Dr. King Once Preached At This Chicago Church
Ain't nobody told me nothing!
Today is the 56th anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The beloved Civil Rights leader was assassinated in 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN. Usually on dates that are significant with Dr. King’s legacy I share the astounding fact that he and Coretta lived in Chicago for a stint. Yes, you read that correctly. Dr. KING AND CORETTA ONCE LIVED IN CHICAGO. They moved here in 1966 to combat the segregated housing rights that plagued our town, and even though Chicago is a Northern city, Dr. King and his team were met with extreme opposition. Chicago was the city where he was struck in the head with a stone while leading a march in Gage Park, causing him to say “I have seen many demonstrations in the south, but I have never seen anything so hostile and so hateful as I’ve seen here today.” The King Family ended the demonstration in Chicago ONLY after Mayor Daley signed an agreement to create more open housing markets. They went back down South, but apparently Dr. King came back a year later to preach at Mt. Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church in Bronzeville. Cousins, this church is literally down the street from my house on the historic King Drive. We drive past it all the time. I never knew Dr. King spoke here. AIN’T NOBODY TOLD ME NOTHING!
“Founded in 1926, during the Great Migration, Mt. Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church hostedtheir first meetings in the basement of 467 East Bowen Avenue (demolished). By 1962, the congregation had outgrown their previous space and acquired the former Sinai Temple and social settlement house. Over the previous thirty-six years, the church had expanded their religious training and community engagement programming. The new space housed additional programming including the Baptist Theological and Education Center, the Baptist Training Union, and a number of other religious activities. On October 29, 1962, the 3000-member congregation, led by Reverend Joseph Wells and the Sunday School Band of Ebenezer Baptist Church, marched from their space on Bowen Avenue to their new home on Grand Boulevard The morning service was led by Dr. Herbert Brewster and featured performances by famed Gospel singers Roberta Martin and Dolores Barrett Campbell. The evening service was conducted by Reverend Ernest F. Ledbetter, of Metropolitan Baptist Church, grandfather to the current reverend of Mt. Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church, Reverend Ernest Ledbetter III.” (source: https://www.mtpisgahchicago.org/)
The 1962 evening service for the opening of the new location on King Drive was conducted by Reverend Ernest F. Ledbetter whose grandson, Reverend Ernest Ledbetter III, is now the current pastor of Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church. Can we talk about legacy and six degrees of separation?
On Easter I posted a few vintage photos from Easter “back in the day”. One photo was of a Chicago baptism taken by the legendary Gordon Parks. I love this photo so much, because look at the expression on the face of the women getting baptized. It’s a mixture of weariness and renewed hope. While doing research for this essay, I added Reverend Ledbetter on Facebook. He commented on this particular photo with the following:
The sermon Dr. King preached at Mt. Pisgah on August 27, 1967 was entitled “Why Jesus Called a Man a Fool”. It can be heard here. This sermon was sadly one of Dr. Kings last public sermons, before his assassination on April 4, 1968.
Today we remember Dr. King and the imprint he left on the city of Chicago. Ase.
Fast forward to 1968. Chicago named a street after him. What was once Grand Boulevard and South Parkway, was renamed Dr. Martin Luther King Drive to honor Dr. King. Five years later, in 1973, Illinois became the first state to honor the civil-rights leader with a holiday. The sponsor of that bill was at the time, state Rep. Harold Washington, who would go on to become Chicago's first Black mayor. I absolutely love it.
Your Favorite Cousin,
Nikki
P.S. If you appreciate this historic post, please share it online. People need to know that we’re always surrounded by living history and the need to unearth these stories.
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