Second Baptist Church (Los Angeles) facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Second Baptist Church
Second Baptist Church, June 2011
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 Baptist church located in South Los Angeles, California. This important church building was finished in 1926. It is known for its special style, called Lombardy Romanesque Revival.

The church is a very important historical place. It has been recognized as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument since 1978. In 2009, it was also added to the National Register of Historic Places. Second Baptist Church played a huge role in the Civil Rights Movement. It hosted big meetings for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Famous leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X gave speeches there.

A Special Church Building
Why This Church Is So Important
- A Hub for Civil Rights
A Changing Neighborhood
Important Moments in History
See also

A Special Church Building

The Second Baptist Church building is found on 24th Street, near Central Avenue. It was built in 1926 and cost about $175,000. This price included the land, the building, and everything inside.

The church was designed by a famous African-American architect named Paul R. Williams. He worked with Norman Marsh on the design. When it opened in January 1926, the church could seat over 2,000 people. Dr. Thomas L. Griffith was the pastor when the church was built. He led the church from 1921 to 1941.

Getting the land for the church was a challenge. The church leaders wanted to make sure they could buy the property. They hired a real estate agent who had a lighter skin tone. This was because they worried that white property owners might not sell to an African-American group. They hoped the agent would have an easier time buying the land.

Why This Church Is So Important

Second Baptist Church was the very first African American Baptist Church in Southern California. It was started in Los Angeles on May 13, 1885. Early African-American Baptists wanted their own church. They wanted a place where they could worship freely in their own way. 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. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. The area around Central Avenue was a major center for the African-American community from the 1920s to the 1950s. Second Baptist Church was a key part of this important area.

A Hub for Civil Rights

Second Baptist Church was very important for 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. It could hold over 2,000 people.

The church hosted the national meeting of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People three times. These meetings happened in 1928, 1942, and 1949. The 1928 meeting was the first time the NAACP held its national event in the western U.S. Famous speakers like writer W. E. B. Du Bois and poet Alice Dunbar Nelson visited the church early on.

The church also worked hard against unfair treatment. They fought against racial discrimination in housing, public beaches, swimming pools, and restaurants. In 1954, the church gave $1,500 to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. This money helped print legal papers for the famous Brown v. Board of Education case. This case ended segregation in schools.

The church also helped future Nobel Peace Prize winner Ralph Bunche go to University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. often visited Second Baptist. He spoke there many times from 1956 to 1968. Other important people who spoke at the church include Malcolm X and Adam Clayton Powell Jr..

A Changing Neighborhood

In recent years, the neighborhood around Second Baptist Church has changed. It used to be mostly African-American. By 2007, about 40% of the people were African American and over 50% were Latino. Many church 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 the church itself is still mostly African-American, its nursery school had many Latino students in 2007. Second Baptist Church has also let Spanish-speaking churches use its main worship area for their services.

Important Moments in History

Here are some key events and speeches that happened at Second Baptist Church:

1920s and 1930s: Early Milestones

January 3, 1926: The new church building was dedicated. 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 get more people to join the Los Angeles NAACP. The goal was to reach 5,000 members.
June 1928: The NAACP held its 19th annual meeting at Second Baptist. This was the first time the NAACP met in the western United States. Important people like W. E. B. Du Bois attended.
August 12, 1932: The Western Baptist Association of Southern California held its 40th annual meeting here. This group of African-American Baptist churches discussed laws about alcohol.

1940s and 1950s: Civil Rights Actions

September 24, 1941: Joseph W. Martin Jr., a leader in the Republican party, spoke at the church. He asked African-Americans to vote for Republicans in 1942.
July 13–19, 1942: The NAACP held its 33rd annual meeting at Second Baptist during World War II. Leaders like Thurgood Marshall were there. They supported the war effort and spoke out against Nazi ideas about race.
July 1949: The NAACP held another annual meeting. Thurgood Marshall talked about fighting racial discrimination through legal cases. They asked President Harry S. Truman to pass civil rights laws.
November 6, 1949: A. Philip Randolph, a labor leader, spoke at the church. He criticized Paul Robeson for comments about African-Americans and the Soviet Union.
January 1953: Second Baptist Church decided to welcome people of all races. The pastor, Rev. J. Raymond Henderson, said they were against racial prejudice.
October 4, 1953: George Meany, president of the American Federation of Labor, spoke about world peace. He also criticized those who believed in "white supremacy."
1954: The church raised $1,500 to help with the Brown v. Board of Education case. This case led to the end of segregated schools.
October 9, 1955: Dr. Theodore R.M. Howard spoke about the murder of Emmett Till in Mississippi. He urged the government to protect African-Americans.

1960s: The Heart of the Movement

July 12, 1961: A group of 12 people left Second Baptist Church by bus to join the Freedom Riders in Mississippi. The church members donated $2,500 for their tickets.
May 13, 1962: A large protest rally was held at the church. Malcolm X spoke at this meeting. He talked about the struggles faced by African-Americans. The pastor, Rev. J. Raymond Henderson, spoke after Malcolm X. He stressed that the meeting should be peaceful and not about hate.
January 19, 1964: Dr. Thomas Kilgore Jr. became the new pastor. He was a leader in the civil rights movement.
February 16, 1964: Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to a packed church. He talked about equality and avoiding hatred. A youth choir sang "I Have A Dream." Money was collected to rebuild Southern churches that had been burned.
March 1964: Rev. Ralph Abernathy of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference led a special service at the church.
August 29, 1964: Journalist Louis Lomax spoke to civil rights leaders at Second Baptist. He urged them to speak out against riots.
November 1964: After FBI director J. Edgar Hoover criticized Dr. King, Rev. Thomas Kilgore Jr. called for Hoover to apologize or resign.
March 17, 1968: Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at Second Baptist just two weeks before he was assassinated. He spoke against the Vietnam War and white racism.
April 5, 1968: African-American leaders gathered at Second Baptist after Dr. King's assassination. They showed unity and played a recording of one of Dr. King's speeches.
October 25, 1968: Rev. Ralph Abernathy led a "mule train" to Second Baptist. He encouraged African-American voters to vote for civil rights.

1970s and Beyond: Continuing the Legacy

May 1972: Coretta Scott King, Dr. King's wife, visited Second Baptist. She supported Yvonne Braithwaite 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 about immigrants at the church. He called the United States a "stew" where different cultures contribute to the whole.
February 8, 1979: African-American preachers formed a group called "The Gathering" at Second Baptist. They wanted to reduce police brutality.
March 1979: Mayor Tom Bradley spoke at the church. He encouraged members to vote in city elections.
May 16, 1980: Former Governor Edmund G. Brown and Vice President Walter Mondale visited the church.
September 20, 1981: Former Vice President Walter Mondale spoke at Second Baptist. He criticized President Reagan's budget cuts.
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 the church. He talked about problems with the 2000 presidential election.
2001: Second Baptist Church received money from the Getty Trust to help fix up the historic building.
2007: The church started a $5 million project to renovate its main worship area.