Waltrina Middleton

Waltrina Middleton fosters ecumenical and interfaith partnerships and dialogues engaging communities domestically and internationally. Former Associate Dean of the Howard University Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel, she organized a student encounter in Charlottesville, VA centering dialogue on cultural heritage and racialized violence, and expanded the university's Alternative Spring Break experience to include the Lumbee Nation (Water Justice and Human Rights) and the Middle East (Apartheid and Militarized Occupation).

Maintaining a commitment to human rights advocacy and social justice activism, Middleton is founder and organizer of Walk on Water Global Ministries, Diaspora Dialogues and Cleveland Action; the latter organization traveled with the World Council of Churches to bear witness at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland on police brutality and state sanctioned violence. Her advocacy work also addresses systemic cultures of violence and racism against marginalized communities around the world.

A passionate preacher and keynote, she has addressed the World Council of Churches Forum on Peace and Justice in Trondheim, Norway and the National Council of Churches, among others. A former minister at Trinity United Church of Christ, she served denominationally for six years as National Minister for Youth Advocacy and Leadership Formation and Program Director for the National Youth Event.

A Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. Fellowship Scholar and William “Bill” Lucy Social Justice and Globalization Fellow, Middleton holds a Masters of Divinity (Chicago Theological Seminary).

Palestine protest

Chicago, IL - The Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine led a crowd of close to 1000 people, mostly youth from the Palestinian community in the Chicago area, to protest the attacks on the Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, April 18 2022. The Coalition includes the American Muslims for Palestine, United States Palestinian Community Network (UCPSN), Students for Justice in Palestine- Chicago (SJP), Al-Nahda, Palestinian American Community Center, and Palestinian American Council.

In addition to Palestinian speakers, a statement was read from Rev. Dr. Waltrina Middleton, executive director of the Community Renewal Society. She wrote, “I must condemn the violent and fatal use of force upon worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque during Jumu’ah [Friday] prayers,” and “The inequitable use of force against unarmed worshippers and Palestinians at-large are crimes against humanity, and there must be outrage and denouncement by global leaders, faith communities and all who believe in justice and peace for all.”

“How do we enforce justice and freeze financial assets to stop Russia from imposing war on Ukraine, but underwrite billions in aid to support Israel’s illegal occupation and imposition of war on Palestine?”

“How do we impose blockades and freeze assets in Russia, while U.S. senators - including Ben Cardin of Maryland and Sherrod Brown of Ohio - rally in support of criminalizing and penalizing anyone who supports BDS [Boycotting, Divesting and Sanctions] against Israeli’s illegal occupation of Palestine?”

Free Mumia Abu-Jamal

In 2008 Waltrina Middleton, member of Ubiquity INC, Chicago, IL signed a statement circulated by the Partisan Defense Committee calling for the release of convicted “cop-killer” Mumia Abu-Jamal.

Tamir Rice petition

60,000-signature petition for County Prosecutor Tim McGinty for criminal charges and arrests warrants against Cleveland police that killed Tamir Rice to be delivered at 2 pm at Justice Center on July 23 2015 with 1 pm City Hall rally,

The groups called themselves the Tamir Rice Justice Committee and als also hold a 2 pm press conference on the steps of the Justice Center. Contacts were ontact Dick Peery, Rick Nagin and LaTonya Goldsby.

Dick Peery, a community activist, labor affiliate, and retired Cleveland Plain Dealer Newspaper reporter and former writer's guild union president said that Rick Nagin, a Cleveland west side community activist, would lead the rally, and so ould Rice's cousin, LaTonya Goldsby.

Congresswoman Marcia Fudge (D-11), a Warrensville Heights Democrat whose majority Black 11th congressional district includes the city of Cleveland, is the honorary chair of a Tamir Rice Justice Committee petition, a petition signed also by some Cleveland city council members, members of Cuyahoga County Council, state senators, other elected officials, residents, community activists, and members of the faith-based and labor communities of greater Cleveland.

Nick Martin, the executive director of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party, was also among the notables supporting the initiative.

Members of the 17-member Cleveland City Council to sign the petition to date for McGinty to push for criminal charges against police relative to the killing of Rice include Jeff Johnson, Brian Cummins, and Kevin Conwell, vice chair of city council's safety committee.

Members of the 11- member Cuyahoga County Council that signed on include Anthony Hairston, Dale Miller, and Yvonne Conwell, Kevin Conwell's wife.

State Sen. Sandra Williams (D-21), a Cleveland Democrat, and state Sen. Michael Skindell (D-23), a Lakewood Democrat, also signed the petition, as did at least three suburban council persons, including those representing Woodmere, Fairvew Park and the city of Maple Heights.

Dozens of clergy of greater Cleveland have signed on, most of whom are Black, and include the Rev. Tony Minor, Rev. Lorenzo Norris, Rev. Sara Ross, Rev. Waltrina Middleton, and the Rev. Charles See, who leads Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries' Community Re-Entry Program for people returning from prison.

Labor leaders supporting the petition include Democratic operative Lane Dunbar, Workers United Local 178 President Wanda Navarro, Mark Davis, who is the Cleveland regional director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and David Sheagley, the legislative and political organizer for the American Federation of Government Employees, District 6.

Community activists supporting the endeavor include Dr. Stewart Robinson and Valerie Robinson of Stop Targeting Ohio's Poor, William Clarence Marshall of the Carl Stokes Brigade, Cleveland Renaissance Movement Leader Basheer Jones, Carol Steiner of Puncture the Silence, Bill Swain of Revolution Books, Don Bryant of the Greater Cleveland Immigrant Support Network, Al Porter of Black on Black Crime, Art McKoy of the Black Man's Army, and Julia Shearson, executive director of the Cleveland and northern Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations(CAIR).

Among others that signed the petition are Cleveland NAACP Executive Board Member Meryl Tolbert Johnson, Lillian Sharpley and Karolyn Isnhart of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party, and Rick Nagin and Janet Garcia, both of whom have made failed bids for a seat on Cleveland City Council.

1st Anniversary of the #Ferguson Uprising

Maurice Moe Mitchell August 5, 2015,

1. UnitedWeFight: 1st Anniversary of the #Ferguson Uprising - National Conference Call. Thurs. 8PM EST / 7PM CST Register at http://bit.ly/uwfcall — with Justin Hansford, Scott A. Roberts, Mary Hooks, Kayla M. Reed, Diamond Latchison, Kareem Jackson, Bukky Gbadegesin, Katrina Gamble, Tanya Lucia Bernard, Tory Russell, Cedric Lawson, Alicia Garza, Leslie Mac, Charlene Carruthers, Patrisse Cullors, Cherrell Brown, Dante Barry, Waltrina Middleton, Damon Turner, Marbre Stahly-Butts, Ash-Lee Henderson, Damon Davis, Thenjiwe Tameika McHarris, Mari Morales-Williams, Mervyn Marcano, Nicole Lee, Elandria Williams, Opal Ayo, Jonathan Pulphus, Dara Cooper, Michael McBride, Umi Selah, Osagyefo Sekou, Tara Tee, Rose Berry, Sistufara W. Muhammad, Purvi Shah, Cid Nichols, Ingrid Benedict, Jade Ogunnaike, James Hayes, Anita Nichole, Joe Worthy and The Movement for Black Lives.

Ferguson protest

Solidarity Against Racism, October 14, 2015;

With Al Osorio, Jeremy Miller, Christopherj Woods, John Earl Boyd, Jose LaSalle, Derk Brown, La Mesha Irizarry, Osagyefo Sekou, Dr. Cornel West, Efia Nwangaza Renita Marie Green, Susan Talve, Traci Blackmon, Mary Gene Boteler, Starsky Wilson, Waltrina N. Middleton, Jim Wallis, Heather Wilson, Lisa Sharon Harper, and Patrick Soby.

Team

Freedom Road.us team, July 2018.

• Lisa Sharon Harper - President
• Rev. Rene August - Senior Consultant
• Ruth Anna Buffalo - Senior Consultant
• Rev. Dr. Diane Johnson, PH.D. - Senior Consultant
• Rev.Michael Mata - Senior Consultant
• Rev. Dr. Soong-Chan Rah - Senior Consultant
• Dr. Claudia Owens Shields, PH.D. - Senior Consultant
• Dr. Randy Woodley- Senior Consultant Duo
• Edith Woodley - Senior Consultant Duo
• Michelle Higgins - Consultant
• Jose Humphreys - Consultant
• Alexei Laushkin - Consultant
• Rev. Waltrina Middleton - Consultant
• Cara Meredith - Associate
• Katie Zimmerman - Associate
• Ruthie Johnson - Associate
• Joed Lopez - Associate
• Mallory Faulkner - Associate
• Joy Cherie Guion Bailey - Associate

References

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