Saturday, October 26, 11am-12noon, Washington Gladden Social Justice Park, northeast corner of E. Broad St. and Cleveland Ave.

The 200th birthday of the Rev. Dr. James Preston Poindexter, Columbus abolitionist and civil rights leader, will be celebrated on Saturday, October 26, from 11am to 12noon in the new Washington Gladden Social Justice Park on E. Broad St. at Cleveland Ave. The event is free and open to the public.

The celebration, which will be held on his actual birthday, will include speakers, music, and light refreshments. In case of inclement weather, the event will be held next door in First Congregational Church, 444 E. Broad St.

Rev. Poindexter, who died in 1907, was an exceptional religious, political, and social justice leader in Columbus during the 19th century. He was an abolitionist, a conductor on the Underground Railroad, and a lifelong advocate for civil and voting rights for African-Americans. He was pastor of the Anti-Slavery Baptist Church, and later, Second Baptist Church, and was a member of Columbus City Council and the Columbus Board of Education.

The partner organizations planning this celebration are the James Preston Poindexter Foundation/Ohio History Connection, Second Baptist Church, Columbus Landmarks, and the Washington Gladden Social Justice Park.

Rev. Poindexter is one of nine social justice pioneers in Columbus whose portraits and accomplishments are commemorated on a large, colorful mural now on display in the park.

The social justice park, dedicated one year ago, is the first in the nation and is named for the Rev. Dr. Washington Gladden, pastor of First Congregational Church of Columbus from 1882 until 1918. Rev. Gladden had a national following and was viewed as the father of the Social Gospel Movement.

Rev. Poindexter and Rev. Gladden worked together on major social justice issues of the day. They sued the Columbus School District in the 1880s to advocate for the integration of the public schools. The school district settled the case and adopted an integrated school model. In 1940, the city’s first public housing project opened and was named Poindexter Village.

The birthday celebration for Rev. Poindexter is the third in a periodic series to commemorate the social justice pioneers of Columbus. The first program, last May, honored Frances Watkins Harper, African-American activist, poet, and journalist. The second program, in September, honored John Ambrose Watterson, second bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Columbus.

Contact: Steve Sterrett at 614-935-1183 or sterrett.1@osu.edu