Civil Rights Legacy

The church has an extremely rich history in the civil rights movement, starting in 1892 with its withdrawal from the Maryland Baptist Union Association because of its discrimination. In 1897, Rev. Dr. Harvey Johnson was the minister who organized the Colored Baptist Convention. Johnson, a friend of W.E.B. DuBois, established the Niagara Movement, which was a prototype for the NAACP. He also filed a lawsuit to gain equal pay for black teachers and to make it possible for black lawyers to practice in the state of Maryland. The planning meetings preceding the Niagara Movement were at Union Baptist Church. Dr. Johnson also filed lawsuit and won the first case in the U.S. striking down the identification of Negroes as cargo in interstate commerce. During this time thirteen churches were established from Union's congregation, five of which are still in existence today.

Rev. Dr. Harvey Johnson 1872-1923
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