By Bonnie Withers If you have had even a passing connection with protestant hymns, you know the beloved “Nearer, My God, To Thee.” Some of you will be able to start humming it. This hymn holds a sacred place in Christian hymnbooks, popular culture (Titanic – see below), and even an irreverent reference in a college drinking … Continue reading Moments in UU History: Sarah Flower Adams
By Bonnie Withers We UU’s cannot celebrate Women’s History Month without paying tribute to the amazing contributions of Judith Sargent Murray. Murray, born in 1751, learned early that women were not considered as intellectually capable as men. She wanted to share in the lessons given by a tutor to her brother, Winthrop, but was not … Continue reading Moments in UU History: Judith Sargent Murray
By Bonnie Withers I always enjoy coming upon notable UU women who had their roots in my home state of Wisconsin. Caroline Bartlett was born there in 1858. Her father taught her to read at age 4 and encouraged her studies up to the point she indicated she wanted to become a Unitarian minister. He … Continue reading Moments in UU History: Caroline Bartlett Crane
By Bonnie Withers The story of Francis Barrier Williams (1855-1944) gives us an example of a phenomenon described in last week’s service, namely, the gap between personal friendships between races and belief in wide-ranging equality. Francis grew up in mostly white Brockport, New York in a professional Black family where she enjoyed comfortable social relations … Continue reading Moments in UU History: Francis Barrier Williams
By Bonnie Withers Black History Month always takes me back to the extraordinary documentary series, “Eyes on the Prize”—a series of 14 episodes set in two parts documenting the Civil Rights Movement from 1954-1985– and I recall our UU connection to that landmark creation. Henry Hampton was born in St. Louis in 1940. His parents … Continue reading Moments in UU History: Henry Hampton
By Bonnie Withers Let’s take a moment to remember Lewis McGee, born to a former slave in Pennsylvania in 1893. As an African Methodist Episcopal minister, McGee served as a chaplain in WW II. His interest in science and his belief in human reason led him to be unsatisfied with the idea of God as … Continue reading Moments in UU History: Rev. Lewis McGee
By Bonnie Withers When I browse through my copy of This Day in Unitarian Universalist History, I amcontinually struck to come upon the number of martyrs from the 16 th century onward,who gave up their lives over their insistence on their belief in the unitary nature of God.Today, I found Ludwig Hetzer, Swiss pastor who … Continue reading Moments in UU History: The First Unitarian Martyr
By Bonnie Withers Of all the ways there are to leave a mark on the world, funding libraries is very high on my list. Thus, we remember Sir Henry Tate, who died on December 5, 1899, at the age of 80. Tate was born in 1819 in Lancashire, England, son of a Unitarian minister. He … Continue reading Moments in UU History: Sir Henry Tate
By Bonnie Withers Last week, we learned about the First Unitarian Church of Baltimore (Unitarian and Universalist) where William Ellery Channing’s famous sermon (1819) was preached. At that time, it was called The First Independent of Baltimore. As we learned, this was the first church built by Unitarians in the U.S. and has been used … Continue reading Moments in UU History: King’s Chapel
By Bonnie Withers After reading yet another horrific story about the Indian Boarding School movement which began around the 1870’s, I began to wonder if, even though most of the schools were run by the Catholic church, our Unitarian and Universalist forebears had been a direct part of this ill-conceived movement. It was reported in … Continue reading Moments in UU History: Indian Boarding School
