Reverend Darla Broden does not consider herself a modern-day Renaissance woman, but she is a sister of remarkable achievement and influence in many fields.
This Detroit native is a member of the prestigious Wesley Chapel AME Church’s ministry team. She has also worked as a counselor, chaplain, and creative artist for many years, creating religious devotions, poems, short tales, and paintings.
The Defender talked to Broden about her life’s struggles and triumphs, which have made her a potent force for change and healing.
Defender: What life events inspired you to pursue advocacy and service?
BrodenMy idea of service has been greatly influenced by my church experiences. Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church is where I grew up. Observing my mother and other people serve in the community as well as in the church is one of my earliest recollections of service. Black history placed a great focus on education and social justice. In Flint, where I grew up, a number of the change-makers emerged from the church. Members who participated in the March on Washington and those who campaigned for office in order to change the present and the future are still in my memory. The service initiatives I participated in through Jack and Jill were the other significant influence. I worked on the phone banks as a teenager, distributing campaign materials for the first Black female county commissioner, the first Black mayor, and the first Black woman on the board of education. It stayed with me as I witnessed people I knew make a difference.
Defender: How did you find divinity school, a setting that is typically dominated by white men, to be?
BrodenI have a great deal of expertise negotiating white-dominated situations from my previous work as an attorney. I could have had exaggerated expectations that seminary would be different. One may categorize Emory University’s Candler School of Theology as a more liberal or progressive institution. I believe it partially made them oblivious to the biases they still harbored. The matter of Black fury was brought up in a forum where a social justice problem was being discussed. Professors did not respond to some of the remarks. The fact that the white speakers were shielded infuriated me as I left. I also remember a few white professors who felt they knew more about minorities than I did because of their academic research on the subject. It served as a harsh reminder of how marginalized I felt in white spaces. The Black academics and staff served as a haven to balance out the microaggressions that Black women faced. They were always there to listen and offer support.
Protector: You mentioned being adopted. What impact did the encounter have on who you are now?
Broden: I was never kept in the dark about my adoption. From a very young age, I was aware that I was adopted. I always felt that something was lacking, even though my adoptive parents were caring and gave me lots of chances to develop. The notion that I was insufficient or that my birth parents or their families would have managed to maintain me was nearly illogical. I’ve struggled with the sense of inadequacy, as well as some severe trust and abandonment issues, and I’ve done better at some points than others. My adoption experience sparked my desire to learn how to deal with loss and sadness and to be whole. The question of how people could become entire has always intrigued me as I reflect on my professional decisions. As a lawyer, I frequently supported the mental health concerns of criminal defendants and participated in a pilot program for victims of domestic abuse. In many ways, I was looking for ways to heal myself in order to assist others in finding their own recovery. I had been trying to fill a hole in my life, sometimes in risky ways, but their love and sharing of my mother’s and my birth family’s stories filled it when I met my biological brother and sister four years ago. I’ve been more committed ever since to helping people discover their path to recovery and wellbeing.
Protector: If young sisters were interested in following one or more of your service pathways, what guidance would you give them?
Broden: First, they should take some time to reflect about their calling. Second, find someone who is prepared to pour into you as you sit with elders. Third, cultivate an interest in life and how you might use your special talents in whichever service-related field you are called to. Fourth, don’t be scared to take a different route if it isn’t where you belong at a given moment. Fifth, read, volunteer, and ask questions. Early on, the experience is frequently worth more than the money. Finally, and above all, let yourself love people, even when it is difficult.
MORE ABOUT REV. DARLA BRODEN
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Place of Birth:
Detroit, Michigan; raised in Flint, Michigan -
Education:
BS in Criminal Justice (Michigan State University); JD (Thurgood School of Law, Texas Southern University); M.Div (Candler School of Theology, Emory University); multiple certificates of competition re: clinical pastoral care -
What brought you to Houston:
A desire to be closer to family. -
Favorite thing about Houston:
The ability to be involved with different communities of color and art communities. -
What are you reading these days:
The Garden Within by Dr. Anita Phillips; Compendium of the Emerald Tablets: A Beginners Guide by Billy Carson; The Spirituality of African Peoples by Peter J. Paris; Soul Retrieval by Sandra Ingerman; and I always have a time for rereading Walter Mosley. -
Mantra:
I am Enough
