Closing Bell: How Brooklyn's Black Churches Shaped the Civil Rights Movement

Several leaders of historic black churches throughout Brooklyn will gather at the Brooklyn Historical Society next week to discuss how they used their pulpits to shape the civil rights movement. Jennifer Jones Austin, CEO of the Federation of Protestant Welfare Organizations and cochair of Mayor de Blasio’s transition team, will lead a discussion inspired by her father, the late Reverend William A. Jones, who worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and led Bed Stuy’s Bethany Baptist Church.

The panelists include pastors who played a vital role in the fight for civil rights: Reverend Dr. Herbert Daughtry of House of the Lord, Reverend David B. Cousin, Sr., of Bridge Street AMWE, above, and Reverend Dr. John L. Scott of St. John’s Baptist Church. The free event will happen at 6:30 pm on Thursday, September 18.

Photo via Bridge Street AMWE Church