Joel R Poinsett

One of the most controversial episodes in Mexican history involves Freemasonry and the first American minister to Mexico, who was Joel R. Poinsett (1779-1851). He is more recalled today for the Christmas flower which he brought back from his stay and which is named after him than for his stormy years as a diplomat. Charleston aristocrat (although opposed to slavery) and inveterate traveler, Poinsett first went to Mexico at the request of President Monroe in the summer of 1822. There he met and formed an unfavorable opinion of the Emperor Iturbide, an army officer (and Scottish Rite Mason) who had set himself up in considerable style as ruler (self-proclaimed) in the wake of the overthrow of the Spanish.

There is no evidence to show that Poinsett had any reason to be predisposed to dislike Iturbide, and the principle of Occam's Razor should be applied: the philosophic doctrine that entities and causes should not be multiplied unnecessarily. Rather than fabricate reasons, we can (unless evidence surfaces to the contrary), observe that Iturbide was not a very likable individual and that Poinsett was annoyed by the pretentiousness of the court that the would-be emperor had created.

Joseph Fort Newton

Jesse Jackson

Jesse Louis Jackson, President of the National Rainbow Coalition, is one of America's foremost political figures. Over the past three decades he has played a major role in virtually every movement for empowerment, peace, civil rights, gender equality, and economic and social justice.Reverend Jackson has been called the "conscience of the nation" and "the great unifier," challenging America to establish just and humane priorities, and bringing people together on common ground across lines of race, class, gender, and belief.

Years before they were common positions, Reverend Jackson was advocating national health care, a war on drugs, dialogue with the Soviet Union, and negotiations in the Middle East. His strong stand against apartheid in South Africa in 1984 mad it an issue on the national conscience.Jesse Jackson's two presidential campaigns broke new ground in U.S. politics. His 1984 campaign won 3.5 million votes, registered over a million new voters, and helped the Democratic Party regain control of the Senate in 1986.

His 1988 candidacy won seven million votes and registered two million new voters. Reverend Jackson won a historic victory, coming in first or second in 46 out of 54 contest. His clear progressive agenda and his ability to build an unprecedented coalition inspired millions to join the political process.As a highly respected world leader, Jesse Jackson has acted many times as an international diplomat in sensitive situations. In 1984 Reverend Jackson secured the release of captured Navy Lieutenant Robert Goodman from Syria, as well as the release of 48 Cuban and Cuban-American prisoners in 1987.

He was the first American to bring hostages out of Kuwait and Iraq in 1990.In 1990, in an impressive victory, Jesse Jackson was elected to the post of U.S. Senator from Washington, D.C., a position also known as "Statehood Shadow Senator." The office was created to advocate for statehood for Washington, D.C.. The District of Columbia, with a population higher than five states, has no voting representation in Congress.A hallmark of Reverend Jackon's work has been his commitment to the youth. He has visited thousands of high schools, colleges, and universities, encouraging excellence, and challenging your people to stay in school and away from drugs. Jesse Jackson has also been a major force in the American labor movement. He has worked with unions to organize workers, mediated labor disputes and he has probably walked more picket lines and spoken at more labor rallies than any other national leader.

A hallmark of Reverend Jackson's work has been his commitment to youth. He has visited thousands of elementary schools, high schools, colleges, and universities, encouraging excellence and urging young people to stay away from drugs. He has visited prisons, bringing comfort to the abandoned and discouraging recidivism.Reverend Jackson has received numerous honors for his work in human rights and social justice. In 1991, the U.S. Post Office put his likeness on a pictorial postal cancellation, only the second living person to receive such an honor. He has been on the Gallup List of Ten Men Most Respected by Americans for ten years. He has also received the prestigious NAACP Springarn Award. Reverend Jackson has been awarded over 40 honorary degrees.Jesse Louis Jackson was born on October 8, 1941 in Greenville, South Carolina.

He attended the University of Illinois on a football scholarship and transferred to North Carolina A&T State University. He attended the Chicago Theological Seminary until he joined the civil rights movement full time in 1965.Reverend Jackson began his activism as a student leader in the sit-in movement and continued as a young organizer in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference as an assistant to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He went on to direct Operation Breadbasket and subsequently founded Operation PUSH in Chicago, organizations of economic empowerment aimed at expanding educational and economic opportunities for disadvantaged and minority communities.In 1986, Jesse Jackson founded the National Rainbow Coalition of which he is President.

The Rainbow is a national social justice organization devoted to empowerment, education and mobilization. Reverend Jackson is also the author of two books: Keep Hope Alive (South End Press) and Straight from the Heart (Fortress press, 1987)Jesse Jackson married Jacqueline Lavinia Brown in 1963. They have five children: Sanitita Jackson, Congressman Jesse Louis Jackson, Jr., Jonathan Jackson, Yusef DuBois Jackson, and Jacqueline Lavinia Jackson. The Jackson reside in Washington, D.C. 

Geoffrey Francis Fisher

Reverend William Booth

On April 9,1865, Lee met Grant in the parlor of a private home at Appomattox Court House.  He surrendered his army and brought an end to four long years of death and devastation called the Civil War. In the same year a 36 year old Englishman by the name of William Booth declared war on the powers of darkness by founding the Salvation Army.

One of the most effective weapons in General Booth's arsenal was fervent prayer. It was not unusual for Booth to hold "an all night of prayer" when he came to preach the Word of God. People would flood the altars every where he went. "The power of God was wonderfully manifest in the meetings . . . people were frequently, struck down, overwhelmed with a sense of
the presence and power of God."

The Salvation Army's success at freeing the captives was uncanny, especially when one considers those who it strived to reach. General Booth's battle cry was "Go for souls and go for the worst." The worst of sinners were saved, saloons were closed and entire cities were shaken.
 

Booth's success attracted not only supporters but also enemies. Those who served in the Army were pelted with hot coals, sprayed with tar and burning sulphur, beat, stoned and even kicked to death in the streets. The Salvation Army resisted their enemies with a cheerful "God bless you", and a prayer. General Booth, himself was often in the thick of it. When spit on during the Midlands tour, Booth encouraged his fellow soldiers, "Don't rub it off - it's a medal!"

Night after night Booth would come home bleeding and bruised after being attacked for preaching in the slums of England. After such nights of testing he would take his wife's hand and say, "Kate, let me pray with you." After praying with Catherine he would rise from his knees armed with fresh courage and hope. Booth needed all the valor his wife Catherine could inspire
in him. She encouraged him, "if we get tired we had better go and be done with, anything is better than a dead church." Despite the grinding pressures of the ministry the Booths had a happily united family. The General had nine children and loved to play and romp with them, especially in their favorite game of "Fox and Geese."

Once while traveling, General Booth's car was detained. He took advantage of the opportunity and exhorted some idle factory workers. He said, "some of you men never pray, you gave up praying long ago. But I'm going to say to you, won't you pray for your children that they may be different?" Within minutes 700 men knelt in silent prayer.

At another time, two Salvation Army officers set out to found a new work, only to meet with failure and opposition. Frustrated and tired they appealed to the General to close the rescue mission. General Booth sent back a telegram with two words on it, "TRY TEARS." They followed his advice and they witnessed a mighty revival.

Richard Allen

Richard Allen,the founder and first Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, was born a slave on February 14, 1760 on the Benjamin Chew estate. Deeply religious from an early, age, Allen was converted at the age of 17. He began preaching in 1780 and was ordained in 1799. Through thrift and industry, he and his brother worked at night to pay for their freedom.

Despite his lack of formal medical training, Allen was a noted "Bleeder", the equivalent of our present day surgeons. Dr. Benjamin Rush, a leading physician of the time and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, gave praise to Bishop Allen for his services during the Black Plague in 1793 which took the lives of thousands of Philadelphians.

In 1791 Allen established what was known as the Blacksmith Shop Meeting House when he purchased an abandoned blacksmith shop forma man named Sims and moved it to a plot of ground on 6th Street between Lombard and Pine Streets. This building was dedicated as a church in 1794 by Bishop Francis A. Asbury of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

From July 1805, Allen conducted services in the "Roughcast Church". This had been the first brick church erected on American soil by people of color. The African Methodist Episcopal denomination was organized in Philadelphia in 1816. Richard Allen was consecrated as its first Bishop at the General Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 10, 1816. In 1841 the red brick church was built to replace the old roughcast one, and remained in use until the present church (dedicated in 1890) was erected in its place on the original plot of ground.

Allen was an organizer of the Free African Society, a group that fostered self-help and self-dependence. He established day and night schools, and was co-organizer of the first Masonic Lodge among colored men in Pennsylvania, African Lodge 459 in Philadelphia.

From 1797 to his death on March 26, 1831, Allen operated a station on the Underground Railway for escaping slaves. This work was continued by Bethel Church until the Emancipation.