don't. There will be dynamic worship led by worship leader and musician, J.Blake White, and two keynote speakers. Dr. Terrell Strayhorn, provost of Virginia Union University, and Elizabeth Cronlund who specializes in Community Development. Both speakers will engage with the topic of education from the perspective of practical theology.
2022 Keynote Speakers
Elizabeth Cronlund
Elizabeth Cronlund was born in Chicago, but raised in The Philippines. She sees the world through the lens of a multi-ethnic woman and third culture kid.
Elizabeth has a background in Federal Disaster Management, working with AmeriCorps to respond to Hurricane Katrina and continuing for a few years after serving as an Advisory Board Member for their National Civilian Community Corps federal program. While at the University of Florida she was active in Asian American Leadership development, helping to found the Southeast Regional Conference of Asian American Leaders (SERCAAL).
For over a decade, Elizabeth has been working in Community Development for Summit Church, a multi-site interdenominational church in Orlando, FL. She builds relationships with local organizations and helps guide how the church invests its time, talent, and people into the local community. Elizabeth adheres to Asset-Based Community Development principles in all of her work. She sees creating connection across many levels of relationship, interpersonal up to institutional, as necessary for communities to thrive.
She facilitates training on engaging issues of justice within her church as well as through other organizations in Central Florida. She is an active member of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA). She helps lead their AAPIs in CCD affinity group, is a member of their TransformED team, and helped create their Education Equity Handbook.
Elizabeth is a Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP), and currently attends Northern Seminary.
Dr. Terrell Strayhorn
Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Professor of Urban Education in the Evelyn Reid Syphax School of Education at Virginia Union University, where he also serves as Director of the Center for the Study of HBCUs. An internationally-recognized education equity expert on issues of inclusion and belonging in corporate and education industries, Strayhorn’s research focuses on the social psychological determinants of student success for minoritized and other vulnerable populations. His pioneering research on college students’ sense of belonging has informed state policies, transformed campus/school practices, STEM contexts, and academic intervention testing.
With over 15 years of professional experience as a university professor, college administrator, and publicly-engaged scholar, Strayhorn is Associate Editor of Social Sciences & Humanities, Specialty Chief Editor of Frontiers in Education, and author of 11 books and 150+ journal articles and reports.
A member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated, Strayhorn is a faculty affiliate at Rutgers University’s Center for MSIs, Fellow of the Association of Governing Boards Leadership Institute, Member of the Children’s Defense Fund’s Freedom Schools Research Advisory Committee, and several other research institutes. He has been named one of the country’s top diversity scholars by Diverse Issues, “Top 20 to Know in Education,” and “Top 40 under 40,” by BusinessFirst, to name a few awards.
Worship Leader
J. BLAKE WHITE
The Memphis native currently serves and leads worship at his local church (West Angeles) in Los Angeles, CA. In addition to stage "J-Blake" is no stranger to the small screen. He's found success as a commercial Actor and On-Air Host/ Media Personality. Seen on hit TV shows such as Fox Networks "American Idol "(Season 10) and Oxygen Networks "The Glee Project" (Season 1), and with Two hit web-series under his belt, Bishop T.D Jakes Presents "The Gospel" 2019 and Flawed The Musical (Season 1- 2019), he has focused on merging faith and entertainment. J-Blake has music available on all major digital media outlets and has recently released his second EP " Treasure 8:31"!
He received his Bachelors of Professional Studies with a concentration in Marketing Management and a minor in Cinema & TV Production from the University of Memphis/ Cal State Northridge and has been with Apple Inc. for nine years.
He desires to share in his music that there is power in faith!
To stay connected please visit www.jblakewhite.com for more information or follow him on social media @J_blakewhite.