142:, one of six children of Henry and Willie Belle Robinson. He spent his early childhood in "The Bottoms," a polluted slum that lay along First Creek in downtown Knoxville. Disenchanted by racism and poverty, Robinson joined a gang that skulked about the intersection of Vine and Central, in what is now the
195:
Following his graduation and ordination in 1938, Robinson became pastor of Harlem's
Morningside Presbyterian Church, which was renamed the Church of the Master shortly afterward. That same year, he established the Morningside Community Center, and set up a cooperative store and a credit union for the
199:
In 1951, the
Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions sent Robinson on a tour of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia to visit missionaries and to determine potential support for the church in those parts of the world. He made a similar tour of Africa in 1954, and suggested the church focus on practical
227:
During the Cold War, as the United States and the Soviet Union fought one another for influence around the world, the U.S. government became concerned over the spread of communism in
African nations, and sought Robinson's advice on how to deal with burgeoning African governments. Robinson warned
223:
Robinson's efforts coalesced in 1958 with the establishment of
Operation Crossroads Africa, which aimed to provide volunteer opportunities for students and professionals to help build infrastructure and improve education in impoverished African communities. The OCA built water systems, schools,
200:
aid for the continent, namely by sending doctors, engineers and other professionals, rather than missionaries. He discussed his travels and his plans to provide aid for Africa at the Lyman
Beecher Lectures at Yale in 1955, and gained the support of noted individuals such as
228:
U.S. officials not to blindly support
European colonial powers over African nationalist movements, and stated that communism was a not serious threat among the African people. Robinson was eventually appointed to the State Department's Advisory Council on African Affairs.
243:, recognizing Robinson's work with OCA, sought his advice on organizing aid efforts in developing nations. Kennedy later described the OCA as the "progenitor" of the Peace Corps. Robinson served as a vice chairman of the Corps' National Advisory Council.
172:, then a rural community on the outskirts of the city. He encouraged his congregation to vote and become more politically active, agitating Bearden's white residents, and was eventually chased out of the community by a lynch mob.
250:
to refute suspicions that he harbored communist sympathies. These suspicions arose primarily from
Robinson's associations with certain communists in the 1940s, as well as comments he made in his 1954 book,
179:
in New York. He was
President of the 1937–1938 class at Union, with the Rev. Ralph M. Carmichael as his vice president. Both men would dedicate their lives to social justice. At Union, former
196:
local community. In 1942, Robinson established an integrated summer camp, Rabbit Hollow, on donated land in New
Hampshire. He co-founded the African Academy of Arts and Research the following year.
224:
clinics, and orphanages for villages, and established teacher training programs that within a few years had trained thousands of teachers. By the 1970s, over 4,000 students had served in the OCA.
255:. Robinson denied ever being a communist, though he stated that before World War II, he had knowingly worked with communists who supported causes (such as civil rights) that he supported.
161:. He completed two semesters before the Reverend C. Lee Jefferson of the St. Mark's Presbyterian Church offered to pay for him to train as a minister if he joined the Presbyterian Church.
157:, before returning to Cleveland during the recession that followed World War I. In spite of his family's opposition to education, Robinson managed to finish high school and enroll in
298:
In this speech, he described
President Kennedy as one who has "taken a more forthright, open and courageous stand on the right side of the racial question, than any other president".
631:
168:
in Oxford, Pennsylvania, in 1931. During the summer of 1933, while staying with his aunt in Knoxville, he was tasked with overseeing a small black congregation in
146:. He found inspiration in his grandfather, a former slave who had fought for the Union during the Civil War, and a charismatic Baptist minister named Jim Haywood.
578:
611:
389:
278:
in 1965, and later organized cross-cultural efforts in the Caribbean and South America. He died at St. Luke's Hospital in New York on November 6, 1972.
540:
176:
76:
520:
410:
121:. Robinson served on the Corps' first National Advisory Council, and advised the U.S. State Department on African affairs. He also organized
651:
616:
153:
to find work in the city's war-time era factories. Following his mother's death, he lived with his grandparents for a brief period in
606:
247:
125:'s Morningside Community Center, cofounded the African Academy of Arts and Research, and advocated independence for African nations.
601:
456:
646:
113:(January 24, 1907 – November 6, 1972) was an African-American clergyman and humanitarian, best known as the founder of
187:, a professor at the school, had a tremendous impact on Robinson, especially with his ideas regarding Social Christianity.
621:
165:
72:
557:
469:
Robinson and other residents of the Bottoms referred to First Creek as "Cripple Creek" due to its crooked nature (
626:
169:
537:
386:
114:
517:
158:
259:
236:
275:
586:
397:
641:
636:
175:
Robinson graduated as the valedictorian of his class from Lincoln in 1935, and enrolled in
143:
139:
42:
8:
343:
338:
201:
582:
287:
205:
154:
544:
524:
393:
240:
150:
213:
209:
595:
217:
184:
61:
232:
118:
457:
Notable American Philanthropists: Biographies of Giving and Volunteering
117:(OCA), a cross-cultural exchange program considered a forerunner of the
573:
267:
556:
House Committee on Un-American Activities, 88th Congress, 2nd Session,
411:"Operation Crossroads Africa and the "Progenitors of the Peace Corps""
281:
263:
271:
122:
294:
The Second Emancipation: The Future Belongs Only to the Free
180:
503:
Road Without Turning: The Story of James H. Robinson
290:in 1963, Dr. Robinson presented the speech titled:
560:, 5 May 1964, p. 1925. Retrieved: 1 February 2012.
282:
Support of President Kennedy's Civil Rights Project
538:First National Advisory Council to the Peace Corps
547:." 23 October 2009. Retrieved: 1 February 2012.
258:Robinson was appointed special representative to
632:African-American history in Knoxville, Tennessee
593:
149:When Robinson was about 10, his family moved to
505:(New York: Farrar, Straus and Company, 1950).
246:On May 5, 1964, Robinson appeared before the
612:Activists for African-American civil rights
460:(Greenwood Publishing, 2002), pp. 252-255.
381:
379:
133:
377:
375:
373:
371:
369:
367:
365:
363:
361:
359:
248:House Committee on Un-American Activities
450:
448:
446:
444:
442:
440:
438:
436:
434:
432:
430:
387:James Herman Robinson - Historical Note
594:
497:
495:
493:
491:
489:
487:
485:
483:
481:
479:
356:
96:Gertrude Thomas (1957-1972, his death)
400:website. Retrieved: 23 January 2012.
208:, as well as African leaders such as
652:20th-century African-American people
513:
511:
427:
558:Testimony of Rev. James H. Robinson
550:
518:What Is Operation Crossroads Africa
476:
13:
190:
14:
663:
617:African-American Christian clergy
567:
508:
94:Helen Brodie (1938-1954, divorce)
607:People from Knoxville, Tennessee
602:American Presbyterian ministers
301:
104:Henry and Willie Belle Robinson
530:
527:? Retrieved: 1 February 2012.
463:
403:
286:In his commencement speech at
231:Upon the establishment of the
181:American Civil Liberties Union
1:
349:
647:20th-century American clergy
579:James Herman Robinson Papers
7:
574:Operation Crossroads Africa
332:
115:Operation Crossroads Africa
10:
668:
177:Union Theological Seminary
159:Western Reserve University
77:Union Theological Seminary
622:American Christian clergy
237:President John F. Kennedy
100:
90:
82:
68:
50:
28:
21:
326:Africa At the Crossroads
276:President Lyndon Johnson
587:Amistad Research Center
501:James Herman Robinson,
398:Amistad Research Center
134:Childhood and education
128:
86:Clergyman, humanitarian
627:Writers from Tennessee
454:Robert T. Grimm, Jr.,
320:Adventurous Preaching
164:Robinson enrolled in
138:Robinson was born in
111:James Herman Robinson
23:James Herman Robinson
471:Road Without Turning
308:Road Without Turning
140:Knoxville, Tennessee
43:Knoxville, Tennessee
543:2012-02-22 at the
523:2011-01-03 at the
392:2013-09-28 at the
344:William F. Yardley
339:Charles W. Cansler
202:William O. Douglas
166:Lincoln University
73:Lincoln University
583:Tulane University
314:Tomorrow Is Today
288:Dartmouth College
253:Tomorrow Is Today
206:Theodore Hesburgh
108:
107:
16:American activist
659:
561:
554:
548:
534:
528:
515:
506:
499:
474:
467:
461:
452:
425:
424:
422:
421:
407:
401:
383:
218:Kingsley Mbadiwe
155:Youngstown, Ohio
57:
54:November 6, 1972
39:January 24, 1907
38:
36:
19:
18:
667:
666:
662:
661:
660:
658:
657:
656:
592:
591:
570:
565:
564:
555:
551:
545:Wayback Machine
535:
531:
525:Wayback Machine
516:
509:
500:
477:
468:
464:
453:
428:
419:
417:
409:
408:
404:
394:Wayback Machine
385:James Albins, "
384:
357:
352:
335:
304:
284:
241:Sargent Shriver
193:
191:Humanitarianism
136:
131:
95:
75:
69:Alma mater
64:
59:
55:
46:
40:
34:
32:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
665:
655:
654:
649:
644:
639:
634:
629:
624:
619:
614:
609:
604:
590:
589:
576:
569:
568:External links
566:
563:
562:
549:
529:
507:
475:
462:
426:
402:
354:
353:
351:
348:
347:
346:
341:
334:
331:
330:
329:
323:
317:
311:
303:
300:
283:
280:
214:Akiki Nyabongo
210:Nnamdi Azikiwe
192:
189:
135:
132:
130:
127:
106:
105:
102:
98:
97:
92:
88:
87:
84:
80:
79:
70:
66:
65:
60:
58:(aged 65)
52:
48:
47:
41:
30:
26:
25:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
664:
653:
650:
648:
645:
643:
640:
638:
635:
633:
630:
628:
625:
623:
620:
618:
615:
613:
610:
608:
605:
603:
600:
599:
597:
588:
584:
580:
577:
575:
572:
571:
559:
553:
546:
542:
539:
536:John Coyne, "
533:
526:
522:
519:
514:
512:
504:
498:
496:
494:
492:
490:
488:
486:
484:
482:
480:
472:
466:
459:
458:
451:
449:
447:
445:
443:
441:
439:
437:
435:
433:
431:
416:
412:
406:
399:
395:
391:
388:
382:
380:
378:
376:
374:
372:
370:
368:
366:
364:
362:
360:
355:
345:
342:
340:
337:
336:
327:
324:
321:
318:
315:
312:
309:
306:
305:
299:
296:
295:
291:
289:
279:
277:
273:
269:
265:
261:
256:
254:
249:
244:
242:
238:
234:
229:
225:
221:
219:
215:
211:
207:
203:
197:
188:
186:
185:Harry F. Ward
182:
178:
173:
171:
167:
162:
160:
156:
152:
147:
145:
141:
126:
124:
120:
116:
112:
103:
99:
93:
89:
85:
83:Occupation(s)
81:
78:
74:
71:
67:
63:
62:New York City
53:
49:
44:
31:
27:
20:
552:
532:
502:
470:
465:
455:
418:. Retrieved
414:
405:
325:
319:
313:
307:
302:Bibliography
297:
293:
292:
285:
260:Bechuanaland
257:
252:
245:
230:
226:
222:
198:
194:
174:
163:
148:
137:
110:
109:
56:(1972-11-06)
642:1972 deaths
637:1907 births
233:Peace Corps
119:Peace Corps
596:Categories
420:2023-09-05
350:References
268:Basutoland
35:1907-01-24
473:, p. 22).
235:in 1961,
183:chairman
151:Cleveland
101:Parent(s)
91:Spouse(s)
581:–
541:Archived
521:Archived
390:Archived
333:See also
270:(modern
264:Botswana
262:(modern
144:Old City
272:Lesotho
170:Bearden
328:(1962)
322:(1955)
316:(1954)
310:(1950)
266:) and
216:, and
123:Harlem
274:) by
415:NPCA
239:and
204:and
129:Life
51:Died
45:, US
29:Born
585:'s
598::
510:^
478:^
429:^
413:.
396:,
358:^
220:.
212:,
423:.
37:)
33:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.