Second Baptist Church (Los Angeles) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Second Baptist Church |
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Second Baptist Church, June 2011
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| Location | South Los Angeles |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Baptist |
| Website | Church website |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Paul R. Williams, Norman F. Marsh |
| Style | Lombardy Romanesque Revival |
| Years built | 1926 |
| Construction cost | $175,000 |
The Second Baptist Church is a historic Baptist church in South Los Angeles, California. Its beautiful building, built in 1926, is known for its unique Lombardy Romanesque Revival style. This church is very important because it has been recognized as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument since 1978 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.
The Second Baptist Church played a huge role in the Civil Rights Movement. It hosted big national meetings for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Persons (NAACP) in 1928, 1942, and 1949. Many famous leaders, like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, gave important speeches here. The church is connected with the American Baptist Churches USA and the Progressive National Baptist Convention.
Contents
The Church Building
The Second Baptist Church building is located on 24th Street, near Central Avenue. It was finished in 1926 and cost about $175,000 to build, including the land and everything inside.
The church was designed by Paul R. Williams, a famous African-American architect, along with Norman Marsh. When it opened in January 1926, it could seat over 2,000 people. Dr. Thomas L. Griffith was the church's pastor at that time, serving from 1921 to 1941.
An interesting story from the church's history tells how its leaders bought the land. They hired a real estate agent who had a lighter skin tone. This was because they were worried that white property owners might not want to sell land to an African-American organization. They hoped the agent would have an easier time buying the property.
A Place of History and Change
On May 13, 1885, the Second Baptist Church was founded in Los Angeles. It was the first African-American Baptist Church in Southern California. Early African-American Baptists wanted their own church where they could worship freely. Reverend S. C. Pierce was the first pastor and helped start the church.
The church building became a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1978 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. The Central Avenue Corridor was a very important area for the African-American community in Los Angeles from the 1920s to the 1950s. The Second Baptist Church, just one block from Central Avenue, was a key part of this community.
Other important places in the area include the Lincoln Theater, the 27th Street Historic District (a historic neighborhood), and the 28th Street YMCA (which offered activities when public places were separated by race).
The Church and the Civil Rights Movement
The Second Baptist Church was extremely important during the Civil Rights Movement. Before World War II, it was the largest meeting place owned by the African-American community in the western United States, able to hold over 2,000 people.
The church hosted the national convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) three times: in 1928, 1942, and 1949. The 1928 convention was the first time the NAACP held its national meeting in the western United States. Famous writers like W. E. B. Du Bois and poet Alice Dunbar Nelson spoke at the church in its early years.
The church also worked hard to fight against unfair treatment in housing, public beaches, swimming pools, and restaurants. In 1954, the church gave $1,500 to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. This money helped print important legal papers for the famous Brown v. Board of Education case, which helped end school segregation.
The church also provided money for scholarships. This helped future Nobel Peace Prize winner Ralph Bunche attend the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. often visited and spoke at Second Baptist from 1956 to 1968. Other notable speakers included Malcolm X and Adam Clayton Powell Jr..
Changes in the Neighborhood
In recent years, the neighborhood around Second Baptist Church has changed. Many of the church's members moved to other parts of the city. However, the pastor, Rev. William Epps, decided to keep the church in its historic building.
Even though most of the church members are still African-American, the church's nursery school had many Latino children in 2007. Second Baptist has also rented its main worship area to Spanish-speaking Protestant churches for their services.
Important Moments in History
Here are some key events and speeches that happened at Second Baptist Church:
1920s and 1930s
- January 3, 1926: At the opening of the new church building, Rev. Adam Clayton Powell Sr. called it the "most elaborate" Baptist church on the West Coast.
- February 29, 1926: A large meeting was held to help the Los Angeles branch of the NAACP get more members.
- June 1928: The NAACP held its 19th annual conference at Second Baptist. This was the first time the NAACP held its national meeting in the western United States. Important people like W.E.B. Du Bois attended.
1940s and 1950s
- July 13–19, 1942: The NAACP held its 33rd annual conference at Second Baptist during World War II. Leaders like Walter White and Thurgood Marshall were there. They supported the war effort and spoke against Nazi ideas about race.
- July 1949: The NAACP conference was held again at Second Baptist. Thurgood Marshall talked about efforts to fight racial discrimination.
- January 1953: Second Baptist Church voted to welcome people of all races as members. The pastor, Rev. J. Raymond Henderson, said they were against racial prejudice and segregated churches.
- 1954: The church raised $1,500 to help print legal documents for the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education case.
- October 9, 1955: Dr. Theodore R.M. Howard spoke at Second Baptist about the background of the murder of Emmett Till in Sumner, Mississippi.
1960s
- July 12, 1961: A group of 12 local residents left Second Baptist Church by bus to join the Freedom Riders in Mississippi. The church members donated $2,500 to buy their bus tickets.
- May 13, 1962: A large meeting was held at Second Baptist to discuss an incident with police. Malcolm X spoke at this meeting.
- February 16, 1964: Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to a packed church at Second Baptist. He talked about equality and avoiding hatred. A special collection was taken to help rebuild three Southern churches that had been burned.
- March 17, 1968: Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at Second Baptist again, just two weeks before he was assassinated. He spoke against the Vietnam War and said that racism was still a big problem in the country.
- April 5, 1968: African-American leaders gathered at Second Baptist to show unity after Dr. King's assassination. Leaders like Augustus F. Hawkins and Tom Bradley attended.
1970s and Beyond
- May 1972: Coretta Scott King visited Second Baptist to support Yvonne Braithwaite in her campaign for Congress.
- October - November 1974: Second Baptist hosted a series of national speakers for a forum called "The Quality of Life." Speakers included Rev. Jesse Jackson and Mayor Tom Bradley.
- September 11, 1977: United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young spoke at Second Baptist about immigrants.
- February 8, 1979: A group of 131 African-American preachers met at Second Baptist to form "The Gathering," a group working to reduce police brutality.
- October 1987: Rev. William Epps became the pastor of Second Baptist Church.
- April 1999: Second Baptist Church held its 35th Annual Community Good Friday service.
- December 2000: Mayoral candidate James Hahn spoke at Second Baptist and talked about problems with the November 2000 presidential election.
- 2001: Second Baptist Church received a grant to help fix up its historic building.
- 2007: Second Baptist Church began a $5 million project to renovate its main worship area.
See also
