May 14th in African American History – Cecil Eric Lincoln

May 14, 2000 Cecil Eric Lincoln, educator, writer, sociologist and minister, died.

Lincoln was born June 23, 1924 in Athens, Alabama. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from LeMoyne College in 1947, his Master of Arts degree from Fisk University in 1954, his Bachelor of Divinity degree from the University of Chicago Divinity School in 1956, and his Master of Education degree and his Ph. D. in sociology and social ethics from Boston University in 1960.

Lincoln worked as an administrator and taught at a number of different colleges, including Fisk University, Clark College, Boston University, and Duke University. Lincoln was also a prolific writer, perhaps best known for his 1961 book, “The Black Muslims in America.” He also wrote “My Face is Black” (1964), “The Avenue: Clayton City” (1988), his only novel, “The Road Since Freedom: Collected Poems” (1990), and “Coming Through the Fire: Surviving Race and Place in America” (1996).