Barry Black facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Barry Black
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Black in 1997
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| 62nd Chaplain of the United States Senate | |
| Assumed office July 7, 2003 |
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| President | George W. Bush Barack Obama Donald Trump Joe Biden Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Lloyd Ogilvie |
| 22nd Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy | |
| In office August 2000 – August 15, 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Byron Holderby |
| Succeeded by | Louis Iasiello |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Barry Clayton Black
November 1, 1948 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Spouse | Brenda Pearsall (m. 1973) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Oakwood University (BA) Andrews University (MDiv) North Carolina Central University (MA) Palmer Theological Seminary (DMin) Salve Regina University (MA) Alliant International University (PhD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1976–2003 |
| Rank |  Rear Admiral |
| Awards | Navy Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit Defense Meritorious Service Medal (2) Meritorious Service Medal (2) Navy Commendation Medal (2) Marine Corps Commendation Medal |
Barry Clayton Black was born on November 1, 1948. He is the 62nd chaplain of the United States Senate. A chaplain is a minister or priest who serves a special group, like the military or a government body. Barry Black started this important job on July 7, 2003. He was the first African American and the first Seventh-day Adventist to hold this position.
Before becoming the Senate chaplain, Black served for over 27 years in the United States Navy Chaplain Corps. He reached the high rank of rear admiral. He finished his Navy career as the Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy. He retired from the Navy on August 15, 2003.
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Barry Black became a Navy chaplain in 1976. His first job was in Norfolk, Virginia. He then worked in many different places. These included Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He also served in Okinawa, Japan, and San Diego, California.
Black worked on the ship USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3). He also served with the Marine Aircraft Group Thirty-One in Beaufort, South Carolina. Later, he became the fleet chaplain for the U.S. Atlantic Fleet in Norfolk, Virginia.
As a rear admiral, Barry Black received many awards for his service. These included the Navy Distinguished Service Medal and the Legion of Merit Medal. He also earned the Defense Meritorious Service Medal twice. Other honors included the Meritorious Service Medal twice and the Navy Commendation Medal twice. He also received the Marine Corps Commendation Medal. These awards show his dedication and excellent service in the Navy.
Serving as United States Senate Chaplain
Becoming the Senate Chaplain
On June 27, 2003, Barry Black was chosen to be the 62nd chaplain of the U.S. Senate. He started his work on July 7, 2003. He has served as Senate chaplain longer than anyone else in a row.
Important Prayers During Government Shutdown
During the 16-day United States federal government shutdown of 2013, Black's prayers became well-known. On October 1, the first day of the shutdown, he prayed for guidance. He asked for strength and courage for the leaders.
On October 3, he prayed, "Save us from the madness." He asked for forgiveness for pride and selfishness. He also asked to be delivered from "hypocrisy."
On October 4, a woman was shot by U.S. Capitol Police officers. Black noted that the officers were not being paid because of the shutdown. He also was not paid during the shutdown. He said he was "remunerated from above," meaning he felt rewarded by God. He prayed for the senators to remove their "stubborn pride." He asked for forgiveness for their "blunders."
On day nine, news came that military families were not getting death benefits. Black prayed, "It's time for our lawmakers to say 'Enough is enough'." He asked God to "cover our shame." On day 11, Black prayed for wisdom for lawmakers. He asked them to hate "hypocrisy, deceit and shame." He wanted them to replace these with "gentleness, patience and truth."
The U.S. House of Representatives also invited Black to give a prayer in their chamber.
Awards and Recognition
In 1995, Barry Black received the NAACP Renowned Service Award. He was chosen from 127 people for his work in equal opportunity and civil rights.
In 2002, he got the Benjamin Elijah Mays Distinguished Leadership Award. This was from the Morehouse School of Religion. In 2004, the NAACP chapter at Old Dominion University gave him the Image Award. This award recognized his excellence in the military.
On May 23, 2019, Black received Becket's 2019 Canterbury Medal. This award honored his work in defending religious freedom for all people.
Education and Learning
Barry Black attended several universities. He studied at Oakwood University and Andrews University. He also went to North Carolina Central University and Palmer Theological Seminary. Other schools included Salve Regina University and Alliant International University.
He earned three Master of Arts degrees. These were in divinity, counseling, and management. He also holds two doctorates. One is a Doctorate of Ministry and the other is a Ph.D. in psychology. In 2004, he received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity degree from La Sierra University.
Published Work
Barry Black wrote his autobiography, From the Hood to the Hill, in 2006. He explained the title of his book. He grew up in a challenging inner-city neighborhood. He called it "the hood." There were many difficulties in his community.
His mother often struggled to pay rent. She worked hard to make sure her eight children could attend Christian schools. Sometimes, they were evicted from their home. Three times, he came home from school to find their furniture on the street. Despite these challenges, he went from "the hood" to "the Hill," which refers to Capitol Hill where the Senate is located.
Personal Life
Barry Black grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. His mother worked as a domestic helper. His father was a long-distance truck driver. Barry is one of eight children in his family.
He is married to Brenda Black, whose maiden name was Pearsall. She is from St. Petersburg, Florida. They have three sons: Barry II, Brendan, and Bradford.
Black is a Seventh-day Adventist. He is also a vegetarian. He has said that being vegetarian is a healthy lifestyle for him.
