Kwanzaa 2021 Union of Black Episcopalians New York Chapter Celebration

On February 8, 1968, seventeen black priests met at St. Philip’s Church in New York City and founded the Union of Black Clergy and Laity (UBCL). Over the course of the next decade, the organization’s name changed to the Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE). UBE’s purpose was  and remains to remove racism from the Church and society and to stimulate growth of black membership. Signers of the original incorporation papers were the Right Reverend John T. Walker, the Right Reverend Quinton E. Primo, the Reverend St. Julian Simpkins, the Reverend Austin Cooper, Sr. and the Reverend Canon Frederick Boyd Williams.

UBE is now a confederation of more than 55 chapters and interest groups throughout the continental United States and the Caribbean. Members also live in Canada, Africa and Latin America. The New York chapter was incorporated as a diocesan-wide chapter on June 28th 1989 based on the following purpose statement.

Recognizing that the Church is not whole unless all God’s people are an integral part of if, the New York Chapter of the UBE encourages the inclusion of persons of African descent in the total life of the Church, on every level and in every way — mission, stewardship, evangelism, education, sharing, liberation , empowerment, leadership, governance and politics.

The chapter activities throughout the years have lived into this position statement. Today Nell Braxton Gibson, Bertram M. Gibson, Jr. and Diane Pollard, three of the thirteen founding members, are still active chapter members in the current community of 100 people. To find out more about the Union of Black Episcopalians click here to visit the national website.

(February 2022)