Black Christian Leaders in History and Today
February is Black History Month, so we have decided to take a look at Black Christian leaders from history and modern times. These figures have given different perspectives, contributing to Christian thought and education in unique ways. At our Kissimmee Catholic schools, we see value in diversity and believe all cultures should be celebrated. From sinners turned saints to theology professors, these Black Christian men have helped form Christianity as we know it today.
St. Martin de Porres
This saint had a rough start in the late 1500s. His Spanish father abandoned his mother, a freed African slave from Panama, leaving the family in deep poverty. People from all areas of his life criticized St. Martin de Porres for being mixed race. He turned this ridicule into empathy. Martin welcomed everyone into his home— noble or slave, healthy or ill. When others in the Holy Rosary turned the sick away, he passed through lock doors to care for them. Due to his hospitality and jobs he did to get by, he became the patron saint of mixed race people, innkeepers, barbers and public health workers when he was canonized in 1962. His feast is November 3rd.
Servant of God Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange
Servant of God Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange, born in the Caribbean in 1784 as Elizabeth Lange, founded the first religious congregation of African American women in the history of the Catholic Church. She and three other women formed the Oblate Sisters of Providence to educate and evangelize African Americans. The sisters helped their community in many ways, from educating children and freed slaves to housing orphans and nursing the terminally ill during the cholera epidemic of 1882. Serving people of all ages, the Superior General and the other Oblate Sisters of Providence faced opposition and persisted against all odds. Servant of God Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange lived until 1882.
Charles Octavius Boothe
Born into slavery in Alabama in 1845, Boothe went on to become a Baptist pastor and author. The book he wrote, Plain Theology for Plain People, makes religion relatable by connecting deep Scripture readings with down-to-earth concepts. While the book, which was recently republished, is meant to bring theological teachings to a layman’s level, it has helped church authorities and followers alike relate to one another in terms of spirituality.
Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA
In 1937, a middle-aged couple, Dr. Theon Bowman and Mary Esther Bowman, had their only child, Bertha Elizabeth Bowman. Inspired by the Franciscian Sisters of Perpetual Adoration and the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, Bertha converted to Catholicism at an early age. She taught at all grade levels about the joy of being Christian, and she challenged the church to accept her as both fully Black and fully Catholic. As an educator, she helped found the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University in New Orleans. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after her parents both died, she vowed to “live until I die” and continued to fulfill speaking engagements with a smile until her passing at the age of 55.
Dr. Brian Bantum
Modern professor of theology Dr. Bantum teaches general education and theology courses at Seattle Pacific Seminary. He has written two books, Redeeming Mulatto: A Theology of Race and Christian Hybridity in 2010 and The Death of Race: Building a New Christianity in a Racial World in 2016, that explore the intersections of race and religion. As a professor, his lessons and research are focused on Christian identity and how it relates to race, ethnicity and gender.
We teach our students about different cultures and perspectives to help them fully understand the world we live in. At our Kissimmee Catholic schools, our main goal is to instill leadership and compassion in our students through rigorous academics and a foundation of faith. We foster an atmosphere of care and an environment of high expectations and effective discipline. To learn more about what makes us different, contact us here.