By Alytrius Bridgers, CONN-M-SWAWO Publicity Chairperson
In the current political climate, it is not hard to understand how everyday people can become disillusioned and fed up with the political process. Unfortunately, people who have forgotten what a public servant is have distorted the leadership roles in our local, state, and federal political systems. Fortunately, we serve a big God, with big plans, and He has not neglected to provide us with a glimmer of hope. Isaiah 1:17 reminds us to “learn to do good;
seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, [and] plead for the widow. Members of the clergy family have taken this scripture to heart and have taken up the mantle to do so.
In Macon, Georgia, Pamela White-Colbert has been living this scripture for more than 30 years. She was sworn in as a civil magistrate judge on December 28, 2018. She campaigned on the slogan, “Putting People First.” Her slogan alone indicates that she is aware of what it means to serve. Her service in the vineyard has given her a solid foundation. Not only is she continuing the legacy of Isaiah 1:17, but she has also made history by being the first African American woman elected to hold this position. Her husband, the Rev. Marvin Colbert, the pastor of Bethel AME Church in Macon, was presented the Terrill Hill Award for Excellence in Campaign Strategy and Design. His efforts helped his wife to become a judge! They are definitely a force in which to be reckoned.
Judge White-Colbert’s victory was celebrated by colleagues, family, church members, and friends at a reception held at the Harriet Tubman Museum. The Rev. and Judge Colbert are proud members of the Macon Conference in the Sixth Episcopal District.
As one has reached a pinnacle in her career, another one is just getting started. George Pratt of Jacksonville, Florida, is one of two students selected to participate in the prestigious 2019 United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) in March. As part of the program, Pratt will join Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott in representing Florida and will receive a $10,000 college scholarship for undergraduate study.
With a firm idea of what he plans to do in the future, Pratt has already learned to serve as the president of the East Conference of the YPD, Senior Class President, chair of the Rules and Bylaws Committee for the Jacksonville Mayor’s Young Leaders Advisory Council, and leader of United Diversity for OneJax. His selection in the USSYP will set him up to experience first-hand our political system at work, giving him a bird’s eye view of what needs to be done to seek justice and defend the oppressed. Pratt understands the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity he has been granted and plans to glean all that he can from the program.
Pratt plans to attend Morehouse College with a double major in History and Religion with a minor in Leadership Studies. From there, he plans to clerk for a federal appellate judge, pass the bar, work for the US Attorney’s office, be ordained in the AME Church, and be elected a United States senator.
