The O.G. by @ckpalive h/t @praymarchact

Charles Octavius Boothe, despite his anonymity to many in the present, carved out an exemplary legacy of theological and social influence.

Boothe is an OG model of a life committed to uplifting Black people.
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Boothe was born as Nathaniel Howard’s property in Alabama in 1845. He learned to read & write depending on a tin plate and white teachers at the estate where he was enslaved. Boothe’s knowledge of the Bible started at a job during his teenage years working in a legal office. 2/

In 1890, Boothe published a short theological work entitled Plain Theology for Plain People. Boothe’s goal and intended audience for the book are clear from the title. However, the power of what Boothe accomplished by writing it extends far beyond his intentions. 3/

The book not only objects to the lie of the inferiority of Black intellect but also challenges the fidelity of other theological works that often favor society’s elite. @w_strickland re-introduced Boothe’s theology only a few years ago. 4/

In Strickland’s introduction, added to Boothe’s book, he writes, “For Boothe, the church must play a crucial role in racial uplift.”

Boothe did his part in profound ways. 5/

Boothe uplifted the people through labors like starting two Black churches, organizing the “Colored Baptist Missionary Convention,” and helping found Selma University in 1878—where he would eventually serve as its second president. 6/

Boothe helped establish theological training for Black parishioners throughout Alabama and contributed to the Black Southerner literacy rate rising from 10 percent to nearly 43 percent by 1890!!! 7/

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., once a young Baptist pastor designated by the FBI "the most dangerous Negro in America." How did this gospel preacher become an enemy of the State? The biggest threat to racism is the good news of Jesus Christ.
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The reason for King's notorious legacy is the subversive power of the gospel—exposing any hierarchies and power dynamics it encounters. Dr. King was nurtured at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, steeped in the Black church tradition bore witness to the gospel's word for the poor. 9/

This tradition is where King's world-changing, public career began. Dexter Avenue Baptist Church was founded by a leader whom many have forgotten, Charles Octavius Boothe. Read more here: https://www.praymarchact.com/articles/the-og-charles-octavius-boothe-and-the-god-of-plain-people
10/10 #BlackHistoryMonth