President of Children’s Defense Fund visiting W-S this week
On Wednesday, July 9, Winston-Salem Freedom Schools and the Equity Forsyth Coalition will welcome Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson, President and CEO of the Children’s Defense Fund. The event is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at Union Baptist Church, 1200 N. Trade Street. The event is free and open to the public.
Distinguished for activism in philanthropy, faith and community for child well-being and racial justice, Dr. Wilson’s public ministry includes service to vital national institutions. He serves as board chair for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Duke University’s Divinity School. Starsky previously led boards of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) and Forum for Theological Exploration.
Since joining CDF in 2020, Wilson has sharpened the organization’s strategy while managing its first leadership transition. Upon arrival, he re-activated CDF Action Council as a sister organization for grassroots legislative education, lobbying and public accountability. In 2021, Wilson established a dedicated leadership development and organizing department focused on base building with key constituencies. In 2022, this team relaunched CDF’s Black Student Leadership Network to train students in community organizing and policy analysis, and initiated capacity building cohorts for faith communities to advocate for children’s policy. To infuse public policy with youth voice, in 2023 he merged the American Youth Policy Forum into CDF and published a 2030 public policy agenda informed by listening sessions and focus groups within CDF Freedom Schools.
At a place in time where equality and education seem to be under attack during his visit, Wilson will speak to the challenges and opportunities for advancing the systems change measures that will create learning environments that are engaging for all students and foster a sense of belonging and inclusion that leads to positive outcomes and bright futures.
About the Children’s Defense Fund
Children’s Defense Fund is a nonprofit agency that advocates for children’s rights. The Children’s Defense Fund pursues policies and programs that provide health care to children, reduce the impact of poverty on children, protect children from abuse and neglect, and provide children with educational opportunities.
