Griffin Speaks

Howard Thurman

He was known as one of the great mystics and theologians of the twentieth century. He was coming to Morehouse College to speak. It had been many years since Dr.Thurman had been on Morehouse College Campus. He graduated from the college in 1923.

The year was 1979, two years before this great mystic would die. I had never seen so much excitement on the campus of Morehouse College.

As President of the student body, I would be a participant on the program. What would I say in the presence of this great man? It was an unbelievable time in my life. This would surely have to be my greatest speech. I had a history at the “House” of bringing audiences to their feet every time I spoke. My close friends challenged me to bring the mystic to his feet. I told them that I had no doubt that I could bring Howard Thurman to his feet within five minutes.

Dr. Thurman gained prominence both as an influential African American pastor and as a religious leader of faith and nonviolence throughout the world. After serving as pastor of the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples, Dr. Thurman became the first African American Dean of Marsh Chapel and Professor of Spiritual Resources and Disciplines at Boston University. It was his early achievements as a writer and spiritual leader that enabled him to become one of the most compelling religious leaders in the world. It was Dr. Thurman’s application of Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of peace and nonviolence in his ministry that proved to be a valuable resource to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other ministers involved in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. always referred to Dr. Thurman as his mentor. In fact on October 31, 1955, Dr. King invited Dr. Thurman to be the Men’s Day speaker at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. The previous Men’s Day speaker was Dr. Benjamin Mays of Morehouse College.  In 1953 Life magazine named Dr. Thurman one of America’s 12 greatest preachers. Dr. Thurman wrote more than 20 books, but many consider his greatest book to be “Jesus and the Disinherited” published in 1949. Several prominent people involved in the Civil Rights Movement considered it to be the handbook of the civil rights movement.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Chapel was packed to capacity. The audience was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. I walked to the podium and as usual looked for Howie Hodges in the audience. I could always get a feel for how my delivery was going by watching Howie. If he was grinning from ear to ear then I would know that I was doing fine. This is an excerpt from that legendary speech: (1979)

…Dr. Thurman, I had a prepared speech, but I have decided to toss it out. I have so much to tell you in such a small amount of time. I just want to go straight to the point!

Dr. Thurman, I feel like a child who hasn’t seen his father in a long long long time. Dr. Thurman if the quest for quality was high when you were here, it has stayed the same! If the professors were magnificent when you were here, that too has stayed the same. If you were challenged to grow tall enough to wear the crown placed above your head, then that too has stayed the same… Lastly, if the cafeteria food was horrible when you were here, that too has stayed the same!!!!!!!!!!!

The audience jumped to its feet and roared with laughter and applause.

Dr. Thurman jumped from his seat, grabbed me by the arm, and then grabbed the microphone. In his deep deep resonant voice he said “IT HAS STAYED THE SAME!!!!! The audience laughed and applauded for five consecutive minutes.

Several years later I would learn from Dr. Thurman’s widow, Sue Bailey Thurman, that Dr. Thurman use to listen to a recording of my speech before he went to bed. It took years before I would tell people what she told me, because I was afraid no one would believe me.

Greg Griffin is a columnist for the Montgomery-Tuskegee times. He can be contacted at www.greggriffin.com