Looking Back:Southern Baptist seminaries desegregated before desegregation

Not until the Supreme Court's unanimous decision in Alexander v. Holmes County Board of Education (1969) was racial segregation put to a complete end "now and hereafter."¹ Below, however, is a short headline piece in The Christian Centtury concerning Southern Baptists' progressive action favoring racial desegration in 1950. Our seminaries apparently were the first institutions of higher theological education to tear down the racial divide.

  

 Southern Baptists Open Seminaries to Negroes*

The boards of three Southern Baptist theological seminaries have opened the way for the admission of Negro students next fall. On November 28, 1950, the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary at Fort Worth, Texas, became the first school in the denomination to take this significant step that will have far-reaching effects. Its board voted to approve the admission of qualified Negroes and "to notify our sister seminaries of such action and invite them to consider such matters." First to accept the invitation was the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Now it has been followed by the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary at Louisville, Kentucky. The Louisville seminary's resolution read: "Since legal barriers have been removed and because of the urgent need of adequate seminary training in the south for Negro Baptist students who are at present deprived of proper theological education, that beginning with the session 1951-52 carefully selected Negroes be admitted [as] candidates for the B.D., Th. M. or Th. D. [and] to classes, library, and all academic rights and privileges." The walls are tumbling down! That these actions have been taken in a denomination indigenous to the south, whose adherents represent all aspects of southern life and thought, makes them of even greater importance than if the schools belonged to a nationally organized denomination. Now that the Southern Baptists and southern Presbyterians have led the way in opening their seminaries to Negroes, it is to be expected and hoped that other denominations will quickly follow suit.

--The Christian Century, April 11, 1951

*I retained the older racial identifier rather than the preferred one today, "African American" solely for stylistic purposes. I trust no offense is taken by African American readers.

¹Actually, 1969 was more of a "time's up" ultimatum for states to do what Brown vs. the Board of Education (1955) had ruled a decade and a half earlier. See the article entitled "End of Segregation in Public Schools" for a more complete treatment. 

Comments

[Lydia]

What a precious nugget to see uncovered. your research never fails to amaze me and enlighten all of us.

[peter lumpkins]

Thanks Lydia. You're much too kind. Sometimes one finds a nugget (like this one) when rummaging for something entirely different.

[Louis]

I agree with Lydia. This is a precious nugget!

[Wm. Dwight McKissic, Sr.]

"carefully selected Negroes..."? That line would be clearly labeled racist today.Thanks Bro. Lumpkins for unveiling this novel and fascinating historical source document; or at least a replica of it.

[Lydia]

Dwight, I totally agree with you. I grew up hearing stories such as my mom so excited to be a part of the integration of the Graham Crusades. And we are talking when the roped sections came down.

Or the one long before I was born of my dad using WW2 as his opportunity to defy the union bosses and hire African Americans at the SAME rate as his other union drivers. It was a huge deal and a serious stare down. (We had to go live in hotels when the unions got mad or during a strike even after I was born)

We have come such a long way and I am so grateful for what my parents taught us about justice. My maternal grandmother was very involved in the civil rights movement and she was SBC, too.

My first SS teacher was African American in an SBC church.

There were SBC people who loved and fought for justice. No names, no glory just every day hard working people who got it and left a legacy of justice and truth in the hearts of their children.

[peter lumpkins]

Thank you Pastor Dwight. Always good to hear from you brother. I wish you God's richest grace...

With that, I am...
Peter

[Max]

"... carefully selected Negroes ..."

Wow! One hundred years after the sinful acts of SBC slave-holding pastors and deacons preceding the Civil War, we now see that the denomination was still "carefully selecting Negroes" well into the 20th century! Makes one wonder if God selected/elected any Southern Baptist who held such views for so long! SBC has some sad chapters that just don't appear very Christian. Praise God for the renewing of the mind which has occurred in some SBC corners ... shame on those in our ranks who still have racial discrimination in their hearts.

[peter lumpkins]

I think it's worth mentioning that James Ach who ocassionally comments here has exposed what appears to be racist language coming from hyper-Calvinist and Reformed apologist, James White. Given the subject of the original post, Ach's piece entitled "James White--'culturally black churches don't preach the gospel'" is very much worth your time. Here's the link.

 

[Wm. Dwight McKissic, Sr.]

Bro. Peter,

Calvinism is extremely unpopular in Black churches. Those who hold to a Calvinist theology often do so subtly. James White's assertion is totally void of any factual evidence to support his statement. I wish that he would define "cultural Black churches". His sweeping denunciation reeks with racism, although, since I don't know him, I would stop way short of calling James White himself a racists. If I said "cultural White churches" don't preach the gospel, that would be a racist statement too.

Thanks for calling attention to this Bro. Peter. I would debate James White on this topic in order to refute this erroneous and negative attack that he just hurled against the Black church.I seriously doubt that he could get Voddie Baucaum or Thabiti A. to sign off on his racist and erroneous statement, and they are Black Calvinist,who are held in high esteem, with a great degree of respect and appreciation by many in the Black community.

James White needs to apologize and recant his statement.There are those in the Black community that rejects Calvinism on the basis that the majority of the world's population are people of color; and Calvinism espouses that God condemned them to hell, without them having the option to receive Christ. Many find the notion of a White Man condemning the majority of the world's population to hell as racist out of the gate. James White's assessment of the "cultural Black church" feeds into this narrative. He needs to repent. He needs to define what he means by the cultural Black church. He needs to provide evidence for his drive-by statement.He needs to apologize.And if, by chance that Voddie or Thabiti would support in the least his racist and wrong statement(again, I have no reason to believe that either will, I stand ready to debate them as well. And they would be just as wrong, and just as racist, if they held to such a viewpoint.They too would need to provide the supporting evidence.

Bro. Peter, I realize that you and James White are not the best of friends(to put it mildly. But, I wish that somehow you would help me to convey this message to him. I don't have his contact info, nor do I frequent his blog, if he has one. Please feel free to share with him all of my contact info, and I will respond to him in an expeditious, civil, and God-honoring manner. Please Mr. White, apologize, and recant your statement.

[peter lumpkins]

Brother Dwight,

You're correct. I'm not the one who could get you an ear with James White. But frankly I'm sure it won't take long for White to know your concern. Trust me on that.

White has a track record--a record we've dealt with here on numerous occasions--where he appears to possess a pattern of ridiculing and demeaning people.

We showed where White especially denigraded women. Apparently, now there's way too much insensitivity toward race.  

This really is a sad day, but I think an inevitable one. Some internet personalities are, frankly, out of control. But with no one to hold them accountable, we should not be surprised.

Sorry, my brother. We've got to somehow rise above these dreadful times.

May our Lord grace us all with His unending love, forgiveness, and power.

With that, I am...
Peter