- Date Of Death: January 16, 2021
- State: Indiana
Rev. Dr. Gerald Cunningham
Jan. 4, 1936 – Jan. 16, 2021
Gerald “Jerry” Cunningham was born in St. Louis, Missouri to Coy and Caroline (Moffett) Cunningham on January 4, 1936. Nine months later, in October 1936, Jerry and his twin brother lost their mother. At the age of two, Jerry and Jimmy were placed in foster care with the Curley family. By age 8, they lost a second mother with the death of Mrs. Curley. However, they continued to grow up in the Curley household until graduation from Washington Technical High School. Mentored by Rev. Dr. William K.
Jerry completed his Divinity degree, realizing that he wanted to use his ministry gifts as an activist.
In September of 1968, in Indianapolis, Jerry married Mary Caudle Hurt and became a father to her three children, Roderick, James Michael, and Kimberly. From this union, their son Malcolm Coy Cunningham was born. At this time, Jerry’s portfolio included Justice Ministries.
Over the next four decades, Jerry’s justice ministry spanned local police and prison reform issues to death penalty exonerations to migrant farmworker rights. A 1982 CAS-JC sponsored two-week tour of migrant farmworker conditions from Florida to Maine led to the publication of “CAS-JC Special Report: The Eastern Migrant Stream.
Appointed to the City of Indianapolis, three-member Board of Public Safety for several years, Jerry advocated for the minority officers and the community. Jerry received an honorary Doctoral Degree from Martin University, presented by President Boniface Hardin.
Jerry left this earthly life on Saturday, January, 16, 2021. He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings: Coy Cunningham and Carolyn Cunningham of Denver, Colorado, Luqman Hamza of Kansas City, Missouri, and a son, Roderick Hurt.
