One of the most wonderful aspects and biggest blessings of Unity is our open embrace of diversity. It has been said that 11 a.m. on Sunday is the most segregated hour in America. But not so at many Unity churches, where all are welcome and worship together.

To make the mission clear, Unity crafted an official statement of the intention: “We believe that all people are created with sacred worth. Therefore, we recognize the importance of serving all people within the Unity family in spiritually and emotionally caring ways. Our sincere desire is to ensure that all Unity organizations are nondiscriminatory and support diversity.”

Of course, the history of Unity, like that of our country, has not always been so tolerant. Reflecting the racial attitudes of American society, yet always striving to rise above them, there have been moments of humiliation, as well as celebratory times of pride. Yet calling on the unifying principles of Unity and the power of prayer, progress has been made, making Unity a spiritual movement to be emulated and admired.

Here, on these pages, in observance of the national holiday birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and February's Black History Month observance, we share with you a pictorial timeline from the Unity Archives of black history in Unity.

From the beginning, blacks were drawn to the teachings of Unity and to the movement's educational programs. One of the first such programs of Unity founders Charles and Myrtle Fillmores' was the Summer School of the 1920s. The names are not available of the three black women who are seen at the far left in this group photo, circa 1920; all that is known is that they were followers of Charles and Myrtle (seen in the center of the first row).

“We know neither sect, creed, denomination, nor race.”
In the 1920s, African Americans started their own Unity study groups and centers which were listed in Unity. “I praise God that in our Unity study class we know neither sect, creed, denomination, nor race—nothing but God and man. Our main object has been to let our lives speak for the work,” Lillie Saunders, of Jacksonville, Florida, said in a 1924 meeting of black Unity center leaders. Saunders, seen here in the far left on the second row, attended the Unity annual conference in 1927 in Kansas City.

The first conference held at Unity Farm included a special program by black delegates. Mr. G. Page (first name unknown) spoke of his fellow African-American delegates: “See what God hath wrought! There sit fifty men and women, healthy and happy. Some of them have been blind and otherwise afflicted; they have been healed through Truth.”

The Unity Ministers Association decided at the 1937 Annual Conference that qualified teachers should be recognized as licensed Unity teachers without distinction to race. Though sources vary, it appears that the first African Americans who became licensed Unity teachers at the conference were Clara Conway of Covington, Kentucky; Margaret Halsey of Chicago; Lillie Saunders of Jacksonville, Florida; and Nanna Sutton of New York.

Unity Temple in Kansas City hosted the ordination of new Unity ministers in 1952, which included the first two African Americans to be ordained: Mable Butts of Atlanta (far left, first row) and Helen Mouton of Los Angeles (third from left, first row). Each served her ministry for more than 15 years.


To read Part two of this series click here.

[ 1 ]  |  [ 2 ]