Gayraud Wilmore
Gayraud Stephen Wilmore Jr. (December 20, 1921 – April 18, 2020) was an American writer, historian, ethicist, educator, and theologian,
Early life and army service
Wilmore was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to a mother who was a domestic worker and a father who was an office clerk. His father, a World War I veteran, founded the first Black American Legion Post in the state of Pennsylvania.
In high school, Wilmore was active in drama club, wrote for the school newspaper, and briefly joined the Young Communist League before graduating in 1938.
After high school, he enrolled at Lincoln University, but was soon drafted into the United States Army. As a Buffalo Soldier, he served with the all-black 92nd Infantry division in Italy.[1]
After returning to the United States, he completed his studies at Lincoln University, receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1947.[1]
Ministry and academic career
Wilmore completed a
He began his first serious work related to civil rights when he was appointed to the PCUSA's Board of Christian Education's Department of Social Education and Action.[2] He became an associate executive on the board, holding the position for five years. Wilmore then became a member of the faculty of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, where he worked from 1959 to 1963 as assistant professor of social ethics. In 1963, when the 175th General Assembly of the UPCUSA convened, it created the Commission on Religion and Race, naming Wilmore as its executive director. During his time as executive director, Wilmore oversaw several racial justice initiatives, organized protests, and trained ministers to participate in boycotts. He served as executive director from 1962 until 1972.[2]
Upon his retirement from the commission, he joined the faculty at
He died on April 18, 2020, at the age of 98.[4]
Publications
Wilmore wrote or edited 16 books and is considered an Internationally acclaimed scholar and theologian of the history of the
Among his more popular books are Black Theology: A Documentary History, 1966–1979 (edited with
References
- ^ a b c "Reverend Gayraud Wilmore's Biography". The HistoryMakers. 2004-06-21. Retrieved 2019-10-09.
- ^ a b "Blog: Gayraud S. Wilmore". Presbyterian Historical Society. Retrieved 2019-10-09.
- ^ a b Wilmore, Gayraud (1989-03-20). "Awakened by Easter". Religion Online. Retrieved 2019-10-10.
- ^ Gayraud Wilmore, who led the Commission on Religion and Race, dies at age 98
- ISBN 978-0-8147-9396-1.