Louis Gregory: a dedicated promoter of racial harmony
Louis Gregory reached more people than any other advocate of racial harmony in the first half of the 20th century, says Gayle Morrison, a Baha'i who has researched the life and contributions of Mr. Gregory, an early U.S. Baha'i.
Louis G. GregoryBorn in 1874 to freed slaves, Mr. Gregory traveled tirelessly throughout the nation, speaking at schools and churches and to civic groups. His travels involved lengthy separations from his white wife, Louisa Mathew. At the time interracial marriages were illegal in many parts of the country and generally not accepted even where they were not prohibited.
Mr. Gregory gave up a successful law practice to devote himself full-time to improving race relations. Inspired by the teachings of the Baha'i Faith, “he saw the larger picture and placed his undiminished concern for the welfare of the oppressed within a universal context,” says Ms. Morrison, the author of "To Move the World: Louis G. Gregory and the Advancement of Racial Unity in America. “
A leader ahead of his time, Mr. Gregory “didn’t see things only in terms of race or ethnicity, but also in terms of the equality of men and women,” Ms. Morrison says. “He was concerned about the well being and advancement of people everywhere.”
Although the name “Louis Gregory” isn’t as well recognized as those of contemporaries George Washington Carver and W.E.B. DuBois, his contributions are significant, Ms. Morrison says.
In acknowledgment of that, the Baha'i community in Charleston, S.C., Mr. Gregory’s hometown, created the Louis G. Gregory Baha'i Museum in 2003. Located in a small, two-story, wood-frame house where Mr. Gregory lived as a child, the museum is the first in the city to honor a specific person.
“This city was the main port of entry for North America’s enslaved Africans, and it witnessed the opening shots of the Civil War,” says Jacquelyn Jones, a Charleston Baha'i.
The Baha’is of the United States also honored Mr. Gregory by creating the Louis G. Gregory Baha'i Institute near Hemingway, S.C. The institute, open to all, offers a variety of programs for children and adults, and is the home of Radio Baha'i (WLGI).
Louis G. GregoryBorn in 1874 to freed slaves, Mr. Gregory traveled tirelessly throughout the nation, speaking at schools and churches and to civic groups. His travels involved lengthy separations from his white wife, Louisa Mathew. At the time interracial marriages were illegal in many parts of the country and generally not accepted even where they were not prohibited.
Mr. Gregory gave up a successful law practice to devote himself full-time to improving race relations. Inspired by the teachings of the Baha'i Faith, “he saw the larger picture and placed his undiminished concern for the welfare of the oppressed within a universal context,” says Ms. Morrison, the author of "To Move the World: Louis G. Gregory and the Advancement of Racial Unity in America. “
A leader ahead of his time, Mr. Gregory “didn’t see things only in terms of race or ethnicity, but also in terms of the equality of men and women,” Ms. Morrison says. “He was concerned about the well being and advancement of people everywhere.”
Although the name “Louis Gregory” isn’t as well recognized as those of contemporaries George Washington Carver and W.E.B. DuBois, his contributions are significant, Ms. Morrison says.
In acknowledgment of that, the Baha'i community in Charleston, S.C., Mr. Gregory’s hometown, created the Louis G. Gregory Baha'i Museum in 2003. Located in a small, two-story, wood-frame house where Mr. Gregory lived as a child, the museum is the first in the city to honor a specific person.
“This city was the main port of entry for North America’s enslaved Africans, and it witnessed the opening shots of the Civil War,” says Jacquelyn Jones, a Charleston Baha'i.
The Baha’is of the United States also honored Mr. Gregory by creating the Louis G. Gregory Baha'i Institute near Hemingway, S.C. The institute, open to all, offers a variety of programs for children and adults, and is the home of Radio Baha'i (WLGI).
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