Newell Houston Ensley (August 23, 1852 – May 23, 1888) was an American Baptist minister and civil rights activist. He was a professor at

Shaw University Shaw University is a private Baptist historically black university in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. Founded on December 1, 1865, Shaw University is the oldest HBCU to begin offering courses in ...

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...

, and

Alcorn University Alcorn State University (Alcorn State, ASU or Alcorn) is a Public university, public Historically black colleges and universities, historically black land-grant university adjacent to Lorman, Mississippi. It was founded in 1871 and was the fir ...

Early life

Newell Houston Ensley was born a slave in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

on August 23, 1852 to George and Clara Ensley. His family was owned by his mother's father and Ensley was allowed to play with the white children on the farm and was taught to read and write. Both of his parents were also literate. He was a buggy boy, servant, and rent collector to his grandfather. While still a child during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

(1861–1865), Ensley ran away and hid in

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

camps that were nearby until the Army moved on and he returned to the farm where he received a whipping. In spite of this, Ensley remained on the farm after the war was over and the abolition of slavery. After the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, he was a paid worker for his grandfather, until the grandfather's death in 1866. His mother was established in a cabin on 30 acres in that year. Ensley's father died some time earlier, and his step-father did not wish him to attend school. In spite of this, he did attend lessons; one of his teachers was Benjamin Holmes, who later was a member of the

Fisk Jubilee Singers The Fisk Jubilee Singers are an African-American ''a cappella'' ensemble, consisting of students at Fisk University. The first group was organized in 1871 to tour and raise funds for college. Their early repertoire consisted mostly of traditiona ...

. Newell worked and attended a school near his mother's cabin and became a schoolteacher and Sunday school teacher, desiring to become a preacher. When Holmes left the school to join the Jubilee Singers on their first tour in 1871, Ensley was appointed in his stead. On top of his teaching duties, Ensley taught the Sunday school. He was also baptized and became a deacon. In February 1871, he entered

Roger Williams University Roger Williams University (RWU) is a private university in Bristol, Rhode Island. Founded in 1956, it was named for theologian and Rhode Island cofounder Roger Williams (theologian), Roger Williams. The school enrolls over 5,000 students and e ...

where he studied under Daniel W. Phillips. About this time he was licensed to preach. He also became known for his singing. In June 1878, he graduated third in his class and entered Newton Theological Seminary in Newton Center, Massachusetts. He graduated three years later as the only black person in a class of seven. He toured the north with Dr. Phillips, representing the Home Mission schools. During his studies at Roger Williams, he attended the six-year classical course Nashville Baptist Institute, receiving a diploma in May 1877.

Career

After graduating from Newton, Ensley took a position of professor of theology and Latin at Shaw University in

Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the List of North Carolina county seats, seat of Wake County, North Carolina, Wake County in the United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most ...

.The Newton Theological Institution: General Catalogue, Andover Newton Theological School, 1912, p. 160. One year later, he moved to

in Washington, DC, serving as a professor of rhetoric, Hebrew, and science. About this time he married. He then moved to

Lorman, Mississippi Lorman is an unincorporated community located in Jefferson County, Mississippi, United States. Lorman is approximately north of Fayette, near Highway 61 on Mississippi Highway 552. Lorman is the nearest community to Alcorn State University, ...

where he held the title of professor of rhetoric, natural sciences, and vocal music from 1882 until his death in 1888. He was a scholar of Greek, and a noted orator and poet. Among his favorite lecture topics were "Toussaint L'Ouverture," "Pluck versus Luck," "The Rights of Women," "Temperance," and "The Rights of the Negro."

Civil Rights

Later in his life, Ensley frequently traveled to give talks about African-American issues. In June 1883, he was in Chicago for a Baptist Minister Conference at the Grand Pacific Hotel. Reverend E. O. Taylor and a group of ministers including Ensley went to Race Brothers' oyster house. The restaurant had a rule against serving black people, and Ensley was thrown out in an affair which received national coverage. In 1886, he traveled to St. Louis for the First National Convention of Colored Baptists. At that meeting, he spoke out against the poor behavior of certain leaders of the

Colored Conventions Movement The Colored Conventions Movement, or Black Conventions Movement, was a series of national, regional, and state conventions held irregularly during the decades preceding and following the American Civil War. The delegates who attended these convent ...

Personal life and death

Ensley married Elizabeth Piper Ensley on September 4, 1882, in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

. They had three children: Roger (born 1883), Charlotte (born 1885), and Jean (March 1888–June 1888). In 1887, Ensley was in ill health and was travelling and speaking throughout the country. He died in Denver, Colorado on May 23, 1888.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ensley, Newell Houston 1852 births 1888 deaths African-American Baptist ministers Baptist ministers from the United States Activists for African-American civil rights Religious leaders from Nashville, Tennessee Activists from Nashville, Tennessee 19th-century African-American educators 19th-century American educators American educators Baptists from Tennessee 19th-century American clergy