The Substance of Things Hoped For: a Memoir of African-American Faith.By Samuel DeWitt Proctor. Valley Forge Valley Forge, on the Schuylkill River, SE Pa., NW of Philadelphia. There, during the American Revolution, the main camp of the Continental Army was established (Dec., 1777–June, 1778) under the command of Gen. George Washington. : Judson Press, 1999. 267 pp. Experiencing the story through the eyes of those who "lived" history is perhaps the best way to understand the Civil Rights movement in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . Samuel DeWitt Proctor (1921-97) invites the reader into his extraordinary life through his memoirs, The Substance of Things Hoped For: A Memoir of African-American Faith. Rightly so, Proctor does not begin his story with his birth, but starts his narrative with the deep roots of faith found in his slave-born grandmother who exhibited the character that would influence Proctor's ministry and career. An immovable fortress of faith and hope for African-American equality, and progress was instilled into Proctor at an early age by his family and faith community, creating a leader who would not tire of service. Convinced that education was the key to progress and success for African Americans, Proctor earned degrees from Virginia Union University History By late 1865, the American Civil War was over (which ended slavery in the former Confederate states) and slavery in the United States had officially ended in the Northern and border states as well with the adoption of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. , Crozer Theological Seminary The Crozer Theological Seminary was a multi-denominational religious institution located near Chester, PA in Upland. The school, which occupied the former Crozer Hospital (now the Crozer-Chester Medical Center), mostly served as an American Baptist Church school, training , and Boston University Boston University, at Boston, Mass.; coeducational; founded 1839, chartered 1869, first baccalaureate granted 1871. It is composed of 16 schools and colleges. . Proctor would eventually serve as president of two universities, Virginia Union University and North Carolina North Carolina, state in the SE United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), South Carolina and Georgia (S), Tennessee (W), and Virginia (N). Facts and Figures Area, 52,586 sq mi (136,198 sq km). Pop. A & T State University and also become pastor emeritus of the Abyssinian Baptist Church The Abyssinian Baptist Church is among the most famous of the many churches in Harlem, New York City. The church traces its roots to 1808, when black parishioners left the First Baptist Church of New York in protest over racially segregated seating. of New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. . Porter's list of accomplishments, positions, and adventures as public servant and Baptist pastor and preacher are documented well in this book. Samuel DeWitt Proctor represents the atypical component of the Civil Rights movement. While most noted leaders struggled for freedom in the South's trenches, Proctor fought the war through many varied national leadership positions, particularly through a position in the Office of Economic Opportunity. Of this experience he states, "Our daily travails were nothing compared to the hardships endured by those being bombed, beaten, jailed.... At the same time, I resented the cynicism of the protesters who came to harass me because I was an executive of the government" (p. 121). Proctor fought the battle on two fronts: against a white culture of resistance and against a black culture that had little faith in the federal government. The Substance of Things Hoped For is a story of hope tempered with honesty. Even when frustrated with white Protestants who "loved little Jesus in the manger and hanging on the cross" but did not love Jesus "on Wall Street, in the Congress, in city hall, and in the boardrooms" (116), Proctor was thoroughly convinced that hope remained. But hope, Proctor reminds us, does not evolve into progress on its own without the agency of leaders. Proctor identifies a need for extraordinary African-American leadership in churches at the national level. He states, "Nationally, leadership positions in the black churches have been most honorific hon·or·if·ic adj. Conferring or showing respect or honor. n. A title, phrase, or grammatical form conveying respect, used especially when addressing a social superior. and ornamental, without real meaning" (p. 216). This prophetic call for leadership was made by a leader who gave the title real meaning. Many examples of Proctor taking time and energy to counsel and direct young students to paths of progress are found in this book. Countless numbers of persons were directly affected by Proctor's genuine embrace. Despite Proctor's death in 1997, his legacy continues to live on, particularly through the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University. His memoirs give us a glimpse into his life and character, a refreshing example of the power and blessing of faith and hope.--Reviewed by Mark R. Wilson, graduate student, History Department, Auburn University Auburn University, main campus at Auburn, Ala.; land-grant and state supported; opened 1859 as East Alabama Male College, reorganized 1872 as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama; became coeducational 1892; renamed Alabama Polytechnic Institute 1899, , Auburn, Alabama. |
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