Protest and Progress ─ New York's First Black Episcopal Church Fights Racism

As both a preeminent scholar of Balck Angelican and Episcopalians and devout parishoner, the late James Hewitt writes an illuminus hsitory of one of the most famous black congregrations in America. From its humble beginnings, St. Philip's originated from classes conducted by Elais Neau and other Angelic clerks for the society for the propagations of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. From these cateisem classes emerged a higly educated, African-American group comprised of free and enslaved blacks. W.E.B Dubuois hailed it as the foundation for the Talented Tenth in his classic book Souls of Balck Folk After the American Revolution, St. Philip's has since becoem the church of middle-class blacks across New York City. Hewlitt's careful and percise scholarship chronicles over two centuries of of the church's history, which fills a significant lagun in African-American Religious history.

John Hamilton Hewitt, Jr. (1924 - 2000) The author's education included Harvard College (1941-1943) and New York University (Bachelor of Arts, 1948; and Master of Arts, 1949). He began his professional career as a reporter for thePeople's Voice and the New York Amsterdam News. He then went to Morehouse College as a professor of English, and later Co-Chairman of the Division of Humanities, 1948-52. Hewitt served as a staff writer forFrontiers of Psychiatry, and associate editor of Medical Tribune, also as managing editor ofHospital Practice. Hewitt was also a freelance medical writer, editor and public relations professional. Hewitt penned innumerable article on Haitian and African American art for several magazines and journals, and was listed in theWho's Who in the East, Who's Who in America, and Who's Who Among African Americans.