More importantly, he challenged people of faith not to neglect what it means to live out their faith in society. Throughout his life, Thurman sought to break down walls of division in our society across ethnic, social, political, and religious lines. His advocacy for nonviolence influenced others, such as James Farmer, who co-founded the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), and Pauli Murray, a women’s rights advocate who co-founded the National Organization for Women (NOW). Compelled by Gandhi’s nonviolent protests in India’s fight for independence, Thurman believed this same approach would work in America. Thurman was the first African-American pastor to meet Gandhi. A 1935 meeting with Mahatma Gandhi inspired his view on nonviolence. This was one of his greatest contributions to the Civil Rights Movement.
Eventually, he ended up in Washington, DC, teaching at Howard University, where he became the first dean of the Andrew Rankin Chapel.įrom a philosophical standpoint, Thurman looked to seek societal change through nonviolent direct action. Upon completion, he began his career as an educator at the university level, teaching in Atlanta at Morehouse College and Spelman College. Surprisingly (or maybe not) in his eyes, those two things did not always agree.Īfter high school, Thurman earned degrees from Morehouse College and Colgate Rochester Divinity School. In this book and in his life, he compared the Jesus of the Bible with the Christianity practiced in America. In his most famous work, Jesus and the Disinherited, Thurman sought to consider what Christianity should look like when dealing with poor, disenfranchised people living with their backs against the wall. Smith Jr., the author of Howard Thurman: The Mystic as Prophet, called Thurman a spiritual genius who transformed persons who transformed history. Along the way, he became a spiritual adviser to people like King, Rev. We know that Thurman challenged people to consider their faith in relation to prevalent social issues. He advocated for human rights on a national level. While Thurman wasn’t the one marching in the streets or mobilizing people, he certainly inspired those who did. According to Boston University writer Rich Barlow, some people criticized Thurman, calling him “a backbencher in the Civil Rights Movement, more preoccupied with mystical meanderings than frontline protesting.” He was a minister, philosopher, and civil rights activist.
If you are not familiar with Thurman, you are not alone. However, sometimes the lesser-known people are the influencers for those who stand in the spotlight. When discussing the Civil Rights Movement, you often hear about the many brave men and women who risked their lives to address segregation, inequality, and racism in our country.
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