The African American Clergy Collective of Tennessee (ACCT) is inviting clergy to educate congregations across the Volunteer State about critical issues—the impact of vouchers on public education, gun violence prevention, and healthcare equity.

“February 4, we invite them to join us in Nashville at First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill, where we’ll meet and share with legislators,” said the group in a release. 

“We are convening clergy to help us overcome the continuous assaults on democracy that are making it more difficult for people who are low-income, Black and Brown, elderly, and disabled to exercise their sacred freedom to access fundamental human rights. It’s a day to reflect on social justice principles and work towards a more equitable society. We must educate and equip our congregations to be individual living stones, and doers of the word.”

To register for the event, visit <bit.ly/4fM7j90>.

The event will feature special guests, Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley and Bishop Leah Daughtry.

Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley is the president/CEO for the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) and brings 21 years of experience in healthcare, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), government affairs, and executive leadership. She is also the founding principal/CEO of R.E.A.C.H. Beyond Solutions, a public health, advocacy, and executive leadership firm promoting DEI, political and organizational strategy, risk management, government affairs, and technical assistance. Formerly a senior advisor and director of external engagement during the Obama Administration in the Department of Health and Human Services, Rev. Arline-Bradley is a graduate of Tulane University in New Orleans, La., for both undergraduate and master’s work, as well as Virginia Union University with a Master of Divinity. In addition, she earned executive certificates from Howard University and Cornell University. She was initiated into the Nu Mu Citywide Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority at Tulane University in New Orleans, La., in December 1997. Further, she is the past co-chair of the National Social Action Commission for the sorority and the immediate past president of Delta for Women in Action (D4). Rev. Arline-Bradley also serves in leadership at several organizations, including: The Links, Inc.; Scott Hawkins Leadership Institute; NAACP; Jack and Jill of America; and the Oprah Winfrey Network initiative OWN Your Health. In 2024, she had the honor of serving as the youngest keynote speaker at the world-renowned Martin Luther King, Jr. Beloved Community Commemorative Service, which is an annual event in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, organized by the King Center in Atlanta, Ga. Rev. Arline-Bradley is a lover of all-things sports, music, and an avid resort traveler. Most important to her are her faith and family, as she enjoys being wife to Andrew Bradley and mother of two children.

Bishop Leah Daughtry is a nationally recognized strategist, activist organizer, political operative, author, and public theologian. The daughter of a long line of community organizers and activists, Leah represents the fifth consecutive generation of pastors in the Daughtry family.

She currently serves as ‘presiding prelate’ of The House of the Lord Churches. Standing at the intersection of faith and politics, Daughtry has served as chief of staff of the United States Department of Labor, chief of staff of the Democratic Party, and CEO of the 2008 and 2016 Democratic National Conventions, making her the only person in Democratic Party history to hold the position twice. For her work with communities of faith, Religion News Service named her one of the dozen most effective Democrats in the nation on faith and values politics. She is also the principal of On These Things, LLC, a boutique strategic planning, project management, and community engagement firm that works with a broad array of businesses and organizations invested in advancing the common good.

The African American Clergy Collective of Tennessee (ACCT) is an alliance of multi- denominational African American Christian churches. We are Baptists, Church of God in Christ, Disciples of Christ, Methodists, Church of Christ, Full Gospel, non–denominational and so many more.

The group is using its collective power to center the needs of marginalized Tennesseans and create conditions for once-silenced voices to assess policies and social institutions in terms of their impact on the poor.