People, Locations, Episodes

Elijah Muhammad, Nation of Islam Leader born

On this date the Registry remembers the birth of Elijah Muhammad in 1897. He was the leader of the Black separatist religious movement known as the Nation of Islam in America. The Nation of Islam is sometimes known as the Black Muslims.

Joseph DeLaine, Minister born

*Joseph DeLaine was born on this date in 1898. He was a Black Methodist minister and civil rights leader.   Joseph Armstrong DeLaine was from Clarendon County, South Carolina. He received a B.A. from Allen University in 1931, working as a laborer and running a dry-cleaning business to pay for his education. DeLaine worked with Modjeska Simkins and the South Carolina NAACP on Briggs v. Elliott, which challenged […]

The First National Black Catholic Congress is Held

*The first National Black Catholic Congress (NBCC) was held in Washington, D.C. on this date in 1889.

Thomas Dorsey, Gospel Composer born

*Thomas Dorsey was born on this date in 1899. He was an African American pianist, arranger and composer, known as the “Father of Gospel Music.”

Howard Thurman, Theologian, and Educator born

On this date in 1899, Howard Thurman was born. He was an African American author, theologian, civil and human rights activist, and educator.

Thurman was from Daytona Beach, FL, and he studied at Morehouse College, Rochester Theological Center, and Haverford College. He was named by Life magazine as one of the 12 great preachers of the 20th century. He served as a pastor at a Baptist church in Ohio and as the dean of the chapel at Howard University from 1932 to 1944. Until 1953 he served at an interracial and interdenominational Fellowship Church he founded in San Francisco.

Sarah Williamson, Missionary born

Sarah Williamson was born on this date in 1899. She was an African American teacher, administrator, and missionary.

Born in Norfolk, Virginia, Williamson was sent to boarding school at Hampton Normal School (now Hampton University). There she completed four years of high school and two years of normal school. After graduation she attended the University of Rochester in New York for two years training for missionary work in Africa.

Martin Luther King Sr., Pastor born

*Martin Luther King Sr. was born on this date in 1899.  He was a Black Baptist pastor, missionary, and an early figure in the 20th-century American Civil Rights Movement.   He was born Michael King in Stockbridge, Georgia, the son of Delia Linsey and James Albert King.  He was a member of the Baptist Church and decided to become a preacher after being inspired by […]

Dr. George Kelsey, Theologian born

*George Kelsey was born on this date in 1910.  He was an African American educator, theologian and administrator.

Decatur Nichols, Minister born

Decatur Nichols was born on this date in 1900. He was an African American minister, deacon, and bishop.

He was from Georgetown, SC, the son of Reverend Ruffin and Anna Nichols. Decatur Ward Nichols was educated in the public schools of Charleston. He received his AB degree from Howard University, Washington, DC, and BD degree from Drew University, Madison, NJ.

The Hymn “We Shall Overcome” is Published

*On this date in 1901 we celebrate the song We Shall Overcome. “We Shall Overcome” is a protest song that became a key anthem of the African American civil rights movement during the 20th and 21st century.

Joachim Prinz, Rabbi, and Activist born

*Joachim Prinz was born on this date in 1902. He was a White German American Rabbi outspoken against Nazism and an activist for the American Civil Rights movement.

St. Stephen Baptist Church (Kansas City) holds its first service.

*On this date in 1903, St. Stephen Baptist Church held its first service. This church began with a courageous young preacher, Reverend James Wesley Hurse. Preaching from a tent and a few dedicated followers, they worked, prayed, and sacrificed on a street corner in “Bellevidere Hollow.” As a prominent leader, he became the second President of […]

The New Hope Baptist Church (Newark) Opens

*On this date in 1903, The New Hope Baptist Church of Newark was organized. The New Hope Baptist Church is one of the oldest Black churches in the state of New Jersey.

Denzil Carty, Minister, and Civic Leader born

*Denzil Carty was born in St. John’s Antigua, British West Indies on this date in 1904. He was an African American minister and civic leader.

William Holmes Borders Sr., Minister born

*On this date in1905, Rev. William Holmes Borders was born. He was an African American minister and activist and writer.