Sources of Light Traveling Forward

An Evening of Poetry, Music, and Thought

Celebrating Friends Council on Education's 90th Anniversary

Sources of Light Traveling Forward – Recap 

Darryl J. Ford reciting "Encourage my soul, and let us journey on" from James Cleveland's The Storm is Passing Over, his message of "Choose Joy", his belief that "Quaker schools are the best hope for the world" and his call for Quaker educators to claim this higher calling.

Cydney Brown's poem, The Road We're Traveling, and her poignant message – just one among many -- "My optimism is waning but my spirit is strong, I know that we can create a brighter future, If we help people feel like they belong"

Keisha Hutchin's resonant voice and the lyrics of her composition We are Bound, including "You stood beside me, And that moment, Your freedom was bound up in mine."

These are just a few of the highlights from Friends Council’s first QuakerEd Talk for the 2021-2022 school year  -- Sources of Light Traveling Forward: An Evening of Poetry, Music and Thought, held on the evening of September 22, 2021 via zoom.

The evening featured guest presenters head of William Penn Charter School Darryl J. Ford, Philadelphia Youth Poet Laureate 2020 Cydney Brown and singer songwriter and Friends school educator Keisha Hutchins. All three are alumni of Friends Schools (bios below).

With just under 100 guests in attendance, the evening brought together friends of Friends Council near and far and those wearing so many hats in Quaker Education, all thanks to the power of Zoom.  Friends school educators, trustees, parents, alumni parents, heads, former faculty, Meeting members and more gathered together to listen to inspirational messages and performances, and to explore together the queries, “What are your sources of Light on the road you are traveling?” “Who are we called to be in this moment?

We will post a video from the evening shortly. Stay tuned!


Meanwhile, we share with you the following:

• Darryl. J. Ford's keynote address (click Darryl's profile pic below)
• The Road We are Traveling by Cydney Brown (click Cydney’s profile pic below)

• We are Bound by Keisha Hutchins (click Keisha’s profile pic below)


• The "Word Cloud" created at the end of the evening


• The "What are Your Sources of Light and Joy?" Padlet

Click images for bios & music lyrics/poetry/thoughts.

Darryl J. Ford

Keisha Hutchins

Cydney Brown