Ladies and gentlemen, meet C.J. Campbell. He loves spoken word poetry, volunteers regularly in the drug and alcohol recovery program at his local rescue mission, and has started a weekly YouTube show about disability liberation and integration called Cerebral Conversations.
C.J. is not shy about the fact that he endures a battle against Cerebral Palsy and poverty. But that hardly stops him from living the heck out of life. His unique motto is “love will not be defeated.” To prove it, he once walked 75 miles from Rockford to Chicago, Illinois relying only on his crutches and wheelchair in order to raise money for a nonprofit that builds accessible apartment buildings for the disabled. C.J. said, “I realized that there was a very likely chance that my body would fail, but the love in what I do will not fail. With many things I may fail but the impact of the love I live will not be defeated by any circumstance.”
This young activist first became involved with Invisible Children the same way so many of us did – through IC’s first film, The Rough Cut. This film introduced the world to Jacob and Roni, former LRA escapees. C.J. immediately felt connected with them because he too has felt invisible, but in the film Roni says instead of crying, his heart will just keep beeping, something C.J. immediately identified with.
C.J. explains, “I knew that I could no longer be afforded the privilege of apathy and that I would not only seek that peace and humanity restored to these people but for all people everywhere; wherever the oppressed cry out with beeping hearts.”
Since watching the film, C.J. has made multiple efforts to support Invisible Children. Shortly after his walk to Chicago, he exhausted his bank account and slept on a strangers couch in order to get to MOVE:DC. Among the events at MOVE:DC was the Global Dance Night, an event C.J. enjoyed most. “It reminded me of being a part of the world and I was reminded that we all have beeping hearts.”
C.J. poses with former Invisible Children intern Ronnie Barge (left)
Next on his plate is the Fourth Estate Leadership Summit, but he’s doing more than just attending (we would expect nothing less) C.J. has challenged Fourth Estate attendees to share their passion for social justice and the Summit, and the most influential advocate will receive $100 towards their plane and travel expenses.
C.J. elaborates, “I rarely get opportunity to give back, especially monetarily. It can become too easy for us as human beings to focus on what we can’t do. I have a good excuse to not give money but what would that solve? What would that model to others? I wanted to help someone get to the Summit just as I was helped. I wanted to simply make the proclamation that poverty does not own me.”
If the first place to improve the world is within your own soul and psyche, then C.J. is on par to not only improve the world but to do so drastically. After speaking with him, I was left feeling humbled and filled with clarity. In the scheme of life, we are all small but incredibly mighty.
C.J, you’re much too humble to agree, but you move mountains.
Many inspiring (and aspiring) activists are coming together to share ideas at the Fourth Estate Summit this August. Find out more about the Summit HERE.
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