Finding aid for the Humanist Fellowship of Liberation Records

History of the Humanist Fellowship of Liberation

The Humanist Fellowship of Liberation developed from one faction of the First Unitarian Society of Cleveland, Ohio. In 1836, the First Unitarian Church services were held in the city. It was not until 1867 that the First Unitarian Society was officially organized, and it was not until 1904 when the church's first permanent home was completed at East 82nd Street and Euclid Avenue.

By 1968, most of the church's white members had moved from the immediate neighborhood and racial tensions were affecting the church locally as well as nationally. In the fall of 1967, at a meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania of African American and white members of the Unitarian-Universalist Church, the Black Unitarian-Universalist Caucus was formed. This was the denomination's response to the demands from its African American members of the church, structured to mobilize available financial resources from the denomination for the development of African American community needs. In 1968, the Black Unitarian-Universalist Caucus changed its name to the Black Humanist Fellowship.

In 1969, Farley Wheelwright, pastor of Cleveland's Unitarian Society, presented to the Board of Trustees a list of problems facing the Unitarian Society and a list of alternative solutions. The Society's trustees and membership voted to relocate to Shaker Heights, Ohio and relinquish the Euclid Avenue building to its African American members.

The remaining African American congregation decided that the Humanist Fellowship of Liberation would serve as an institution for economic, political, and social power within the Hough neighborhood area. John Frazier came to Cleveland to assist in setting up and developing the Fellowship. While the congregation had enthusiasm for outreach programs that included an acclaimed theater program, storefront for African art, literature, and clothing, a counseling center, and a youth program, it lacked focus and a sustainable funding plan. Religious services also lacked focus, oftentimes consisting of theatrical performances and outside speakers rather than the development of a deep religious life. Board minutes of the congregation repeatedly mentioned poor attendance at religious services. At the first meeting of the church in 1970, the membership was 96 adults and a youth program with 30 participants, and significant funding was obtained by the national Unitarian-Universalist Association and outside granting sources. By 1971, however, the congregation numbered 36, and the church was actively selling off assets such as stained glass windows and pews. When national and outside funding ceased, the staff of six rapidly resigned. Frazier left Cleveland in 1974, and the last recorded meeting of the Humanist Fellowship of Liberation in Cleveland was in 1979.

Scope and Content

The Humanist Fellowship of Liberation Records, 1965-1972 and undated, consist of articles of incorporation, constitution, financial accounts, correspondence and other records of the Humanist Fellowship of Liberation; and records of the Black Affairs Council, Inc., the Black Unitarian Universalist Caucus, and the Unitarian Universalist Association.

This collection will be useful to researchers studying the history of Cleveland, Ohio, in the 1960s and 1970s and the history of the Unitarian Universalist Church there. Those studying the history of the Black Unitarian Universalist Caucus, the Humanist Fellowship of Liberation, and the dissension which this denomination experienced during the late 1960s and early 1970s will find this collection particularly useful. Those studying the history of the African American community in Cleveland, Ohio, particularly its participation in the Unitarian Universalist Association will find this collection particularly useful. The collection also documents the congregation's attempts to address social problems in Cleveland's Hough neighborhood through a religious organization.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Access

None.

The researcher should also consult MS 3593 John Frazier Papers.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 3592 Humanist Fellowship of Liberation Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Gift of the Humanist Fellowship of Liberation in 1973.

Processing Information

Processed by Olivia J. Martin in 1975.

Detailed Description of The Collection