History AND GOALS

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The South Suburban Action Conference was founded through a conversation between a Baptist Preacher, the late, Rev. Dr. Princeton H. McKinney and a Catholic Priest, Father Len Dubi in the South Suburbs of Harvey/Hazel Crest, Il in June of 1986. In 1991, these two men walked hand in hand as they led more than 4,300 Suburbanites to its Pentecostal convention to celebrate their vision, determined to improve the quality of life in the south suburbs.

From that mission, more than 1,000 leaders have emerged from South Suburban Action Conference, hereafter will be called SSAC.  Since its founding, SSAC has emerged as perhaps the premier church-based citizen’s organization in the Midwest, and has contributed many unprecedented and nationally recognized improvements to the quality of life in the south suburbs.

SSAC is a grass roots, non-profit 501c3, faith based, community organization that is leadership owned and ran. We concentrate in leadership development and help our leaders take their faith into actions in a powerful way in the public.

Along with our public officials, businesses, and friends, we have over 39 years of fighting for social justice through community organizing and public policy in the South Suburbs and South Chicagoland area.

Upon its founding in June of 1986, SSAC adopted a mission of reconciliation, dedicated to building an inclusive membership, reaching across all lines of race, religious denominations, social and economic class, and geography throughout the south suburbs. This inclusive outreach has led to the involvement of thousands of leaders from the south suburban region, culminating in SSAC’s Pentecost Convention on May 19, 1991, where over 4,300 people came together in unity and determination to improve the quality of life in the south suburbs. This stands as the largest event of its kind ever organized in the Midwest.

SSAC has tapped into the Latino community developing leaders and building coalitions with local elected officials to work for the betterment of the community in Calumet City and Blue Island, IL, SSAC helped on the creation of “Equal and Fair City for all Residents” including immigrants, and in Posen, IL, SSAC organized a public meeting to put an end to racial profiling. 

In 1989 SSAC created the New Cities Community Development Corporation to create homeownership for low and moderate-income residents of the south region. New Cities created over 1,100 units of family housing including one senior citizen building, a cooperative building with tenant board, The Ginger Ridge Complex in Calumet City that still exist today. SSAC obtained and rehabbed over 600 houses in the south suburbs area, including the Turlington Building in Harvey, IL that housed many low-income tenants. 

In 1997, SSAC created, co-founded, and then affiliated with the Metropolitan Alliance of Congregations (MAC) to have a key role in winning metro victories with specific benefits to the South Suburbs (examples are tax base sharing issues and public-school education funding reform).

SSAC organized a voter’s canvassing committee in 2013, who obtained certification as Voter’s Registrants and canvassed from door to door signing up unregistered voters so strength and power could be obtained in the community.

In 2018 SSAC marched on the Governor’s mansion in Springfield to aid in the fight against the issues faced during the administration of the Governor at that time, regarding education, jobs etc.

SSAC, joined in with Thornton Township District 205 and the City of Harvey, IL., residents, and businesses, on Saturday, October 26, 2019, in the fight against crime. All joined hands (Hands Across Harvey) in unity with our communities to “STOP THE VIOLENCE!”

SSAC worked with the Coalition to End Money Bond, by traveling to Springfield, on February 25, 2020, and participating in a rally and face-to-face visits with legislators, to ask them to support the Pretrial Fairness Act which would end money bond and dramatically reduce the number of people incarcerated in our state and to aid those who are incarcerated before they go to trial simply because they cannot afford to pay their bond. The results of the hard work of many, The Illinois Legislature voted to end the money bond by passing the Pretrial Fairness Act in 2021. Since that time SSAC continues fighting for the rights of people of every race.

SSAC, organized a rally, in August of 2020 regarding the Third Airport project, held on the outside campus of Bethlehem Temple M.B.C., that will be instrumental in aiding the community through the creation of jobs, once it is in production and operation. 

SSAC fought for and won inclusion of language in the Capital Bill to provide jobs for women, minorities, and poor people. Most recently SSAC has tapped into the Latino community developing leaders and building coalitions with local elected officials to work for the betterment of the community.

SSAC’s office space has been in several different Churches throughout the south suburban area, and today, 2025, we have been blessed to have the office located in The Upper Room Ministries in Lansing, IL. since 2015. For many years SSAC maintained an adequate job of supporting economically-deprived residents who attended our churches. Since that time, there has become a greater need to train more people for the organization to continue to help others.

On September 29, 2019, Ms. Patience Butler-Gasper became the first scholarship recipient of the Princeton H. McKinney Legacy Award. Pastor McKinney was one of the two founders of SSAC, and in 2022 Patience received, for her continued education, the Becky J. Adams Educational Scholarship to further her education for Law school, in memory of Dr. Becky Adams, who was a faithful member of SSAC for many years and had a great heart for education. We continued our scholarship award in 2023 and in 2024 we added, to our two scholarships, the Father Len Dubi Book Scholarship award and blessed four students, and have continued to give support to many deserving students who have gone on to get an extended education to make this world a better and more knowledgeable place to live in. From 2019 through 2024, SSAC presented scholarship awards totaling $6,500 as gifts of education.

SSAC partnered with Gamaliel of Chicago that is an organizing and training institute, established to train leaders and organizers for the difficult task of building strong stable and effective institutionally-based power organizations that can transform congregations and communities. Today we stand on the threshold of a new era in social justice work. The South Suburban Action Conference (SSAC) along with Gamaliel of Metro Chicago (GMC) and our state wide affiliates: Faith Coalition for the Common Good (FCCG) in Springfield, Illinois; United Congregations of Metro East (UCM) in Madison County, Illinois; and Quad Cities Interfaith (QCI) in Davenport, Iowa have become a statewide organization. This will increase our power, reduce our administrative burden, and allow us to have greater influence at every level of our work.

Today, 2025, we continue our fight for the Third Airport that will be constructed in Peotone, Illinois, by the grace of GOD, and continue the fight for justice and equality for all.

SSAC FOR JUSTICE GOALS
 

• Strengthen individual member institutions by developing and supporting a core team of leaders in each member institution.
• Empower leaders to clarify and deliver on the interest of their institution both internally and in the public arena.
• Train leaders to build stronger relationships inside of their institution to identify new leaders, raise important concerns and develop real solutions.
• Create local leadership training opportunities that equip leaders and pastors to act locally.
• Make available National Leadership Training for all dues paying members to support their growth and development as leaders.
• Recruit new members annually so that SSAC reflects the ever growing  communities in the City of Chicago and its Suburbs.
• Hold large public meetings annually of over 1,000 people with public officials and decision-makers to take action on important issues.
• Continue organizing at the Local, Statewide and National levels on the issues that affect our neighborhoods and/or communities.
• Bring justice and equity to all people in the City of Chicago and its Suburbs