Henry Hugh Proctor (b. December 8, 1868 near Fayetteville, Tenn., d. 1933) was a minister of the First Congregational Church in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, the second-oldest

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

Congregational church in the United States. He was also an author and lecturer."Proctor, Henry Hugh (1868-1933)", ''Blackpast.org''
/ref> Proctor was born to parents who were

former slaves A former is an object, such as a template, gauge or cutting die, which is used to form something such as a boat's hull. Typically, a former gives shape to a structure that may have complex curvature. A former may become an integral part of the ...

, and he dug ditches and preached sermons to pay for his degree from

Fisk University Fisk University is a private historically black liberal arts college in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1866 and its campus is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1930, Fisk was the first Africa ...

, graduating in 1891. In 1894, he received a Bachelor of Divinity degree from

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

and was ordained into the Congregational ministry. Proctor became pastor of the First Congregational Church in Atlanta. In 1903, Proctor joined

George Washington Henderson Reverend George Washington Henderson (November 16, 1850 – February 6, 1936) was an American theologian and professor, known for being the first Black member of Phi Beta Kappa. Early life and education Henderson was born enslaved in Clarke Cou ...

, president of

Straight University Straight University, after 1915 Straight College, was a historically black college that operated between 1868 and 1934 in New Orleans, Louisiana. After struggling with financial difficulties, it was merged with New Orleans University to form ...

, a black college in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, to found the National Convention of Congregational Workers Among Colored People, and Proctor became its first president. In 1904,

Clark University Clark University is a private research university in Worcester, Massachusetts. Founded in 1887 with a large endowment from its namesake Jonas Gilman Clark, a prominent businessman, Clark was one of the first modern research universities in the ...

awarded Proctor a Doctor of Divinity degree. After the

Atlanta Race Riot Violent attacks by armed mobs of White Americans against African Americans in Atlanta, Georgia, began on the evening of September 22, 1906, and lasted through September 24, 1906. The events were reported by newspapers around the world, includi ...

in 1906, Proctor and a

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

attorney worked together to quell remaining tensions and formed the Interracial Committee of Atlanta. In the church, Proctor provided amenities lacking in the

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

community such as a library, a kindergarten, an employment bureau, a gymnasium, a ladies’ reading parlor, a music room, counseling services, and a model kitchen and sewing room for girls. Proctor's church sponsored a number of associations, including the Working Men's Club, the Woman's Aid Society, and the Young Men's League. He also helped open the first housing facility for young employed black women. Proctor was a strong believer in self-improvement. Proctor also founded th
Atlanta Colored Music Festival Association
with concerts attended by both races, segregated but under one roof, believing that music could quell racial animosity."Atlanta Colored Music Festival Association", ''New Georgia Encyclopedia''
/ref> This festival continues to the present day as th
Atlanta Music Festival
In 1919 after

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Proctor ministered to black American troops in Europe. Afterwards he led the Nazarene Congregational Church in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, the place where Proctor lived the rest of his life. He died in 1933 of blood poisoning.

References

Further reading