Edward M. Brawley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Edward M. Brawley
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Brawley in 1887
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| Born | March 18, 1851 |
| Died | January 13, 1923 (aged 71) Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Bucknell University |
| Occupation | Minister, educator, journalist |
| Religion | Baptist |
Edward MacKnight Brawley (born March 18, 1851 – died January 13, 1923) was an important American teacher and minister. He worked in North and South Carolina. He made history as the first African American student at Bucknell University.
Brawley played a big role in building African-American churches and schools in the southeastern United States. He helped start places like the Benedict Institute and Morris College. He was also a president at Morris College and Selma University. Later, he taught at Shaw University. He was a well-known pastor and worked for civil rights.
Contents
A Young Learner's Journey
Edward MacKnight Brawley was born on March 18, 1851, in Charleston, South Carolina. He was born free, meaning he was not enslaved. His parents were James M. and Ann L. Vaughn.
Edward started learning around age four with a private tutor. He went to school until about 1859 or 1860. His school for Black children then closed because of events like John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry.
In 1861, Edward's parents sent him to Philadelphia for school. He first attended a grammar school. After three years, he went to the Institute for Colored Youth. This school was led by Ebenezer D. Bassett.
Edward stayed there until 1866. In April 1865, he joined the Baptist church. He became very involved in Sunday Schools. He also started planning to become a minister.
College Life and Achievements
Edward returned to Charleston in 1869. He began training to be a shoemaker. But in the fall of 1870, he enrolled at Howard University. He was the first regular theology student there.
After three months, he left Howard. In January 1871, he joined the preparatory program at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. He was the first African-American student at Bucknell.
A scholarship from Rev. B. Griffith's wife helped him. He also earned money by teaching music and preaching in the summers. He finished his preparation and joined the university. He graduated on June 30, 1875.
Bucknell gave him an A. M. degree in 1878. He also received an honorary D. D. degree from Simmons College of Kentucky in May 1885.
Starting His Religious Work
In 1873, Edward was allowed to preach by the Baptist church in Lewisburg. On July 1, 1875, he became an ordained minister. He was sent by the American Baptist Publication Society to be a missionary in South Carolina.
He noticed there were not many Sunday schools. So, he started many new Sunday school groups. In May 1877, he brought these groups together to form a state Sunday School Convention. He became a leader for this group.
He worked closely with Isaac P. Brockenton. He helped get money for the Benedict Institute. He also worked to open missions in Africa. This led to important missionary work by Harrison N. Bouey.
Edward was often invited to speak at national Baptist conventions. He was always well-received. After eight years, he resigned due to poor health. He took six months to rest.
During those eight years, he helped start 550 Baptist churches in South Carolina. These churches had 350 preachers and almost 100,000 members. In 1882, Brawley wanted the Benedict Institute to hire more Black teachers. He also wanted a local board of trustees.
Family Life
In January 1877, Edward married Mary W. Warrick from Virginia. They had a child that year. Sadly, both his wife and child died by December.
In December 1879, he married Margaret Sophronia Dickerson. She was from Columbia, South Carolina. They had nine children together. Some of their children included Benjamin Griffith Brawley, Mrs. A. R. Stewart, and J. Loomis Browley.
Leading Schools
In October 1883, Edward became the president of the Alabama Baptist Normal and Theological School. This school later changed its name to Selma University. He was a very popular president. He even gave half of his salary to help students who were poor.
He also started the Alabama Baptist Women's Convention. This group helped raise money for the school. After three years, his second wife's health became poor. He resigned from Selma University and moved back to South Carolina. Charles L. Purce took his place as president.
More Religious Work
In January 1887, Edward started publishing a weekly newspaper called the Baptist Tribune. He also worked as a district secretary for the American Baptist Publication Society. He left this job in 1890 to become the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Petersburg, Virginia.
In 1890, he published a book called The Negro Baptist Pulpit. It was a collection of sermons and papers by Black Baptist ministers. The book included 28 essays. Soon after, he left his pastor job to work for the Society again.
In 1899, Edward was a pastor in Darien, Georgia. The city had a race riot. Edward spoke out strongly for peace. He also said that the Black people who were put in jail after the event were innocent. By 1902, he was an Editorial Secretary for the National Baptist Publishing Board.
Throughout his career, he was a pastor at many churches. These included Tabernacle Baptist Church in Selma, Alabama, and Springfield Baptist Church in Greenville, South Carolina. He also served at White Rock Baptist Church in Durham, North Carolina from 1912 to 1920. Besides his book, he wrote many other books and pamphlets.
Later Academic Work
In 1908, Edward Brawley helped found Morris College in Sumter, South Carolina. In April 1911, the school officially became a college. Brawley was hired as the school's first president.
Later, he became a professor at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. He taught about Evangelism and the Old Testament.
His Lasting Impact
Edward Brawley died on January 13, 1923, in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was buried in Durham, North Carolina. At the time of his death, he was teaching at Shaw University.
Today, Bucknell University offers a scholarship named after Edward Brawley. This helps new students, just as he was helped.
Images for kids
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Alternative image of Brawley
