Heather Woodworth Brannon advocates for housing justice in Richmond

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Student Spotlight

BY MOLLIE TRAINUM

During her first year of seminary, Union Presbyterian Seminary student Heather Woodworth Brannon volunteered in a reading program in Richmond’s Gilpin Court and became acquainted with many of the families in the area. Brannon decided to share the story of a mother of two who became ill with cancer. Although her daughter dropped out of high school to help supplement the family income, the family was evicted from their living arrangement in the city’s oldest and largest public housing community and were forced to live in a car. The mother later died and the children relocated.

This story made Brannon’s internship at Bon Air Presbyterian Church formative to her seminary experience, and marked the beginning of her involvement with Richmonders Involved to Strengthen our Communities (RISC). She recalls an appreciation for the church’s focus on social justice ministry, choosing it largely because of their role in establishing and supporting the interfaith organization.

On May 2, Brannon gave a speech based on her ministry experiences at RISC’s Nehemiah Action Assembly, which sought to advocate for affordable housing in Richmond. “It’s a vital part of my call,” she said in an interview with WWBT-TV. The goal of the event was to “bring together all of the interfaith communities that are part of the organization so that they can not only learn about the work RISC is doing in advocating for the marginalized in the community,” but also to hold city officials accountable to the public, says Brannon. She notes that “rarely do city officials have that many faith communities banded together.”

Although RISC is an interfaith organization, not just a Christian one, Brannon finds strong connections to her seminary education and to her faith. Along with her internship, Brannon, a Master of Divinity student, notes that her Bible classes at Union were helpful in shaping her perspective on scripture and in determining what action she is called to take. One class in particular, Proclaiming Justice in the Church and Public Square with Dr. Richard Voelz, helped her prepare for the event. She describes the class as a type of rehearsal which helped her prepare answers to challenging questions in an impromptu, unexpected interview.

“The main purpose of the organization and one of our calls is to amplify the voices of those who are long-silenced in our community,” Brannon says. She also notes that we share much of Old Testament scripture with other faith communities, particularly Jewish ones. “Our responsibility is to act on behalf of others by demanding justice.”

Top photo: Final level Union Presbyterian student Heather Woodworth Brannon gave a speech based on her ministry experiences at the Nehemiah Action Assembly on May 2, which sought to advocate for affordable housing in Richmond.