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[Pages S5571-S5572]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
200TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE CONGDON STREET BAPTIST CHURCH
Mr. REED. Mr. President, today I join with my colleague Senator
Whitehouse, the city of Providence, and the State of Rhode Island in
celebrating the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Congdon Street
Baptist Church, Rhode Island's oldest Black congregation. For
generations, it has been a spiritual home for the community and an
unwavering beacon for religious and civil liberties in Rhode Island.
The church's founding members left the First Baptist Church, where
they were forced to attend segregated services, and established their
own house of worship in 1819. Initially named the African Union Meeting
House, the church aimed to provide a place of worship and schooling for
Black Americans. This mission positioned the congregation as a focal
point of the African-American community and paved the way for its
continuing advocacy for meaningful social change.
As one of the earliest African-American churches in the State and the
first schoolhouse for African-American children in Providence, the
African Union
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Meeting House opened its doors to a variety of different denominations.
Beyond these religious and educational roles, the church offered a
meeting place for African Americans to discuss civil rights and other
vital issues and hosted literary clubs, youth groups, and numerous
other social organizations.
Unfortunately, the original church structure, which was renamed the
Meeting Street Baptist Church in 1840, was torn down in the 1860s
without the congregation's approval amid tensions with its White
neighbors. However, the congregation persevered, and a new structure
was built on a nearby plot of land in 1875.
The new church was renamed the Congdon Street Baptist Church and to
this day continues to be a pillar of support and advocacy for Rhode
Island's African-American community. Its congregants supported Black
Brown University students during their 1968 walkout protesting the
university's lack of recruitment of and support for students of color.
In a testament to Congdon Street Baptist Church's importance to Black
Rhode Islanders, the students chose to march from the university to the
church and remained there until their demands for change were met.
During the mid-20th century, congregants also pressured the State to
investigate and end discrimination in employment and marched with Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. More recently, the church has, among its
numerous activities, increased its outreach to college students,
embarked on mission trips to help disadvantaged communities around the
world, and tutored local children in reading, math, and writing.
Today, after 200 years of worship and public service, Congdon Street
Baptist Church continues to uplift our State while adhering to its
vision of being a ``radically authentic community.'' I join community
members in Providence and Rhode Islanders across the State in
congratulating Pastor Justin R. Lester and the entire Congdon Street
Baptist Church congregation on this significant milestone.
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, today I wish to celebrate a milestone
for Rhode Island's oldest Black church. In August, the Congdon Street
Baptist Church on the East Side of Providence celebrated its
bicentennial. From its inception at the nearby African Union
meetinghouse and schoolhouse in 1819, Congdon Street Baptist Church has
been a centerpiece of spiritual and community life for generations of
African Americans in Providence.
The Congdon Street Baptist Church has weathered racial injustices to
flourish as a place for worship and education. Its founding members
left the First Baptist Church in America, where they were made to
worship in a segregated space. They formed their own congregation in
Providence so that people of color could worship in dignity and secure
a fitting education for their children.
Fulfilling that mission did not come without adversity. The original
church was demolished in the 1860s at the behest of White neighbors.
Unbowed, the congregation rebuilt. The new church, completed in 1875,
is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In the 1960s,
the church served as a sanctuary for Rhode Islanders involved in the
civil rights movement. Today, education and empowerment remain
hallmarks of the church community.
Rhode Island was founded on the principles of religious freedom and
tolerance. I am proud to have Congdon Street Baptist Church as a
cornerstone of that tradition, and I wish the congregation centuries of
peaceful worship to come.
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