Mary Jane Patterson Internship

Mary Jane Patterson was a founding member of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC) and the Coalition’s Women of Color Partnership. She was a dedicated Presbyterian Elder and life-long advocate of reproductive justice and human and civil rights. She was a pillar of the Washington religious lobbying community as director of the Presbyterian Church (USA) DC office. Ms. Patterson’s faith greatly informed her activism and was the underpinning to her social justice beliefs.

In Mary Jane Patterson’s spirit and memory, we are dedicating an internship program for young African American women active in the reproductive justice movement.

Mary Jane Patterson Interns will work with Public Policy and Interfaith Outreach departments to:

• Implement national action strategies for legislative change around reproductive justice issues
• Educate and recruit pro-choice advocates within the African American community
• Research and develop faith-informed activist resources tailored to the African American community
• Be trained and mentored in effective advocacy and outreach strategies
• Bolster advocacy campaigns around public policy issues through education and information to garner support within African American communities and congregations
• Inspire the African American community to put their faith into action for public policy change at the local and national level

Qualified applicants will:

• Possess excellent writing, researching, and editing skills; familiar with Microsoft Word, Publisher, Excel and social networking sites
• Possess strong organizational/multi-tasking skills and have an ability to meet deadlines on time
• Understand the range of reproductive freedoms RCRC addresses and acknowledge the interconnections between reproductive freedom, religion/spirituality, and other social justice issues
• Demonstrate knowledge of current events surrounding reproductive rights and religion, on state and national levels
• Be comfortable working within African American church communities and other secular organizations with similar goals.

During the academic year, interns will report to RCRC for 15 hours a week and receive a $500 stipend per month. Summer interns will report to RCRC for 30 hours a week and receive a $1000 stipend per month.

Interested applicants should submit a resume, and a response to the question: “Why is it important for people of faith to advocate for reproductive justice?” to info@rcrc.org by February 15. Please indicate whether applying for a summer or academic year internship, and include “Mary Jane Patterson Internship application” in the subject line.