Cedric Harmon facts for kids

Reverend Cedric A. Harmon (born 1966) is a leader, speaker, writer, and activist. He is the Executive Director of Many Voices: A Black Church Movement for LGBT Justice. This group helps Black churches become more welcoming to all people, including those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT). He is known for helping people of faith understand and support equal rights for LGBT people. His work was even mentioned in a special report by the National Park Service about LGBT history in America. He has also written for well-known publications like the Huffington Post and The Advocate.

Early Life and Calling

Cedric Harmon was born in 1966 in Centreville, Illinois. This was a small, mostly African-American town near St. Louis, Missouri. He was the youngest of nine children. His family lived a simple life, without indoor plumbing. They pumped their own water and used an outhouse.

Even though schools were separate for different races back then, Cedric attended the white school district. He was a very bright student and joined programs for smart kids. He was also active in student government and Model United Nations. He later went to Cahokia High School.

Church was a big part of his life from a young age. He started going to church when he was five. At age eight, he felt a special calling to become a minister. His family was Baptist, but he and his mother later joined a Missionary Baptist church. In 1994, when he was 28, he shared that he was gay. After this, he began working to make Black churches more welcoming to LGBT members.

Education Journey

Cedric Harmon studied at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. He earned a Bachelor's of Science degree in Media Management. After that, he continued his studies at Wesley Seminary in Washington, D.C.

Career and Advocacy

Cedric Harmon started preaching in his church when he was a child. After finishing seminary, he worked for 13 years at Americans United for Separation of Church and State. In this role, he helped train religious leaders. These leaders then spoke to lawmakers about issues where religion and government meet.

In 2008, he volunteered to help gain marriage equality in Washington, D.C. He was part of a special committee. At the same time, he helped start a church that welcomed everyone and served as an Associate Pastor there.

Later, he co-founded Many Voices with Ann Thompson Cook. He first served as Minister of Welcoming Resources. Then he became co-director, and now he is the Executive Director. Many Voices works to make Black churches more inclusive.

In 2012, Cedric Harmon was a speaker at the LGBTQ Victory Institute's OUT On the Hill conference.

In 2013, he gave a lecture at the University of Maryland. His talk was called "Creating a More Perfect Union." It discussed the Civil War and civil rights.

In 2014, he spoke at a workshop about helping Black LGBT communities. He also joined many faith and government leaders, including San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. They asked Archbishop Cordileone to cancel his appearance at an anti-LGBT rally. Cedric also became involved with SAGE Story. This program helps LGBT elders share their life stories and feel less alone.

In 2015, Cedric Harmon and Ann Thompson Cook published a book. It was called And God Loves Each One: A Black Church Guide to Sexual Orientation. That same year, he spoke to the Washington, D.C., City Council. He supported a law about end-of-life choices. He also spoke at a screening of Holler If You Hear Me in Portland, Oregon. This documentary was about LGBT youth who felt disconnected from their families and churches. He also traveled to Liberia to train church leaders as part of the Reconciling Ministries Network.

In 2017, Cedric Harmon spoke at the Rolling the Stone Away conference. This meeting brought together LGBT Christian leaders. He was named one of "12 Faith Leaders to Watch in 2017" by the Center for American Progress. He also received an Arcus Leadership Fellowship. The Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, D.C., gave him a Distinguished Service Award.

In 2018, he helped lead a workshop called "Bridging Divides." This training helped faith leaders work for social justice. He also spoke at Souls A' Fire 6, a conference about Black queer theology. He led a workshop called "Being in Relationship" at the Wild Goose Festival. This festival celebrates spirit, justice, music, and arts. Also in 2018, he and other members of the Union of Affirming Christians spoke out. They criticized the Trump Administration for policies that were not fair to LGBT people. He also lectured at the Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, D.C. In March 2018, the Metropolitan Community Church of New York honored him at their Easter Awards Banquet.

In 2019, Cedric Harmon was a trainer for the Unitarian Universalist Association. He helped with their "Our Whole Lives Matter" program.

In 2020, he led a seminar at the University of Redlands. This was part of their Certificate in LGBTQ Leadership program.

Podcasts

Awards and Recognition

• GLAA Distinguished Service Award (2017)
• Metropolitan Community Church of New York honoree (2018)
• Arcus Leadership Fellowship (2017)
• "12 Faith Leaders to Watch in 2017" listee
• "10 Black Religious Leaders Advancing LGBTQ Justice" listee