Will D. Campbell: A Brief Summary

In the Letter to a Birmingham Jail edited by Bryan Loritts, the reader is given several reflections from various individuals who were influenced by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 's A Letter from Birmingham Jail. These various accounts contain an overall theme of injustice, inequality and focus on how the church plays a pivotal role in correcting such societal issues. In the section, A Painful Joyful Journey, the reader reviews the life of Crawford W. Lorittis Jr. and his navigation in the North as an educated black man. In this section he addresses the many societal adjustments he had to encounter throughout life. Often criticized by both the Black and White community, Lorritis sought validation from both groups, as a way to gain self-worth.

government took away his permit to perform marriages because he was black and Pentecostal. Afterwards or give a date, he appealed this decision to the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia and got his permit back by winning the case (Hampton 15). This was a very important example for African Americans because Bishop Williams showed every black American not to be scared, how to stand up for their rights. Moreover, Bishop Williams worked so ww hard to provide housing for people with low incomes. The Bible Way Church’s goal was to create affordable housing without seeking a profit. Therefore, they were able to provide over 400 units of housing for people earning as little as 30 percent of the area’s median income (TOO CLOSE in WORDING TO SOURCE(Bible Way Washington). Besides these accomplishments, Smallwood Williams was also very well known for founding the Bible Way of Church and being the General Secretary of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith (COOLJC)dates? Did this come before the SC case above?). He was a civil rights advocate who used his connections, network and power to fight for justice, lobbying with politicians at the time for equality. His ultimate goal was not just achieving voting rights for blacks or the right to equal public accommodations, but he also wanted African Americans to be equal in the eyes of white Americans (Taylor

Born on March 29, 1962, in Linden, Alabama, just 90 miles outside of Montgomery, Ralph David Abernathy Sr. was the tenth of twelfth offspring born to William and Louivery Abernathy. His family was more fortunate than most due to the fact they owned a 500 acre farm, which provided a certain measure of independence. Abernathy exhibited evidence of inheriting his father’s spiritual and leadership skills by joining the church at the age of 7 and serving in the army during World War II at the age of 18, where he quickly earned the rank of sergeant. After serving in the war, Abernathy attended Alabama state college, where his political awareness began to flourish. He was elected as president of his student council and led protests to secure suitable student living conditions and quality food in the dormitories. He then graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1950 and also achieved religious training by obtaining a masters degree in sociology from Atlanta University. Remaining committed to church and education, Abernathy became pastor of the First Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where he met his wife Juanita Odessa Jones and he became Dean of Men at Alabama State University at the young age of 26.

Helen and Kenneth were married over 47 years and had 3 children, daughter Judith Willaman Cawthorne of North Canton, and 2 sons James (Red) Willaman and Kenneth Willaman who are both now deceased. Helen has 3 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren, and 4 great great grandchildren.

First, Martin Luther King Jr. establishes his credibility as an honorable and trustworthy man to effectively convince his audience of his moral and just actions. To begin his letter, he acknowledges the fact that the clergymen see him and his allies as “outsiders coming in” (King Jr. 1). However, he counteracts their false claim by introducing himself as “president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state” with “some eighty five affiliated organizations across the South and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (King Jr. 1). By doing so, King Jr. puts himself in a position of authority to demonstrate to the clergymen that he is not just an average man trying

Butler, Mary, G. “Sojourner Truth A Life and Legacy of Faith”. sojournertruth.org. n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2015.

The roots of a black woman’s struggle heightens the sole reasons why she bends over backwards for herself and her community. This showcase of bravery and courage is further elaborated in Ross’s first chapter named “Religion and Public Life: Early Traditions of Black Religious Women’s Activism.” Ross does an excellent job at unfolding the ignorance of black male religious leaders during the Civil Rights Movement. Black ministers and other male figures during this time fell extremely short by failing to acknowledging the women who offered much more than a helping hand in promoting change. Black religious women in the Civil Rights Movement provided a critical influence to the success of the movement. They furnished multiple ideas that embraced racial uplift and social responsibility all while making connection to religious life. Religion has always been crucial to not only black people but also to the minority race period. They place an immense reliance on a power that is much, much greater than their own. Having faith in something is innate; and is an essential need for humans. Therefore, there is

Mr. Abernathy spent his childhood in Marengo County, Alabama. His family was almost completely self sufficient and lived off of about five hundred acres of land. After serving in the military in 1948 Abernathy became an ordained minister. He completed College at Alabama State College, where he majored in Mathematics. Abernathy then finished his Masters degree in Sociology at Alabama State College. He was the Pastor at First Baptist Church, in Montgomery

Mid-nineteenth century southern America, the writer asserts the churches in America are failing mankind by not being inclusive rather than exclusive and turning a blind-eye to the topic. Failing to live up to the core tenants of Christianity are things that erode the church and society alike. He also recalls his personal experiences with his grandfather, who was a minister, and his uncle. How his uncle had the job of being the caretaker of

Ralph David Abernathy who was one of Martin Luther King Jr.’s close colleagues and an influential member in the Civil Rights Movement. Not only does the book describe the story of Abernathy but it also conveys a sense of how the Civil Rights Movement devised its strategy and direction. The book gives a personal account of Abernathy’s rural farming background in Alabama and his service in World War II. Abernathy also covers topics ranging from the montgomery bus boycott to King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the tireless effort of King and the SCLC to try and get Carl Stokes elected as the first African American mayor of a major city.

By revealing the opposition and obstacles, the black church may seize the opportunity of becoming a force to be reckoned with in our society. America was born with a grotesque, cancerous disease called slavery. This disease lingers to this day in many forms and subtle variations. The plantation mentality is still with us. Sometimes it masquerades as democracy and free enterprise, but the effect is the same on the spirits of the poor and oppressed. When black men moved indoors to work in industry and business, they found themselves imprisoned behind the walls of institutional racism. Nothing really had

Lincoln, C. E., & Mamiya, L. H., (1990). The black church in the African American experience. Durham: Duke University Press Books.

The 152nd Annual Conference of the Grand Ole North Carolina Conference convened at one of the Conference’s historical churches, Clinton Chapel AME Zion in New Bern, NC. Reverend Dr. M. Luther Hill, its gifted pastor, and his great congregation were very gracious hosts and made everyone feel welcomed. They opened their doors on Sunday and ministers, adorned in their priestly, white robes, marched in to open this great Conference in High Church Methodist fashion. The service, filled with high spiritual elements intertwining the liturgical elements, connected our hearts to the ancient tradition of the Anglican Church; however, with an African American twist. Presiding Elder Lester Jacobs, of the Washington District, delivered a soul-stirring

According to Bishop Brooks, Bishop Blake “has been a powerful voice advocating for the poor, especially those of African decent, both domestically and internationally. In keeping with the Biblical mandate, Bishop Blake is a devoted husband and father...As other national leaders have said, 'Bishop Blake is the presiding prelate of all black America.'”

Two individuals, meeting for the first time, sit on opposite sides of a coffee table in the dimly lit library of a beautiful home in the south. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Ralph Ellison seek to find common ground and a personal understanding of each other based on the shared experiences of Black American men. Their conversation centers on the plight of Black Americans whose voices were silenced, whose existence ignored, and whose value was to easily disregarded and dismissed. In an attempt to succinctly identify the purpose of his Letter From Birmingham Jail, Dr. King set his coffee mug on the table, leaned forward and said, ‘My letter to those eight, white clergymen was a direct, express attempt to elicit empathy.’