"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you." John 15:16
The Reverend Cassius L. Rudolph is a voting rights activist, social justice leader, theologian and pastor. A native of Chicago, Illinois, he serves as senior pastor of Saints’ Memorial Community Church of Willingboro NJ. Before serving as pastor, he served as the National Field Director of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and Special Assistant to the Reverend Dr. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., while simultaneously serving as National Chairman of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. "A Voteless People is a Hopeless People” national program. As the National Chairman, Rev. Rudolph was responsible for much of the revised branding and program curriculum for the Fraternity’s national program. He led the fraternity’s efforts to register 1 million black male voters for the 2020 election.
In 2018, Rev. Rudolph served as the convocation speaker and distinguished lecturer at Tougaloo College’s historic Woodworth Chapel. The lecture was one of many to be delivered on James Cone: The Rise of Black Liberation Theology. As a student and advisee of the late Dr. James H. Cone, Rev. Rudolph is considered a son Black Liberation Theology and was a member of the last class to sit under his teachings. Rev. Rudolph has delivered sermons, lectures, and workshops throughout the United States and is often sought after among institutions of higher education, conferences, conventions, symposiums, and retreats.
His lecturing and research interest are located at the intersection of preaching, worship, social justice, liberation theology, church and society. Rev. Rudolph was inducted into the distinguished Martin Luther King Jr, Board of Preachers at Morehouse College.
Rev. Rudolph, an ordained Baptist preacher, is a member of numerous civic organizations. Which include: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., One Hundred Black Men Inc., United Negro College Fund National Alumni Council, and the Association of Black Seminarians National Assembly which he founded. He currently serves as the National Chaplain, Tougaloo College National Alumni Association, Alumni/ae Council Board Member, Union Theological Seminary, and Vice President, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc Kappa Iota Lambda Chapter. Rev. Rudolph was inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers at Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA in 2022. Rev. Rudolph has been featured as a guest contributor on such programs as Up Front with Jesse Jackson, the Rainbow PUSH Saturday Morning Forum, the International Sunday School Broadcast with Dr. Janette Wilson, Esq., and the Another Perspective radio show with the late Rev. Dr. Leon Finney.
Rev. Rudolph received his Bachelor's Degree from Tougaloo College, Jackson, MS, his Master's Degree from Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, and attended Boston University, School of Theology, Boston MA. He received a certificate in nonprofit leadership from the Boston College Carroll School of Management and Wells Fargo. Currently, Rev. Rudolph is pursuing his Doctor of Ministry Degree at Garrett Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL.
Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett has purposefully made every decision with one goal in mind: protecting the civil liberties of those in underrepresented communities. As a public defender, civil rights attorney, State Representative, and United States Congresswoman, Jasmine Crockett dedicates her life to public service, with the goal of serving justice and ensuring equality for all.
In the midst of political turmoil, economic distress, and racial inequality, Congresswoman Crockett laced up her shoes to march for justice and run for the Texas House of Representatives. The sole Black freshman and youngest Black lawmaker in Texas during the 87th Legislative Session, Congresswoman Crockett navigated what has been marked as the most conservative session in Texas history. Despite the uphill climb, Congresswoman Crockett filed more bills than any other freshman, assembled a wide coalition to pass landmark criminal justice reforms in the House, and brought more accessibility and accountability to her office than before. She was a founding member of both the Texas Progressive Caucus as well as the Texas Caucus on Climate, Energy, and the Environment. As State Representative, she fought for economic opportunity as a member of the Business & Industry Committee, and advocated for reform on the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee. Congresswoman Crockett was one of the lead architects of the 2021 Texas House Quorum Break, which brought attention to the draconian and restrictive voting measures being proposed in the legislature.
Her passion for justice and the protection of peoples’ rights led her to pursue a career as a public defender, and civil rights and criminal defense attorney. She focused on defending our most vulnerable among us from exploitation in the criminal justice system. As she began her career in the Bowie County Public Defender's Office, Congresswoman Crockett worked tirelessly to keep children safe and out of jail. Her time there serves as a reminder that criminal justice is an intersectional issue.
Following her service in the Texas Legislature, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett has served as the U.S. Representative for Texas 30th Congressional District since January 2023, representing portions of Dallas and Tarrant counties, representing the seat previously held for 30 years by the late Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson. . In the 118th Congress, Congresswoman Crockett was elected as Freshman Leadership Representative, and in the 119th Congress she was appointed to the position of Vice Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight. She currently serves on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. She was also appointed as Communications Task Force Co-Chair for the Democratic Women's Caucus.
Congresswoman Crockett earned her B.A. in Business Administration from Rhodes College and her J.D. from the University of Houston. She is licensed to practice law in Texas, Arkansas, and Federal Courts. Crockett is the past Bowie County Democratic Party Chair, held various leadership positions within the legal community, is a former board member of the Dallas County Metrocare Services, and is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.