March 13, 1911 James Theodore Holly, missionary and the first African American Bishop in the Episcopal Church, died. Holly was born October 3, 1829 in Washington, D.C. He joined the Protestant Episcopal Church and became a deacon in 1855 and a priest in 1856. Holly believed that African Americans had no future in the United […]
Archive | Religion RSS feed for this section
March 12th in African American History – Andrew Jackson Young
March 12, 1932 Andrew Jackson Young, pastor, politician, diplomat and civil rights leader, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Young earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Pre-Dentistry at Howard University in 1951 and a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Hartford Seminary in 1955. In 1960, he joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and in […]
March 5th in African American History – Leontine Turpeau Current Kelly
March 5, 1920 Leontine Turpeau Current Kelly, the first African American female Bishop in the United Methodist Church, was born in Washington, D.C. Kelly earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Virginia Union University in 1960 and her Master of Divinity degree from the Union Theological Seminary in 1976.
February 24th in African American History – Amanda Berry Smith
February 24, 1915 Amanda Berry Smith, evangelist, died. Smith was born enslaved January 23, 1837 in Long Green, Maryland. As a child, her father worked for years to save enough money to buy his family’s freedom and when she was 13 she moved to Pennsylvania to work.
February 11th in African American History – Jerena Lee
February 11, 1783 Jerena Lee, considered the first female preacher in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, was born in Cape May, New Jersey. In her early 20’s, Lee was converted, sanctified and called to preach, but her first request for approval was denied. A few years later, Bishop Richard Allen granted her official church approval […]
February 6th in African American History – Walter Edward Fauntroy
February 6, 1933 Walter Edward Fauntroy, pastor, civil rights activist and former Congressman, was born in Washington, D.C. Fauntroy earned his Bachelor of Arts degree Cum Laude from Virginia University in 1955 and earned his Bachelor of Divinity degree from Yale University in 1958.
February 5th in African American History – Henry Beard Delany
February 5, 1858 Henry Beard Delany, the second African American bishop elected in the United States, was born enslaved in Saint Mary’s, Georgia. Delany graduated in theology from Saint Augustine’s School (now college) in 1885. After graduating, he joined the faculty of the school where he taught until 1908.