African American perspectives and experiences remain under-represented in the annals of Presbyterian history. This collecting initiative redoubles PHS's efforts to document Black lives, work, and witness in an increasingly multicultural Church—from the organization of the First African Presbyterian Church in 1807 to the election of the first African American stated clerk of the PC(USA) in 2016.

We are bringing human and capital resources to bear on collecting records of the Black Presbyterian experience--both the personal records of longtime church workers, and the original records of Black congregations. PHS seeks to represent in the archives the Black throughline: the integral presence of African Americans in what the authors of the historical volume Periscope called a “historically racist ecclesiastical body.”

Free digitization for African American congregations

PHS is digitizing African American congregations’ earliest records. African American congregations can have their session minutes and registers imaged at PHS, up to 1200 pages of text, at no cost. We can then either secure the original records in the archives, or return them to the church. 

Personal papers

We are bringing into the archives the personal records of prominent church workers. Documentation of Black Presbyterian lives and ministries in any form -- correspondence, diaries, sermons, essays, and photographs, slides, audio and video recordings – is welcome and well-served here. We’re proud to hold the records of Black missionaries, theologians, activists, professors, poets, and one hospital chaplain. 

Oral histories

We look forward to complementing physical documents with verbal testimony. We are actively seeking oral histories which might flesh out the accumulated record. Prominent church workers are encouraged to sit down with us on the record. 

For more information about free deposit and digitization, personal papers donations, or oral histories, email Records Archivist David Staniunas.

To contribute to this ongoing work, make a donation here.