20 Years of the African American Episcopal Historical Collection:

Honoring Our Past, Shaping Our Future

* Banner Photo: 1933 Conference of Church Workers for Colored People, Thomas W.S. Logan, Sr. Papers, AAEHC

"From the time of its founding 20 years ago the African American Episcopal Historical Collection has been preserving the important history of African American Episcopalians and their contributions to the Episcopal Church, the Anglican Communion, and global history. Guided by its Steering Committee and staff the AAEHC has steadily expanded its influence as a preserver of this history, and through grants it supports scholarly research of new historical information."

The Rev. Alfred Moss, Ph.D.

Co-Chair of AAEHC Steering Committee

"It has been an honor to curate the AAEHC at Bishop Payne Library, in partnership with the Historical Society of the Episcopal Church over the past 20 years. The experiences of those who lived through the Jim Crow and Civil Rights eras need to be captured for posterity. And the ongoing work for racial equality and accountability in this generation urgently needs to be documented, now and into the future."

Mitzi Budde, D.Min.

Co-Chair of AAEHC Steering Committee

Born from the vision of historians affiliated with the Historical Society of the Episcopal Church (HSEC) in the 1990s, the AAEHC was established to ensure the Preservation of the profound experiences and perspectives of African American Episcopalians. These treasures found a home at Virginia Theological Seminary in 2003, a partnership that has nurtured the collection's growth ever since.

The dedication of the AAEHC took place on February 21, 2005, with The Rt. Rev. Herbert Thompson Jr., the Bishop of Southern Ohio, delivering the keynote address. This ceremony marked the beginning of a vital resource chronicling African Americans' contributions to the Episcopal Church.

The AAEHC's materials include letters, records, photographs, oral histories, and more, capturing the multifaceted narratives of African Americans within the Church. The work of the AAEHC is made possible by the continued support of the HSEC and VTS, Individual contributions, and the GENEROSITY of the Nancy M. Prichard Endowment Fund.

As you make your way through the Bishop Payne Library and into the AAEHC, you'll uncover the threads of history that have woven together AfricAfricanan American Episcopalians' past and present through a remarkable tapestry of faith, resilience, and Community.

The papers of the Rev. Canon Thomas W.S. Logan, Sr. and the materials he collected as the unofficial historiographer of black Episcopal clerics and churches.

A significant Research Collection on

The Rev. Alexander Crummell Collected and donated by Dr. Carl Stockton

One of the premier Collections of the artwork of African American Episcopal artist, Allan Rohan Crite

A collection of the professional and personal papers of The Rev. Canon Harold T. Lewis, an Episcopal priest and scholar who wrote extensively about the black experience in the Episcopal Church

The AAEHC houses the research Material on the Racial History of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Centreville, Maryland

A Collection of papers, albums, and photographs, related to the life and ministry of the Rt. Rev. John Melville Burgess

The AAEHC holds a collection of Sermons, Letters, and Video of the Rev. Pauli Murray

The AAEHC holds the Collection of Memorial Episcopal Church, Baltimore, Maryland. Deacon Natalie Conway noticed the name of an enslaver of her ancestors on a plaque of church founders, which led to an exploration of the Parish's race history and to a path of reconcilation.

The Dr. Deborah Harmon Hines, Ph.D. collection contains papers of her time as an officer and President the Union of Black Episcopalians

The AAEHC preserves materials related to the history of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. Petersburg, Virginia. St. Stephen's is the oldest African American Parish in Virginia.

This collection is a testament to the vision and dedication of The Rev. Drs. Alfred Moss, Robert Prichard, and Eugene Y. Lowe, along with Dr. Robert Bruce Mullin. In the late 1990s, their efforts to preserve the heritage of African Americans within the Episcopal Church culminated in the Establishment of this remarkable repository.

Guiding the collection's early days was Julia Randle, the Archivist of VTS, who laid the groundwork for its expansion. In 2008, The Rev. Melana Nelson-Amaker assumed the role of Collection Growth Liaison, working alongside Chris Pote, the AAEHC Assistant Archivist. The Rev. Nelson-Amaker's responsibilities included elevating national awareness, gathering acquisitions, and recording oral histories.

The Rev. Joseph Thompson, Ph.D., the first full-time AAEHC Archivist, dedicated himself to expanding the collection's holdings. Ebonee Davis, his successor, further propelled its growth, processing, and promotion.

The Covid-19 pandemic brought new challenges and opportunities. The Focus of the AAEHC shifted to increasing the collection of oral histories from prominent African American Episcopalians. Riley Temple, MTS, J.D., joined as the Collection Growth Specialist, increasing the collection’s oral histories and papers.

With over 100 individual Collections and Oral Histories, the AAEHC stands strong as it commemorates its 20th anniversary, embodying the legacy of resilience and faith within the African American Episcopal community.

The AAEHC Travel Reimbursement Grants, supported generously by the HSEC and the Nancy M. Prichard Endowment Fund, have empowered individuals to unlock the stories and narratives preserved within the collection. The profound questions that have been explored through these grants have resulted in contributions to academia and increased public understanding.

Research topics have spanned a diverse range, including the examination of private writing’s effect on public discourse, delving into the political culture of African American AIDS activism, and exploring identity and activism within the Episcopal Church in the mid-twentieth century, and many more.

The impact of these research endeavors extends beyond the AAEHC's walls, with grant recipients producing a wide array of scholarly works, including books, journal articles, theses, and documentaries. Robert Tobin's Privilege and Prophecy: Social Activism in the Post-War Episcopal Church, and Rosemary Gooden's upcoming book on The. Rt. Rev. Walter Decoster Dennis are some of the fruits of AAEHC research. Scholars engaging with the AAEHC uncover the rich legacy of African American Episcopal history and its profound influence on society.

The AAEHC actively conducts pertinent oral history interviews to document the lives and experiences of Black Episcopalians in the first person. We are grateful to the Historical Society of the Episcopal Church for its annual contributions in support of the oral history program.

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Well-known for his artwork in which he recorded the people, architecture, and daily life of African-Americans in Boston, Crite is especially renowned for his liturgical art that dealt with a variety of religious themes.

*Picture of relative congratulating Crite on his Honoray Doctorate.

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This interview covers Bishop William's personal and familial life as a native of Rhode Island, his education and career in the Navy, his lifelong service to the church, and his advocacy work with several social justice movements.

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This interview covers Bishop Harris' ministry from her time in New Jersey and the Washington National Cathedral to her service as the Suffragan Bishop of Massachusetts.

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Gladys Lewis was a Lay Leader in the Diocese of Virginia and in St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Richmond. She served on the Executive board of the Episcopal Church Women and was president of the Virginia Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians.

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The African American Episcopal Historical Collection is a treasure trove of revelations. It's a return to the realities of Struggles Overcome and promises delivered. The AAEHC is more than archives; it's an exhortation to remember, a call to reckon with history.

The AAEHC stands as a beacon, reminding us that "Remember" is the first step towards liberation. Through the stories of unsung heroes and high-achieving communities, the collection unravels the richness of African American Episcopalians' past.

The journey is one of shared time, turning the pages of yellowed clippings, freeing oneself from the ghosts of the past, and understanding history's complexities.

As AAEHC marks 20 years of preserving the Episcopal Church's Black heritage, The partnership between the Historical Society of the Episcopal Church and Virginia Theological Seminary SAFEGUARDs the stories that shape our cultural identity.

The AAEHC bears witness to the multifaceted lives of Black Episcopalians, enrichng our understanding of the past and inspiring the future.

View the available collections and finding aids at:

https://vts.edu/_aaehc/

For information on donating to the AAEHC or the Travel Grant Program email the staff at:

ASKAAEHC@vts.edu

To make a financial contribution to support the mission of the AAEHC contact the Vice President of Institutional Advancement at:

ldienno@vts.edu