Martin Luther King Fellows In Black Religious Studies, Inc. collection

When Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in April of 1968, the Black theological students at Colgate Rochester Divinity School requested a program and professorship in Black Church Studies as a memorial to what King represented as a pastor and leader of the Black Church. After a forced close-down of the school by the Black students and a series of fundraising efforts, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Professorship in Black Church Studies was established. This position was filled by Henry H. Mitchell (clergyman, educator, author and, at that time, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, Santa Monica, CA) on July 1, 1969, and the program of Black Church Studies at CRDS/BH/CTS was launched in September 1969.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Fellows project began as the result of an idea given to Dr. Mitchell for a research and writing project for the purpose of developing literature, curriculum, and bibliographical materials in the area of Black Church practice. This research project was planned to be a part of the requirements for an advanced graduate degree program proposed for the CRDS/BH/CTS. Dr. Mitchell submitted his idea to the Irwin-Sweeney-Miller Foundation and a planning grant of $2,000 was received. A proposal was submitted in June 1971 and funded with a sizable grant ($113,900) in November 1971. Meanwhile, the Colgate Rochester Divinity School (Baptist) faculty had been joined by faculties from Bexley Hall (Episcopal) and Crozer Theological Seminary (Baptist). This faculty group processed and approved the program academically. Twenty King Fellows were chosen to begin studies in the summer of 1972. These Black pastors/scholars represented a cross-section denominationally and geographically as well as a variety of talents and age-groups. A list of the faculty, consultants, Fellows and their research topics are identified in Freeing the Spirit (The Magazine of Black Liturgy, published by the National Office for Black Catholics) 2 (Fall 1973): 12-17. Box 8, Folder 2.

The original design of the project included five weeks of intensive study in West Africa (Summer 1972), six weeks of colloquia in Atlanta (1973) at the Interdenominational Theological Center, and six weeks of colloquia and writing at the sponsoring seminaries in 1974. The Fellows also studied in the West Indies and the Sea Islands off the coast of Georgia. Culminating their research and study, nineteen King Fellows completed dissertations and received Doctor of Ministry degrees at the June 1975 commencement ceremonies at the Rochester consortium. At this time the Fellows formed a corporation in the state of New York and met annually for the purpose of continuing the objectives of the grant.