Claude Black
Encyclopedia
Claude William Black, Jr. (November 28, 1916 – March 13, 2009) was an American Baptist
minister and political figure. He was born the son of local Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
vice president Claude, Sr. and housewife Cora in the then-segregated city of San Antonio, Texas
.
in Atlanta, Black initially aspired to be a doctor, but was led to the ministry. He then attended Andover Newton Theological School.
Black served as pastor of Mt. Zion First Baptist Church
in San Antonio for 1949–1998 and as pastor emeritus since. Previously, he had served as pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Haverhill, Massachusetts
1941-1943 and St. Matthew Baptist Church in Corpus Christi, Texas
1946-1949.
Black founded several community groups as well as the city’s first black credit union. He also served as chairmen of the Social Actions Committee with the National Baptist Convention
and president of the Baptist Minister's Union of San Antonio.He worked through the community as a pastor of the community.
, former San Antonio Mayor Walter McAllister and the establishment for their unfair treatment of minorities in the city. While addressing a city council meeting in 1952, he was ignored and called a "nigger
" on the open microphone. He became an associate of such leaders as A. Philip Randolph
, Martin Luther King, Thurgood Marshall
, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.
, James L. Farmer, Jr.
Ella Baker
and others. As a local ally to President Lyndon B. Johnson, Black was present for the White House Conference on Civil Rights
in 1966. He endured many threats to himself, his family and even his church. A drive-by shooting occurred at his home as well as his church burned in 1974 with no suspects being charged. Black supported the efforts of San Antonio SNCC, after a massive demonstration against police brutality in downtown San Antonio and an armed attack on the SNCC office. He allowed use of the church for meetings of the San Antonio Committee to Free Angela Davis, SNCC-Panther meetings, and allowed members of the SNCC-Panthers opportunities to raise funds at the church on Sunday. Rev. Black co-authored a city council resolution against the sale of the South African Krugerrand Gold Coin, in December 1976, before Nelson Mandela was released from prison.
He served four terms of the San Antonio City Council 1973-1978 and became the city’s first black Mayor Pro Tem.
(1912–2005) for a total of 59 years. He was predeceased by his daughter Joyce (1952–1992), son Stewart (1931–1994) and three grandchildren.
San Antonio has a street, shopping plaza, and community center named in honor of Black. The city of San Antonio created the Rev. Claude and ZerNona Black Scholarship Endowment Fund. Black also served on the Advisory Council of Wayland Baptist University's San Antonio campus; the campus named its award given to the outstanding student earning the Master of Christian Ministry degree in his honor. On November 30, 2006, Black was honored with an extravagant 90th Birthday gala, which was hosted by both the city of San Antonio. Guest included Martin Luther King III
, Fred Shuttlesworth
, Henry Cisneros
, Percy Sutton
and Phil Hardberger
.
Black's autobiography Grandpa was a Preacher: A Letter to my Grandson was published in 2006. It was co-written with his grandson Taj Matthews
.
The MLK Realizing the Dream
Foundation honored Rev. Black in Washington during Inauguration Week along with Congressman Ted Kennedy
, Congressman John Lewis (Georgia) and Activist, Humanitarian Aung San Suu Kyi
.
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
minister and political figure. He was born the son of local Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters was, in 1925, the first labor organization led by blacks to receive a charter in the American Federation of Labor . It merged in 1978 with the Brotherhood of Railway and Airline Clerks , now known as the Transportation Communications International Union.The...
vice president Claude, Sr. and housewife Cora in the then-segregated city of San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
.
Ministry
While attending Morehouse CollegeMorehouse College
Morehouse College is a private, all-male, liberal arts, historically black college located in Atlanta, Georgia. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Wabash College, Morehouse is one of three remaining traditional men's colleges in the United States....
in Atlanta, Black initially aspired to be a doctor, but was led to the ministry. He then attended Andover Newton Theological School.
Black served as pastor of Mt. Zion First Baptist Church
Mt. Zion First Baptist Church
Mt. Zion First Baptist Church is an historic African American church located at 333 Martin Luther King Drive in San Antonio, Texas.Founded in 1871 by former slaves, the church has since provided ministerial services to thousands and played a major role in the civil rights movement of the city.In...
in San Antonio for 1949–1998 and as pastor emeritus since. Previously, he had served as pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Haverhill, Massachusetts
Haverhill, Massachusetts
Haverhill is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 60,879 at the 2010 census.Located on the Merrimack River, it began as a farming community that would evolve into an important industrial center, beginning with sawmills and gristmills run by water power. In the...
1941-1943 and St. Matthew Baptist Church in Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
1946-1949.
Black founded several community groups as well as the city’s first black credit union. He also served as chairmen of the Social Actions Committee with the National Baptist Convention
National Baptist Convention
National Baptist Convention may refer to:One of several historically African-American Christian denominations:*National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., the oldest and largest denomination using this name, formed in the late 19th century...
and president of the Baptist Minister's Union of San Antonio.He worked through the community as a pastor of the community.
Civil rights activism
Black was known throughout the South for his civil rights activism. Throughout the late 1950’s and 1960’s, he along with State Representative G. J. Sutton and Harry Burns led and organized marches throughout the state. He challenged former Texas Governor Price DanielPrice Daniel
Marion Price Daniel, Sr. , was a Democratic U.S. Senator and the 38th Governor of the state of Texas. He was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson to be a member of the National Security Council, Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness, and Assistant to the President for Federal-State...
, former San Antonio Mayor Walter McAllister and the establishment for their unfair treatment of minorities in the city. While addressing a city council meeting in 1952, he was ignored and called a "nigger
Nigger
Nigger is a noun in the English language, most notable for its usage in a pejorative context to refer to black people , and also as an informal slang term, among other contexts. It is a common ethnic slur...
" on the open microphone. He became an associate of such leaders as A. Philip Randolph
A. Philip Randolph
Asa Philip Randolph was a leader in the African American civil-rights movement and the American labor movement. He organized and led the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the first predominantly Negro labor union. In the early civil-rights movement, Randolph led the March on Washington...
, Martin Luther King, Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, serving from October 1967 until October 1991...
, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.
Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.
Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., was an American politician and pastor who represented Harlem, New York City, in the United States House of Representatives . He was the first person of African-American descent elected to Congress from New York and became a powerful national politician...
, James L. Farmer, Jr.
James L. Farmer, Jr.
James Leonard Farmer, Jr. was a civil rights activist and leader in the American Civil Rights Movement. He was the initiator and organizer of the 1961 Freedom Ride, which eventually led to the desegregation of inter-state transportation in the United States.In 1942, Farmer co-founded the Committee...
Ella Baker
Ella Baker
Ella Josephine Baker was an African American civil rights and human rights activist beginning in the 1930s....
and others. As a local ally to President Lyndon B. Johnson, Black was present for the White House Conference on Civil Rights
White House Conference on Civil Rights
The White House Conference on Civil Rights was held June 1 and 2, 1966. The aim of the conference was built on the momentum of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in addressing discrimination against African-Americans...
in 1966. He endured many threats to himself, his family and even his church. A drive-by shooting occurred at his home as well as his church burned in 1974 with no suspects being charged. Black supported the efforts of San Antonio SNCC, after a massive demonstration against police brutality in downtown San Antonio and an armed attack on the SNCC office. He allowed use of the church for meetings of the San Antonio Committee to Free Angela Davis, SNCC-Panther meetings, and allowed members of the SNCC-Panthers opportunities to raise funds at the church on Sunday. Rev. Black co-authored a city council resolution against the sale of the South African Krugerrand Gold Coin, in December 1976, before Nelson Mandela was released from prison.
He served four terms of the San Antonio City Council 1973-1978 and became the city’s first black Mayor Pro Tem.
Legacy
Black was married to ZerNona BlackZerNona Black
ZerNona Stewart Black was the wife of civil rights leader, the Rev. Claude Black.She was an instructor at Langston University in Oklahoma and at St...
(1912–2005) for a total of 59 years. He was predeceased by his daughter Joyce (1952–1992), son Stewart (1931–1994) and three grandchildren.
San Antonio has a street, shopping plaza, and community center named in honor of Black. The city of San Antonio created the Rev. Claude and ZerNona Black Scholarship Endowment Fund. Black also served on the Advisory Council of Wayland Baptist University's San Antonio campus; the campus named its award given to the outstanding student earning the Master of Christian Ministry degree in his honor. On November 30, 2006, Black was honored with an extravagant 90th Birthday gala, which was hosted by both the city of San Antonio. Guest included Martin Luther King III
Martin Luther King III
Martin Luther King III is an American human rights advocate and community activist. He is the eldest son and oldest living child of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King. His siblings are Dexter Scott King, Rev. Bernice Albertine King, and the late Yolanda Denise...
, Fred Shuttlesworth
Fred Shuttlesworth
Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth, born Freddie Lee Robinson, was a U.S. civil rights activist who led the fight against segregation and other forms of racism as a minister in Birmingham, Alabama...
, Henry Cisneros
Henry Cisneros
Henry Gabriel Cisneros is a politician and businessman. A Democrat, Cisneros served as the 10th Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the administration of President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1997...
, Percy Sutton
Percy Sutton
Percy Ellis Sutton was a prominent black American political and business leader. A civil-rights activist and lawyer, he was also a Freedom Rider and the legal representative for Malcolm X...
and Phil Hardberger
Phil Hardberger
Phil Hardberger is a former mayor of San Antonio, Texas. He took office in June 2005. He is a Democrat; however, as with all mayoral, city council, and school board positions in Texas, Hardberger was elected on a non-partisan ballot....
.
Black's autobiography Grandpa was a Preacher: A Letter to my Grandson was published in 2006. It was co-written with his grandson Taj Matthews
Taj Matthews
Taj Matthews is an American journalist, entrepreneur, author of Grandpa was a Preacher: A Letter to my Grandson. The book is the autobiography of his grandfather civil rights icon Rev. Claude Black Jr., who describes life as a minister, civil rights leader and politician...
.
The MLK Realizing the Dream
Realizing the Dream
Realizing the Dream, Inc. is a 501c3 non-profit organization founded in 2006 by Martin Luther King III to carry on the legacy of his parents, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, the organization carries out initiatives on both the domestic and...
Foundation honored Rev. Black in Washington during Inauguration Week along with Congressman Ted Kennedy
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
, Congressman John Lewis (Georgia) and Activist, Humanitarian Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi, AC is a Burmese opposition politician and the General Secretary of the National League for Democracy. In the 1990 general election, her National League for Democracy party won 59% of the national votes and 81% of the seats in Parliament. She had, however, already been detained...
.
External links
- Official website
- Institute of Texan Cultures Interview
- Text of Letter from Martin Luther King to Billy GrahamBilly GrahamWilliam Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
regarding segregationist Texas Governor Price DanielPrice DanielMarion Price Daniel, Sr. , was a Democratic U.S. Senator and the 38th Governor of the state of Texas. He was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson to be a member of the National Security Council, Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness, and Assistant to the President for Federal-State...
invitation to speak at his crusade. c1958 - Claude and ZerNona Black Scholarship
- Civil Rights Movement in San Antonio
- UTSA Orchestra featuring Claude Black
- Vintage Bus Ride-MLK Parade San Antonio
- At 89, Pillar of community not completely retired
- Civil Rights Act marks 40
- Civil Rights Act and Rev. Black's 1960 trip to the White house
- Black gives eulogy for former Mayor that once represented racism
- Human Rights Group honors Rev. Black
- 99 notable Texans
- San Antonio Worship article
- Reopening of Mt Zion First Baptist after 1974 fire
- Served after being denied service at food counter
- Civil Rights Icon Honored with 90th Birthday Gala
- SA Pastor to be honored in Washington
- Rev. Claude Black Dies at age 92