May 25, 2022
The History and Spirit of the House of the Lord Churches
1980s-1990s
The founding convention of the National Black United Front (NBUF) was held in Brooklyn, New York in June 1980. Delegates from 35 states and 5 foreign countries were present, convening the widest representation of religious persuasion and political ideology. Reverend Daughtry was elected NBUF's first National Chairman; the following year, he was re-elected and remained in that position until his resignation in 1986.
Conference in Managua, Nicaragua, 1982
The Reverend was invited by the leadership of the The Sandinista National Liberation Front (Spanish: Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional, FSLN) in Nicaragua the FDR and the FDLN in El Salvador to assist in forming a unity and funds. Reverend Daughtry made two major speeches regarding the war in Central America. On May 1991 and March 27, 1982 his speeches “Struggling Against Madness” and “What’s Going On?” respectively was printed and widely circulated. The speeches were made in Washington, DC and drew tens of thousands.
Also, he was the Founder and President of the African People's Christian Organization (APCO) in 1982. APCO was initiated with the purpose of building an African Christian Movement and emphasizing Afro-centricity and Biblical Christianity in the context of advancing human rights and self-determination.
Global Disarmament Rally Convened in New York City
On June 12, 1982, Reverend Daughtry was a key organizer in the million participant rallies held in front of the United Nations and Central Park. Prominent leaders from every field of endeavor, from all across the world attended the event. Not only did the Reverend play a key role in that he organized the contingent of third world participants which he named, Third-World Progressive People Coalition. The massive turnout represented the peoples of the world desire for nuclear disarmament.
The Organization of African Unity Invite
The Reverend was extended an official invitation to attend the Organization of African Unity (OAU) conference on two occasions, 1981 in Nairobi, Kenya and 1982 in Tripoli, Libya. The official invitation is considered one of the high marks of recognition by the 50 African countries that make up the OAU. Not many African American leaders have been awarded the prestigious invite.
New York Yankee Community Foundation (NYCF) 1982, Dr. Daughtry was a founding member of the NYCF that funded community organizations. After tension between the New York Yankees and the Bronx community, resulting from negative remarks regarding the community. Rev. Daughtry, Laura Blackburn and Dr. Roscoe Brown, met with Mr. George Steinbriner, President of the New York Yankees. Mr. Steinbriner agreed to establish a New York Yankee Community Foundation to fund community organizations.
Families of Victims Against Violence (FOVAV), he founded FOVAV in 1982 which supported the families whose loved ones have been killed by violence.
Black Leadership Commission on AIDS (BLCA) November 1987, Reverend Daughtry was a founding member of the BLCA and he was among the first to warn of the danger of AIDS.
Association of Brooklyn Clergy for Community Development (ABCCD) 1988
In the late 80s, he also chaired the Association of Brooklyn Clergy for Community Development, which built and renovated more than 500 units of housing for low- and middle-income families in Brooklyn.
New York Citywide African-American Clergy and Elected Officials (AACEO) 1989
Reverend Daughtry was a founding chair of AACEO, which played a major role in the election of the first African American mayor of New York City, the Honorable David Dinkins. Dr. Daughtry continued as Chair until he resigned in 1996.
2000s
The Downtown Brooklyn Neighborhood Alliance (DBNA) 2000
Reverend Daughtry founded and chaired DBNA. DBNA was one of the handful of community leaders working with Forest City Ratner Companies to bring to Brooklyn a 19,000 seat arena to house the New York Nets basketball team. This $5 billion project also includes 16 high rises buildings for residential, commercial, and office space.
Reverend Daughtry was instrumental in the creation of the landmark Community Benefits Agreement that ensures delivery of a wide variety of services to the Brooklyn community.
In addition an intergenerational initiative – including a day care, a youth center, and a seniors center, and a community foundation from which annually give grants to grassroots community foundations, in addition to housing opportunities for low and middle income New Yorkers, construction jobs allocated for minorities and women, and thousands of other employment opportunities. And even a meditation room, the only one in an arena in the country.
Most importantly, the negotiated package, a state-of-the-art health facility, after serious deliberation among health providers it was decided that New York Presbyterian in collaboration with the Brooklyn Methodist Hospital would be the health providers in a state-of-the-art health facility.
In 2005, to emphasize issues related to health, Reverend Daughtry walked from Brooklyn, New York to Washington, D.C, retracing the path of the Underground Railroad in conjunction with Million More Movement.
National Religious Leaders of African Ancestry Concerned about Darfur (NRLAA) 2005
He is the founding Chair of the NRLAA. He participated in a march from Belgium to the International Criminal Court in Hague, Netherlands to encourage the Court to accelerate the indictment for Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir. Months later, the court did indict Al-Bashir, the president of Sudan and members of his administration. Since 2006, the Reverend has made several visits to the refugee camps of Darfur. He has met with government, religious, civil, and resistance leaders. As a result of his efforts, he was invited to Juba, South Sudan, to meet with all Darfurian leaders to assist them in forging a united front.
Reverend Daughtry has been similarly active in the arena of electoral politics. He has advised dozens of campaigns and elected officials, and has actively worked for the election of many. In the 70s, he played a major role as advisor and fundraiser of:
The 1977 Mayoral Campaign of Percy Sutton in New York City.
Similarly, he played the same role for the Mayoral candidacy of Arthur Eve in Buffalo, New York 1977.
Reverend supported Congressman Major Owens and Ed Towns for Congress.
In 1983, Reverend Jackson asked Rev. Daughtry and Al Vann to lead the prominent black leaders if he should decide to run for the presidency.
In the 1984 Presidential campaign of Reverend Jesse Jackson, Reverend Daughtry served as Reverend Jackson's special assistant and confidant, and was a member of Jackson's National campaign committee. After the election the two men continued to fight for human rights, traveling extensively.
In 1986, they went on a European trip. They conferred with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican and with Bishop Rumcie in Canterbury, England. Their primary purpose was to urge the two religious leaders to take a vigorous stand in support of the freedom of Nelson Mandela and South Africa.
In 1992, Dr. Daughtry was a delegate to the National Democratic Convention. He served on the Credentials Committee. (In 2008 and 2016, Rev Leah Daughtry made history by becoming the first person to become CEO of both conventions in Denver, CO and Philadelphia, PA)
To be continued…