From Martin Luther King, Sr.
Author: King, Martin Luther
Date: January 26, 1956
Genre: Letter
Topic: Martin Luther King, Jr. - Family
Martin Luther King, Jr. - Travels
Details
King's father reports on church-related activities in Atlanta. He encloses a check sent to him by Hampton Z. Barker, an organist and director of music at Morris College in South Carolina. In his letter thanking Barker, King, Sr., wrote: ‘Altho we need it badly on our building Fund here at Ebenezer, but I agree fully with you, Negroes out of Alabama should contribute something to this protest.” 1
Dr. M. L. King, Jr.
309 South Jackson St
Montgomery, Ala.
Dear M. L.:
Glad to say that this leaves us all well at this time and theings are moving on in a very fine way around the church. When you visit again you will hardly know the place. They have gutted the upstairs, and are now roughing in the new work. If the weather is pretty for another two weeks, they will have the top on the new building.
Dr. Henderson preached at the Union yesterday and he did a marvelous job. It was thought provoking and yet spirit filled. I introduced him. He told them that you woruld be with him one week preceeding the Congress in June.2 He had some very nice things to say about you.
I am enclosing the check from Hampton be sure and drop him a line of thanks—Professor Hampton Z. Barker Morris College, Sumter, S.C.
Love to Coretta and Yolanda.
Yours,
Daddy.
MLK/ w
1. Martin Luther King, Sr., to Hampton Z. Barker, 25 January 1956.
2. J. Raymond Henderson, pastor of Second Baptist Church in Los Angeles, had delivered a sermon entitled “Immortal Lips of Human Kind” to a gathering of the Atlanta Baptist Ministers Union, which King, Sr., moderated for many years. King, Jr., gave several sermons at Henderson’s church in mid-June 1956, just prior to the annual session of the National Baptist Sunday School and Baptist Training Union Congress that met in Los Angeles from 18 to 24 June.
Source: EBCR-INP, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Miscellaneous Records, In Private Hands.