University Archives at UB receives records from historic Buffalo church

Lillian Williams (left) and Barbara Seals Nevergold display some of the St. Philip's church records  that will be preserved by University Archives. Photo: Douglas Levere

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The University at Buffalo Libraries has received a collection of historical materials from St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, one of the oldest African American Episcopal congregations in the country. The records, dating from the mid-19th century, will be added to the collection of University Archives, which will care for and ensure the conservation of the ledgers and documents that hold invaluable insights into the social, cultural, political and religious history of Buffalo’s Black community.

“The University Archives is thrilled to add the St. Philip’s records to a growing number of archival manuscript collections that highlight the history of the Western New York area and the African American community,” says University Archivist Hope Dunbar. St. Philip’s, today located at 18 Sussex St. in Buffalo, welcomed its first parishioners in 1861, more than a year before Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. 

The church as a home for Black Protestant Episcopalians, one of the original seven African American Episcopal congregations in the country.

The materials, donated to University Archives by Rev. Stephen Lane, the church’s current rector, date from the church’s founding. The collection includes parish registries and other material relating to church history, and vital records from the congregation including baptisms, confirmations, communicants, marriages and burials. 

“These archives talk about the interests of the parishioners, their political activities, their involvement in anti-slavery movements and the benevolent associations that addressed community issues,” says Lillian Williams, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Africana and American Studies in the UB College of Arts and Sciences. “We wouldn’t know about these people and their leadership in various reform movements in the African American community without these vital records.”

Her perseverance is largely responsible for beginning the preservation process of the St. Philip’s archive. In the 1970s, Williams was among the founders — with fellow UB doctoral students Monroe Fordham and Ralph Watkins, who became faculty members at SUNY Buffalo State and SUNY Oneonta, respectively — of the Afro-American Historical Association of the Niagara Frontier (AAHANF), where she currently serves on the executive board.

The three were discouraged from writing on the interests in the African American community in Buffalo because it was largely believed that primary sources to document their research proposals didn’t exist. They set out to prove otherwise.

“We knew intuitively that the documents existed,” says Williams, a specialist in United States social and urban history. “The issue was that repositories were not interested in collecting the records of African Americans.” The St. Philip’s collection is part of a narrative the trio eventually assembled and preserved, The Buffalo Cooperative Economic Society (Fordham), microfilm copies of “The Buffalo American, one of Buffalo’s early Black newspapers (Watkins), and records from the YMCA (Williams), which detail among other things the civil rights activities, educational programs, and the recreation experiences of the African American community.

As that work progressed in those areas, Robert Pope, PhD, a UB professor of history, was asked to serve as interim pastor at St. Philip’s. He provided access to the church records, which Williams and Fordham had microfilmed and deposited at SUNY Buffalo State and the North Jefferson Branch Library. The original documents were returned to St. Philip’s.

One of the most prominent HBCU medical schools is Howard University College of Medicine, which is situated in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1868 and has a long history of educating African American scholars, doctors, and other medical professionals. With a major emphasis on helping underprivileged areas, the institution provides programs in medicine, surgery, and research. A significant number of Black physicians who specialize in general care, surgery, and public health are among the medical specialties that Howard is renowned for generating. Students get access to beneficial clinical training opportunities thanks to Howard’s connections with nearby hospitals and research facilities.

Founded in 1876, Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, is still a popular choice for students pursuing a career in healthcare, especially those who are enthusiastic about helping underprivileged communities. In addition to providing medical, dental, and public health initiatives, Meharry is also known for its work tackling health inequalities in rural and African American communities. By emphasizing compassionate care in its curriculum, Meharry prepares students to function successfully in underprivileged communities. In order to give students practical learning experiences, the institution also maintains a number of agreements with medical facilities across the nation.

The Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), established in 1975 in Atlanta, Georgia, has rapidly emerged as one of the top HBCU medical schools. Morehouse is committed to expanding the number of primary care physicians and enhancing access to healthcare in underserved areas, especially in the Southeast. Morehouse is known for its dedication to community service, advocacy, and public health, and its primary care focus is in line with its goal of improving public health outcomes. Morehouse offers programs in medicine, biomedical sciences, and public health.

Los Angeles, California’s Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science stands apart among HBCU medical schools due to its West Coast location. In order to solve the problem of healthcare access in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, Charles R. Drew University (CDU) was established in 1966. Since then, it has expanded to include courses in nursing, medicine, and health sciences. CDU is well-known for emphasizing social justice and minimizing health inequalities. In collaboration with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), it offers a Doctor of Medicine program that gives students a combination of top-notch medical education with a community focus.

Xavier University of Louisiana’s College of Pharmacy is recognized as one of the top HBCU pharmacy programs in the nation, despite the fact that it lacks a medical school. Located in New Orleans, Louisiana, Xavier’s College of Pharmacy has a reputation for generating the biggest number of African American pharmacists in the U.S. It has long been known for its dedication to resolving health inequities, academic rigor, and strong emphasis on service. One of only two pharmacy schools in Louisiana, Xavier was named the leading source of Black physicians in 2015.

Xavier was named the leading source of Black physicians in 2015. Graduates of Xavier frequently work in public health, clinical practice, and research, significantly influencing healthcare nationwide. As was already mentioned, Howard is one of the best medical schools in the country. But according to statistics, the majority of Black medical school graduates come from Xavier University in New Orleans. How a school with barely 3,000 students can produce more Black physicians than any other institution in the United States, public or private, was once a mystery to some. The manner it distinguishes itself from other medical schools holds the solution.

Norman Francis, the school’s head for almost 50 years, spoke about his resolve to prevent Xavier from using the “weeding out” methods used by other pre-med programs after the school was recently highlighted in a well-known publication for its medical enrollment. He didn’t want his pupils to be in competition with one another. Rather, pupils who were more prepared than their classmates would assist others who had arrived rather late in catching up.

In order to ensure that as many of their students as possible survive and maintain their medical aspirations, peer-to-peer learning and paternalistic program counselors are quite helpful. In the context of American healthcare, HBCU medical schools have a special place. They are vital avenues for boosting diversity in medicine in addition to being hubs of academic brilliance. These institutions offer a supportive setting that fosters the growth of Black healthcare professionals and highlights the value of working with underrepresented and underprivileged populations. These institutions’ dedication to education and social impact is demonstrated by their significant emphasis on primary care, public health, and minimizing health inequities. More than ever, HBCU medical schools play a crucial role in preparing the next generation of diverse healthcare professionals. These institutions are influencing the direction of medicine with their unwavering dedication to healthcare fairness, diversity, and community involvement. In addition to becoming physicians, dentists, pharmacists, and public health officials, the alumni of these prestigious institutions are actively attempting to close the healthcare access gap in the areas where it is most needed.