People, Locations, Episodes

Michael E. Haynes, Minister and Activist born

*Michael E. Haynes was born on this date in 1927. He was a Black minister, politician, and activist from Boston, MA. Taught daily by a praying mother, he surrendered his life to Christ as a teenager. In the following decades, Haynes passionately represented his Savior to the city of Boston as a youth director, teacher, […]

Dorothy Coates, Gospel Vocalist born

*Dorothy Coates was born on this date in 1928. She was a Black gospel vocalist.  Born Dorothy McGriff in Birmingham, Alabama, she was one of seven children of a minister. As a teenager, she sang in local churches and started a family group, the Royal Gospel Singers. Coates joined the Gospel Harmonettes, a well-known Birmingham […]

Robert Graetz, Pastor, and Activist born

*Robert Graetz was born on this date in 1928. He was a white-American Lutheran clergyman and activist.  Robert S. Graetz, of German descent, was born in Clarksburg, West Virginia, and educated in Columbus, Ohio. He graduated from Capital University in Bexley, Ohio, in 1950 and received a B.D. in 1955 from Evangelical Lutheran Theological Seminary […]

Oba Adefunmi, Spiritual Leader born

*Oba Efuntola Oseijeman Adelabu Adefunmi, born on this date in 1928, was a Black priest (spiritual leader), historian, and activist.   Walter Eugene King was born in Detroit, Michigan. King had been baptized at the age of 12. He left the Baptist faith at age 16, became interested in African culture, and began African studies.  At age 20, King traveled to Haiti in 1954 to […]

The Dixie Hummingbirds, Gospel Group is Formed

The founding of the Dixie Hummingbirds in 1928 is celebrated on this date. They are an African American Gospel singing group.

Martin Luther King Jr., Minister, and Visionary born

This date marks the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1929. He was an African American minister and activist.

Israel Dresner, Rabbi, and Activist born

*Israel Dresner was born on this date in 1929. He was a white Jewish-American Reform rabbi and global activist. Israel Seymour Dresner was born on the Lower East Side of New York City. He was raised in Brooklyn, attending an Orthodox yeshiva (day school). At the age of 13, he joined Habonim Dror, a Labor […]

Barbara Harris, Bishop born

On this date in 1930, Barbara Harris, the first woman ordained a bishop in the Anglican Communion, was born.

Rastafarianism, a story

*Rastafarianism is affirmed on this date in 1930.  Also known as Rastafari and the Rastafari movement, it is a religion developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. It is classified as both a new religious movement and a social movement by scholars of religion. No central authority controls the movement, and much diversity exists among practitioners, […]

Alfred D. King, Minister and Activist born

*Alfred King was born on this date in 1930. He was a Black Baptist minister and civil rights activist. Alfred Daniel King was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the son of Reverend Martin Luther King Sr. and Alberta Williams King. He was the youngest of their three children (the other two being Willie Christine […]

The Nation Of Islam is Founded

On this date in1930, E. Muhammad established the Nation of Islam (NOI).

Founded in Detroit, the NOI (at the time) started with 250,000 thousand Blacks. Earlier that year (on July 4) Master W. Fard Muhammad appeared in that city. He preached that God is one, and it was now time for Blacks to return to the religion of their ancestors, Islam.

The Blind Boys From Alabama, Gospel Singers, Formed

On this date we celebrate the beginning of Clarence Fountain and The Blind Boys of Alabama in 1931. They are a gospel singing group who’ve been singing God’s music for over 60 years.

Della Reese, Entertainer, and Minister born

*Della Reese was born this date in 1931. She is an African American actress, singer, television star and ordained minister.

Wendell Whalum, Choral Musician born

*Wendell P. Whalum was born on this date in 1931. He was an African American gospel musician, educator and minister.

Desmond Tutu, Anglican Archbishop born

Desmond Tutu was born on this date in 1931. He is a Black South African priest and activist.

Born in Klerksdorp, Transvaal, Desmond Mpilo Tutu and his family moved to Johannesburg when he was 12 years old. Although he wanted to become a physician, his family could not afford the cost and he followed his father’s footsteps into teaching. In 1951, Tutu studied at the Pretoria Bantu Normal College and went on to teach at Johannesburg Bantu High School, where he remained until 1957.