Sunday, June 27th
6:30 p.m. | Activity Center
Backs Against The Wall:
The Howard Thurman Story explores the extraordinary life and legacy of one of the most important religious figures of the 20th century.
Born the grandson of slaves, Thurman became a “spiritual foundation” for the Civil
Rights Movement, inspiring many of its leaders including Martin Luther King, Jr,
Jesse Jackson and Congressman John Lewis.
In the mid-1930s, Thurman was the first Black American invited to meet Mohandas
Gandhi who shared his strategy of non-violent resistance. Gandhi suggested it
would be through the African-American experience that the non-violence resistance
movement could take on global significance. When Thurman returned to America,
his writings and speeches planted the early seeds for the non-violent Civil Rights Movement.
Thurman is also remembered for helping launch The Fellowship Church for All
People in San Francisco, a pioneering venture to create the nation’s first interracial, intercultural church community. Thurman was a gifted and prolific writer who authored more than 20 books and is celebrated as one of the great preachers of his era.
