Eugene Callender

Eugene Callender
Born
Eugene St. Clair Callender

January 21, 1926
Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedNovember 2, 2013(2013-11-02) (aged 87)
Manhattan, New York, U.S.
EducationCambridge Rindge and Latin School; Boston University; Westminster Theological Seminary; New York Law School
Occupation(s)Pastor and activist

Eugene S. Callender (January 21, 1926 – November 2, 2013[1]) was an American pastor and activist in the civil rights movement.

Biography

Eugene St. Clair Callender was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to parents who were immigrants from Barbados.[2] He studied at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School and Boston University, before becoming the first African American to study at Westminster Theological Seminary.[3] He later studied at New York Law School.[2]

For most of his life, Callender lived and worked in Harlem. He was the first black ordained minister in the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA).[4] A past executive director of the New York Urban League and a former president of the New York Urban Coalition, he also served as deputy administrator of the New York City Housing and Development Administration.[2]

In 1970, Callender hosted (with Joan Harris, at its launch) the hour-long WNBC‐TV (Channel 4) series Positively Black, which aired weekly,[5] featuring Black artists, writers, actors, musicians, sports figures and activists, as well as news about life and culture in the community.[6]

References

  1. ^ "Eugene Callender, Harlem civil rights activist, to be remembered". Daily News. November 8, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c Fox, Margalit (November 7, 2013). "Rev. Eugene Callender, Who Saw Potential of School Dropouts, Dies at 87". The New York Times. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  3. ^ "Rev. Callender with the Lord". Westminster Theological Seminary. Archived from the original on December 10, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  4. ^ Jammal-Hollemans, Shannon (February 22, 2017). "Black Ministry in CRC Has a Far Reach". Christian Reformed Church.
  5. ^ Gould, Jack (June 8, 1970). "TV: 'Positively Black'". he New York Times.
  6. ^ Skene, Gordon (July 16, 2017). "Rahsaan Roland Kirk In Session – In Interview – 1970 – Past Daily Downbeat". Past Daily. Retrieved April 23, 2023.