John M. Perkins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John M. Perkins
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| Born | June 16, 1930 Lawrence County, Mississippi
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John M. Perkins (born June 16, 1930) is an American Christian minister, a leader in civil rights, and an author. He started the John & Vera Mae Perkins Foundation with his wife, Vera Mae Perkins. He also helped create the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA).
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
John M. Perkins was born in 1930 in New Hebron, Mississippi. When he was only seven months old, his mother passed away from a serious illness. His father left, so his grandmother and other family members raised him. They worked as sharecroppers, meaning they farmed land owned by others and shared the crops. John left school after third grade.
In 1947, his family encouraged him to leave Mississippi. They were worried for his safety after his brother, Clyde, was shot and killed by a police officer. John moved to southern California. In June 1951, he married Vera Mae Buckley. Earlier that year, he joined the U.S. Armed Forces and served in Okinawa during the Korean War. In 1957, John became a Christian after his son, Spencer, invited him to church.
Working for Change
In 1960, John and his family moved from California back to Mendenhall, near his childhood home. There, in 1964, he started the Voice of Calvary Bible Institute.
His wife, Vera Mae, began a day-care center from their home. From 1966 to 1968, this day-care became part of the Head Start Program, which helps young children from low-income families.
In 1965, John supported efforts to help people register to vote in Simpson County. In 1967, he became involved in ending segregation in schools. He enrolled his son Spencer in Mendenhall High School, which had only been for white students before.
In the fall of 1969, John led a protest where people stopped buying from white-owned stores in Mendenhall. On February 7, 1970, after students were arrested during a protest march, John was also arrested. He was treated very badly by police officers while in Brandon Jail.
Ideas and Organizations
In 1976, John published a book called A Quiet Revolution. In this book, he shared his ideas about helping communities. He focused on "three Rs":
- Relocation: Encouraging Christians to live in struggling communities.
- Redistribution: Sharing resources and wealth within communities.
- Reconciliation: Bringing people together, especially across racial lines.
By the mid-1970s, the Voice of Calvary Ministries in Jackson and Mendenhall were doing many things to help people. They ran thrift stores, health clinics, and helped people get affordable housing. They also offered Bible and theology classes. John became a popular speaker at churches and colleges across the country.
In 1982, the Perkins family left Voice of Calvary Ministries. They moved back to California and started the Harambee Christian Family Center in Pasadena. This center is now called Harambee Ministries.
In 1989, John Perkins founded the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA). This group connects Christian churches and organizations that work in poor city areas. The CCDA wanted to encourage Christians to get involved in social justice and civil rights.
After his son Spencer passed away in 1998, John started the Spencer Perkins Center. This center is the youth part of the John M. Perkins Foundation. It offers programs for young people like after-school tutoring, summer arts camps, and internships. The foundation also helps provide affordable homes for families, especially single mothers.
On September 17, 2016, John Perkins became President Emeritus of the John & Vera Mae Perkins Foundation. His three daughters, Elizabeth, Priscilla, and Deborah Perkins, became co-presidents of the organization.
Special Recognition
Many groups have honored John M. Perkins for his important work.
- In 2012, Calvin College started the John M. Perkins Leadership Fellows program. This program helps students who care about unfairness in communities.
- In 2004, Seattle Pacific University opened the John Perkins Center. This center focuses on bringing people together, training leaders, and helping communities grow.
- In 2009, the band Switchfoot released a song called "The Sound (John M. Perkins' Blues)". The song was inspired by John Perkins' book Let Justice Roll Down.
Books by John M. Perkins
John M. Perkins has written many books about his experiences and ideas:
- Let Justice Roll Down (1976)
- A Quiet Revolution: The Christian Response to Human Need, a Strategy for Today (1976)
- With Justice for All (1982)
- Beyond Charity: The Call to Christian Community Development (1993)
- He's My Brother: Former Racial Foes Offer Strategy for Reconciliation (1994)
- Resurrecting Hope (1995)
- Restoring At-Risk Communities: Doing It Together and Doing It Right (1996)
- Linking Arms, Linking Lives: How Urban-Suburban Partnerships Can Transform Communities (2008)
- Follow Me to Freedom: Leading as an Ordinary Radical (2009)
- Welcoming Justice: God's Movement Toward Beloved Community (2009)
- Leadership Revolution: Developing the Vision & Practice of Freedom & Justice (2012)
- Making Neighborhoods Whole: A Handbook for Christian Community Development (2013)
- Dream with Me: Race, Love, and the Struggle We Must Win (2017)
- One Blood: Parting Words to the Church on Race (2018)
- He Calls Me Friend: The Healing Power of Friendship in a Lonely World (2019)
- Count It All Joy: The Ridiculous Paradox of Suffering (2021)
- Go and Do: Nine Axioms on Peacemaking and Transformation From the Life of John Perkins (2022)
See also
In Spanish: John M. Perkins para niños
