St. Luke's AME Zion Church
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Images
St. Luke's AME Zion Church
![St. Luke's AME Zion Church](https://storage.googleapis.com/clio-images/medium_9292_St%20Lukes%20(2).jpg)
Rev. William Drew Robeson, 1845-1918
![Rev. William Drew Robeson, 1845-1918](https://storage.googleapis.com/clio-images/medium_7169_William_Drew_Robeson_(1845-1918).jpg)
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
St. Luke’s African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Zion Church came into existence in 1853, originally as part of the Quakers. Under the leadership of Reverend William Drew Robeson, the father of Paul Robeson, the current church was constructed beginning in 1907 and completed in 1908. St. Luke’s still celebrates the birthday of its most famous son – Paul Robeson – and in April 1998, during the tenure of the late Rev. Leon Randall and Westfield’s Centennial celebration of Robeson, the corner of Downer and Osborn Streets was designated Paul Robeson Corner by the Town of Westfield. The current pastor of St. Luke’s is the Rev. William E. Lawson.
Historically, the A.M.E. Zion Church had been part of the Abolitionist movement and became known as the Freedom Church, because it was associated with the period after emancipation of the slaves and was important in helping build communities and develop leadership among the freedmen in the South.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Drew_Robeson_I
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Methodist_Episcopal_Zion_Church
Joyce Allen-Pretlow, oral history, personal archive.
St. Luke's AME Zion Church
Public domain in USA, published before 1923. Original source most likely his church. www.bayarearobeson.org