'Civil Rights Movement History' Black Los Angeles Church, Hamilton United Methodist Church celebrates its 110th Anniversary: Sunday, October 20, 2013

Rev. John N. Doggett, Jr. with Martin Luther King, Jr.
(All photos on this post are Copyright and courtesy of Bill Doggett Productions, www.billdoggettproductions.com)

Press Release

Civil Rights Movement history Black Los Angeles Church, Hamilton United Methodist Church celebrates it’s 110th Anniversary: Sunday, October 20th 2013

Sunday, October 20th, one of Los Angeles' historic Black churches, Hamilton United Methodist Church celebrates its 110th Anniversary.

During the height of the Civil Rights Movement 1957-1965, Hamilton United Methodist Church hosted many important civic, religious and town hall meetings including the 1960 visit by Eleanor Roosevelt who spoke on the importance of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties sponsored by Los Angeles' Community Groups for Kennedy in 1960.

Hamilton Methodist Church was also the home for one of Los Angeles’ great Black choral directors, A.C. Bilbrew. Along with her long time Los Angeles friend and associate, the renown Negro Spirituals champion, Jester Hairston, A.C. Bilbrew’s leadership as choral director anchored the music ministry of Hamilton with Negro Spirituals, Freedom Songs and new choral music written and arranged by Bilbrew.

During this era, the church was under the leadership of the late Reverend John N. Doggett Jr, who was also distinguished as a noted civic leader as Treasurer for The Western Christian Leadership Conference.  The WCLC was the west coast arm of Reverend Martin Luther King's organization, The Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

Bill Doggett, Reverend Doggett’s youngest son will represent his father and the Doggett family in  a power point lecture on Hamilton’s important Civil Rights Movement history.   In a second power point presentation, interviews with Hamilton’s oldest living member, Gertrude Stiles, age 100 and Helen Burdette, a member of the church for 83 years this November will be shown

The public is invited to attend: Hamilton United Methodist Church  6400 S. Figueroa [new building] Los Angeles 90003   213-753-4535    Commemorative services: 11 and 3pm    Luncheon and power point presentations 12:30-2:30pm Email contact: Bill Doggett   bdoggett55@gmail.com