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American Christian minister, civil rights activist, and author From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John M. Perkins (born June 16, 1930) is an American Christian minister, civil rights activist, and author. He is the founder and president emeritus of the John & Vera Mae Perkins Foundation with his wife, Vera Mae Perkins. He is co-founder of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA).
John M. Perkins | |
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| Born | June 16, 1930 Lawrence County, Mississippi |
John M. Perkins was born in 1930 in New Hebron, Mississippi. His mother died of pellagra when he was just seven months old.[1][2] Abandoned by his father, he was raised by his grandmother and extended family, who worked as sharecroppers. He dropped out of school in third grade.[1][2] In 1947, he moved away from Mississippi at the urging of his family, who worried that he might be in danger following the fatal shooting of his brother, Clyde, by a police officer.[1][2] He settled in southern California. In June 1951, Perkins married Vera Mae Buckley; earlier that year, he had been drafted into the U.S. Armed Forces. Perkins served in Okinawa during the Korean War.[3] In 1957, Perkins's son, Spencer, invited him to church and Perkins converted to Christianity.[1]
In 1960, Perkins moved with his wife and children from California to Mendenhall, Mississippi, which neighbors his childhood hometown of New Hebron.[4] There, in 1964, he established Voice of Calvary Bible Institute.[5][6]
In Mendenhall, Vera Mae started running a day-care center from their home that from 1966 to 1968 became part of the federally funded Head Start Program.[7]
In 1965, Perkins supported voter registration efforts in Simpson County, and in 1967 he became involved in school desegregation when he enrolled his son Spencer in the previously all-white Mendenhall High School.[6][8]
In the fall of 1969, Perkins became the leader in an economic boycott of white-owned stores in Mendenhall. On February 7, 1970, following the arrest of students who had taken part in a protest march in Mendenhall, Perkins was arrested and tortured by white police officers in Brandon Jail.[2][6][9]
In 1976, he published a book, A Quiet Revolution: The Christian response to human need, a strategy for today, which outlined his religious philosophy, revolving around the "three Rs" — relocation, redistribution and reconciliation.[10]
By the mid-seventies, Voice of Calvary, Jackson and Mendenhall Ministries were operating thrift stores, health clinics, a housing cooperative, and classes in Bible and theology. Perkins was in demand as a speaker in evangelical churches, colleges, and conventions across the country.[5][6]
In 1982, the Perkins left Voice of Calvary Ministries to return to California, where they founded Harambee Christian Family Center, now called Harambee Ministries, in northwest Pasadena.[5]
In 1989, Perkins founded the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA), a network of evangelical congregations and organizations working in deprived urban settings.[6][11] CCDA sought to invite evangelicals into social justice and civil rights.[12]
After the death of his son Spencer in 1998, Perkins established the Spencer Perkins Center, the youth arm of the John M. Perkins Foundation.[13] It has developed youth programs such as After School Tutoring, Summer Arts Camp, Junior and College Internship Program, Good News Bible Club, Young Life and Jubilee Youth Garden. The foundation also has a housing arm, Zechariah 8, providing affordable housing for low-to-moderate-income families, with a focus on single mothers.[14]
On September 17, 2016, Perkins became President Emeritus of the John & Vera Mae Perkins Foundation as his three daughters, Elizabeth, Priscilla, and Deborah Perkins, became co-presidents of the organization.[15][16]
In 2012, Calvin College began the John M. Perkins Leadership Fellows, a program for students concerned with community injustice.[17]
In 2004, Seattle Pacific University opened the John Perkins Center for Reconciliation, Leadership Training, and Community Development.[18]
In 2009, the band Switchfoot released the song "The Sound (John M. Perkins' Blues)". The song was inspired by Perkins' book Let Justice Roll Down.[19]
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