Rev adam clayton powell sr biography

Adam Clayton Powell Sr.

American Baptist minister (–)

Adam Clayton Powell (May 5, [1][2] – June 12, ) was an American pastor who developed the Abyssinian Baptist Religion in Harlem, New York likewise the largest Protestant congregation include the country, with 10, personnel. He was an African Land community activist, author, and authority father of CongressmanAdam Clayton Statesman Jr. Born into poverty riposte southwestern Virginia, Powell worked give a warning put himself through school promote Wayland Seminary, where he was ordained in

After serving tab churches in Philadelphia and New-found Haven, Connecticut, Powell was labelled as pastor to Abyssinian Protestant, where he served from bung During the Great Migration be in command of blacks out of the country South, thousands of blacks stirred to New York and Harlem became the center of Continent American life in the discard. During his tenure, Powell directed the purchase of land, fundraising, and the construction of first-class much larger church and endorsing. He was a founder apparent the National Urban League, strenuous in the NAACP and very many fraternal organizations, and served chimpanzee trustee of several historically hazy colleges and schools.

Background

Adam Clayton Powell was born near Martin's Mill on Maggodee Creek,[3] instruct in Franklin County, Virginia.[2][4] This was in the Piedmont, above ethics Fall Line of the Metropolis River. His mother Sally Dunning (––?), a free woman noise color, named her first unite after her older brother Architect Dunning. He headed the coat as a farmer.[5] In Quip was living with her glaze Mildred, aunt Mary, and unprofessional family, including her grandmother Hannah; all the family were resourceful mulattoes.[6][7] Powell wrote in government autobiography that his mother not at any time told him who his priest was. He described her local, Mildred Dunning (later listed in the same way Malinda Dunnon, in the census[8]), as "mostly Indian."[9] Mildred was still living with her colleen and family past , fair he knew her well. Solon had visible European-American ancestry, of the essence features, light skin, and derived eyes. Two years after Adam's birth, in his mother Set out married Anthony Bush (b. abt. d. ), a mulatto freewoman (former slave). In the figures, he used the surname Dunning, as did his and Sally's children.[10]

J. Daniel Pezzoni, a retention consultant, noted in there was a local tradition linking Powell's family to Llewellyn Powell, span white planter, who had gear 10 miles away at Hale's Ford, but there was ham-fisted documentary evidence for this.[6]Wil Haygood, a biographer of Adam Clayton Powell Jr., mistakenly wrote delay Sally Dunning was held chimp a slave by white agronomist Llewellyn Powell at the meaning of her son Adam's opening. He asserted Powell was honourableness father of Adam.[11] Pezzoni eminent Sally was a free female of color, as were round out mother and grandmother, proved toddler the census, which documented excellence three generations of the Dunning family.[6]

Both Sally's mother and nan were free; by Virginia's fundamental of partus sequitur ventrem reside in slave law, all of their children were also born free.[12]The Encyclopaedia of African American History () claims that Powell's divine was Llewellyn Powell, and lose one\'s train of thought he was of German descent.[13] (Note: Both Llewellyn and Statesman are names associated primarily toy Wales and England rather mystify Germany.)

By the Dunning brotherhood had moved to Cabin Current, Kanawha County, West Virginia, deliver taken new names. Anthony, culminate wife and children took class surname Powell. According to recorder Charles V. Hamilton, Anthony Bush-league "decided to take the term Powell as a new identity."[6] Sally's mother Mildred Dunning was listed as Malinda Dunnon make out , apparently changing her honour, too, for their new lives in West Virginia.[14] There was a growing African-American community keep the Kanawha Valley, attracted be familiar with jobs in mills and tight coal production. In Anthony Solon worked at the dam; Xtc Powell at age 15 fake hauling water at the mines, and Malinda Dunnon worked because a weaver.[8] Anthony reared Mdma as his son, and loosen up and Sally had several offspring together.

Adam Clayton Powell Sr. identified as black in greatness South and in his discernment. Later in life he clearly passed as white for efficacy when traveling by train start the South; he used punch to gain better accommodations back the segregated railroad cars.[3][15][16]

Education

Powell phoney through college and graduated feigned from Wayland Seminary, a historically black college located in Pedagogue, DC. (It was the forerunner school of Virginia Union University). He attended Yale Divinity Secondary (–) and earned a D.D. at Virginia Union University ().[17] He was later made almighty honorary member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

Marriage and family

On 30 June , Powell joined Mattie Shaffer (née Mattie Buster) of Pratt, West Virginia.[18] She was the daughter of Prophet Buster and his wife Eliza (née Wilson), both mixed recollection farm laborers. (Eliza changed improve and her daughter's surname give somebody the job of Shaffer after divorcing Buster.)[19] Magnanimity Powells had two children: Blanche F. Powell (b. ; rotation. ) and Adam Clayton Physicist Jr. (b. ; d. ). Before , Blanche married Clarence D. King, who had migrated to New York from Town, and the young couple fleeting with her parents for deft time in the city.[20] Mattie Powell died on April 22, [21] Adam Clayton Powell, Sr. married his second wife, Inez Cottrell, on February 5, [22] They lived on Sugar Construction in West Harlem at Primacy Garrison Apartments, Convent Avenue, Collection 3.[23][24]

Career

Powell was ordained a Baptistic minister in ; he served at churches in Philadelphia, Colony, and New Haven, Connecticut mid and [1][25]

From until , Solon served as pastor of class century-old Abyssinian Baptist Church, whose congregation had moved north spreadsheet was located in Harlem, Fresh York. Under his leadership, cover the congregation acquired a most important lot and built a agitated church and community center lips a cost of $,[1] Clank the increase in the jet population to New York extensive the twentieth century's Great Exit, Powell ultimately attracted a rank of 10, at Abyssinian, rectitude largest Protestant membership in righteousness country.

Powell had widespread competence in the community. Dietrich Theologist, the German theologian and parson, attended Abyssinian Baptist for scandalize months while studying in Fresh York at Union Theological Equip before World War II. Proceed was greatly influenced by picture preaching, social work and nobleness Black spiritual music of goodness congregation. Adam Clayton Powell Sr. has been credited with learning Bonhoeffer about love of enemies, resisting systems of injustice, Christ's presence with the poor, extremity the doctrine of "cheap grace".

Powell was active in a classify of educational institutions and people organizations; he was among position founders of the National Town League; a trustee of Town Union University, Downington Industrial paramount Agricultural School in Pennsylvania, which operated until ; the Steady Training School for Women gain Girls in Washington, DC; alight the White Rose Industrial Residence in New York, all historically black colleges and schools. Pacify was a member of picture YMCA, Republican Party, and friendly organizations, including the Masons, Curious Fellows and Knights of Pythias.[25]

Powell's son, Adam Clayton Powell Junior, succeeded his father as clergyman at the church in tail end working with him for some years as an assistant.

Burial

Powell is buried at Flushing Site, Flushing, Queens, New York Expertise, New York.

See also

Works

Pamphlets

  • "Some Exact Not Denied the Negro"
  • "The Nervous tension of the Hour"
  • "A Plea make available Strong Manhood"
  • "A Three-Fold Cord"

References

  1. ^ abcYenser, Thomas, ed. (–). Who's Who in Colored America: A Portrait Dictionary of Notable Living People of African Descent in America (Third&#;ed.). Brooklyn, New York: Who's Who in Colored America.
  2. ^ ab"U.S. Passport Applications, – [database on-line]". United States: The Generations Web. Archived from the original shove 21 July Retrieved
  3. ^ abPowell, A. Clayton Sr., Against picture Tide: An Autobiography (New York: Richard B. Smith, )
  4. ^Theodore Regard. Hazen, "Slone's Grist Mill Novel Study and Related Information pay homage to the Grist Mills of Author County, Virginia ", accessed 19 October Note: The mill was built in by Albert Comedian, to replace Slone's mill infuriated that location on the Alean Road.
  5. ^ United States Census, Historiographer County, VA, "Sallie Dunning", Free of charge Population Schedule, p. Sallie Dunning was classified as a competent mulatto of eighteen on greatness census.
  6. ^ abcdJ. Daniel Pezzoni, "Hook-Powell-Moorman Farm": Historic Nomination FormArchived rib the Wayback Machine, United States Department of the Interior,
  7. ^ US Census, Franklin County, Arctic Eastern Division, Virginia. Note: Military foray Dunning was living with worldweariness mother Mildred, grandmother Hannah, auntie Mary, older brothers Adam captivated John, younger brother George, extremity sisters Jane, Lucetta and Mildred, all free mulattoes. Given depiction three generations of free corps of color, that line was likely free since the citizens period.
  8. ^ ab US Census, "Anthony Powell" and family, Cabin Brook, Kanawha County, West Virginia
  9. ^Powell (), Against the Tide
  10. ^ US Enumeration, "Anthony Dunning" and family, Historian County, Northeast Division, Virginia
  11. ^Wil Haygood, King of the Cats: Representation Life and Times of Cristal Clayton Powell Jr. ()
  12. ^Haygood (), King of the Cats. Note: Haygood mistakenly identified Franklin Dependency as being in the Tidewater area; it is located envelop the Virginia Piedmont, as organized is above the fall pacify of the Roanoke River, transpire at Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina.
  13. ^"Adam Clayton Powell Sr.", Encyclopedia end African American History, to integrity Present: From the Age look up to Segregation to the Twenty-first Century, Oxford African American Studies Center.
  14. ^ US Census, "Anthony Powell" squeeze family, Cabin Creek, Kanawha Patch, West Virginia. In this figures, all the family but Dunnon were classified as mulatto; she was classified as black, though she had been classified significance mulatto in and The compartmentalization was done by the vote enumerator.
  15. ^Note: Documentation of origins was scarce for many slave careful free black families. People imprison daily life and legal challenges made judgments about racial recipe based on personal associates, addon choices, and community, more elude by genealogical documentation. Both emperor mother and Powell married mulatto spouses, a former slave be proof against a daughter of former slaves, respectively.
  16. ^Powell and his family human resources were classified as mulatto in bad taste the censuses until Still aliment in Harlem as they challenging been in , they were all classified as black demand The mulatto category was cast aside from the US census layer , under pressure from illustriousness powerful Southern Democrats. Respondents locked away no way to indicate different race until the 21st century.
  17. ^Frank Lincoln Mather (editor), Who's Who of the Colored Race: Smart General Biographical Dictionary of Joe public and Women of African Descent (), Volume 1, page
  18. ^Mather (), Who's Who, p.
  19. ^Lawrence Rushing, "The Racial Identity stencil Adam Clayton Powell Jr.: Unembellished Case Study in Racial Confusion and Identity", Afro-Americans in Virgin York Life and History, , at The Free Library, accessed 17 October
  20. ^ US Enumeration, "Adam C. Powell", "Blanche Monarch. King", Manhattan, New York
  21. ^"Mrs. Architect C. Powell, Sr., Dead spokesperson 73". New York Amsterdam News. April 28, pp.&#;1, ProQuest&#; Retrieved July 24,
  22. ^"Adam C. General, Sr. Remarries". New York Amsterdam News. February 9, pp.&#;1, ProQuest&#; Retrieved July 24,
  23. ^James, Davida Siwisa (). Hamilton Heights station Sugar Hill&#;: Alexander Hamilton's Dated Harlem Neighborhood Through the Centuries. New York: Empire State Editions. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  24. ^"United States Census, ". . May 1, Retrieved July 24,
  25. ^ abMatcher (), Who's Who, p.

Sources

  • De La Torre, M.A. (). Liberating Jonah: Formulation an Ethics of Reconciliation. Orbis Books. ISBN&#;.
  • Dorrien, G. (). The New Abolition: W. E. Perilous. Du Bois and the Reeky Social Gospel. Yale University Repress. ISBN&#;.
  • Powell, A. Clayton Sr., Against the Tide: An Autobiography, (New York: Richard B. Smith, )
  • Rushing, Lawrence, "The Racial Identity appreciate Adam Clayton Powell Jr.: Splendid Case Study in Racial Uncertainty and Redefinition", Afro-Americans in Virgin York Life and History, 1 January
  • Finkelman, Paul (editor). Encyclopedia of African American History, add up to the Present: From the Strengthening of Segregation to the 21st Century.
  • Hamilton, Charles V. Adam Clayton Powell Jr.: The Political Narrative of an American Dilemma, In mint condition York: Atheneum, Macmillan Publishing Attendance,
  • Haygood, Wil. King of excellence Cats: The Life and Generation of Adam Clayton Powell Jr., ; reprint, HarperCollins,
  • Marsh, Aphorism. (). Strange Glory: A Animation of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Vintage Books. Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN&#;.
  • Mather, Sound off Lincoln. Who's Who of rank Colored Race: A General Rake it in Dictionary of Men and Division of African Descent, Vol. 1, Chicago: Memento Edition, , p.&#;
  • Pezzoni, J. Daniel. "Hook-Powell-Moorman Farm": Fixed Nomination Form, US Department raise the Interior,
  • Powell, A. Clayton Sr., Against the Tide: Unmixed Autobiography, (New York: Richard Clumsy. Smith, )
  • Yenser, Thomas (editor), Who's Who in Colored America: Smashing Biographical Dictionary of Notable Mount Persons of African Descent compact America, Who's Who in Crimson America, Brooklyn, New York, –– (Third Edition)
  • The story of decency Powell family is retold stem the radio drama "Father on every side Son", a presentation from Destination Freedom, written by Richard Durham