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Blog archive

November 2024

October 2024

ARBORIST WALK: NOT FOR TREE HUGGERS ONLY!
10/29/2024

Bill Wishner: Visual Hunter
10/29/2024

Can a Village Group Fix Our Healthcare System?
10/29/2024

Community Board Directors Strengthen Village Board
10/29/2024

Connecting with Village Connections: The A, B, C, & D’s of Medicare @ 65+
10/29/2024

Grief is a Journey: Two Paths Taken
10/29/2024

Message from the President
10/29/2024

Promoting Informed & Involved Voters
10/29/2024

What Will Be Your Legacy?
10/29/2024

1619, Approaching the Election...
10/27/2024

Beyond and Within the Village - A Star is Born
10/17/2024

Happiness by Priscilla Leonard
10/11/2024

Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden
10/11/2024

Unpainted Door by Louise Gluck
10/11/2024

In the Evening by Billy Collins
10/10/2024

Wild Geese by Mary Oliver
10/10/2024

Betty Kilby, A Family History
10/01/2024

Betty Kilby, A Family History
10/01/2024

Betty Kilby, A Family History
10/01/2024

September 2024

August 2024

1619 Wide Ranging Interests
08/19/2024

1619 Wide Ranging Interests
08/19/2024

First Anniversary
08/19/2024

Alexandra Leaving by Leonard Cohen
08/16/2024

Muse des Beaux Arts by W. H. Auden
08/16/2024

The God Abandons Antony by Constantinos P. Cavafy
08/16/2024

Ch – Ch – Ch –Changes
08/15/2024

Cultural Activities Team offers an ‘embarrassment of riches’
08/15/2024

Engaging in Pasadena Village
08/15/2024

Future Housing Options
08/15/2024

Message from the President
08/15/2024

There Are Authors Among Us
08/15/2024

Villagers Welcome New Members at the Tournament Park Picnic
08/15/2024

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas
08/14/2024

A narrow Fellow in the Grass by Emily Dickinson
08/13/2024

Haikus
08/13/2024

One Art by Elizabeth Bishop
08/13/2024

Poem 20 by Pablo Neruda
08/13/2024

Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
08/13/2024

Trees by Joyce Kilmer
08/13/2024

July 2024

June 2024

May 2024

Emergency Preparedness: Are You Ready?
05/28/2024

Farewell from the 2023/24 Social Work Interns
05/28/2024

Gina on the Horizon
05/28/2024

Mark Your Calendars for the Healthy Aging Research California Virtual Summit
05/28/2024

Meet Our New Development Associate
05/28/2024

Putting the Strategic Plan into Practice
05/28/2024

Washington Park: Pasadena’s Rediscovered Gem
05/28/2024

Introducing Civil Rights Discussions
05/22/2024

Rumor of Humor #2416
05/14/2024

Rumor of Humor #2417
05/14/2024

Rumor of Humor #2417
05/14/2024

Rumor of Humor #2418
05/14/2024

Springtime Visitors
05/07/2024

Freezing for a Good Cause – Credit, That Is
05/02/2024

No Discussion Meeting on May 3rd
05/02/2024

An Apparently Normal Person Author Presentation and Book-signing
05/01/2024

Flintridge Center: Pasadena Village’s Neighbor That Changes Lives
05/01/2024

Pasadena Celebrates Older Americans Month 2024
05/01/2024

The 2024 Pasadena Village Volunteer Appreciation Lunch
05/01/2024

Woman of the Year: Katy Townsend
05/01/2024

April 2024

March 2024

February 2024

January 2024

Friendship Pasadena Church Visit

By Blog Master
Posted: 06/23/2022
Tags:


The meeting began with an introduction of the Reverend Lucious Smith, Senior Pastor of Pasadena Friendship Church, 80 West Dayton Street. Reverend Smith grew up in the church and has served in a pastoral role at the church for 39 years.


Reverend Smith began sharing historical information developed by Deacon Marcus Williams. The congregation was founded in 1893 and initially met in rented space. It was originally Friendship Baptist Church. When founded, the congregation included African Americans and some Mennonites. Upon the arrival of White Southerns in the city, there was the beginning of racial separation in churches in the city.


The current church building was erected in 1925 to "keep Blacks south of Colorado Blvd". In addition to contributions made by the congregation, white churches also made monetary contributions. During the 1950s and 60s, the church served as a location for speakers and events surrounding the Civil Rights movement. This included two visits by the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. Reverend Smith's father, Fletcher Smith, arranged for these visits. Mr. Smith was active in the local NAACP serving as president on two occasions. The church has an extensive photo archive and Reverend Smith shared a number of photos of these visits.


After the Northridge earthquake, the church building was condemned due to structural damage. One and half million dollars was raised to repair the church.


While the church has historically been affiliated with the Baptist church, it is open to the diverse members of the community.


Reverend Smith noted that there are many historical documents about the lives of the members of the African American community that while archived, have yet to be studied.  


He concluded by inviting the meeting participants to services which are Sundays at 10:00 AM PST. He also noted that the church has a YouTube site.


One of the striking takeaways from this presentation for me was the sense of racism being a virus that can attack a community and transform it much as the recent pandemic has altered our present day world.


A recording of this meeting is available at this link, Friendship Pasadena Church.


Due to the the Fourth of July holiday, there will be no July 1st meeting. The next meeting will be on the third Friday at Noon Pacific, which is July 15th, and will feature a presentation by Brian Biery. Brian is an adjunct professor at Pacific Oaks College and has given this presentation previously. The nature of the presentation is such that it varies each time that it is given, but it is a very engaging and informative review of what racism has been like in Pasadena.








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