Irene Morgan

When the Stevensville United Methodist Church's pastor inquired about the new organist's career over lunch last fall, Dr. Pamela Harris told him about her research on Irene Morgan, American Civil Rights pioneer who refused to give up her seat on a bus 11 years before Rosa Parks. Morgan was arrested and her case went to the Supreme Court in 1946. Thurgood Marshall, her attorney, argued her case and won, striking down segregation on interstate buses. When Harris read about Morgan's story in the Washington Post, she was puzzled as to why Americans haven't heard of Irene Morgan. Because Morgan is an Adventist, Harris wondered why she as a fellow Adventist hadn't heard of Irene. These questions triggered a funded research project looking at press coverage of the court case in American newspapers, Adventist literature, and African American newspapers. Harris is writing a book about Mrs. Morgan's experience. When the Methodist pastor heard the story, he planned a special day to honor Irene Morgan. His sermon, "Who Was Irene Morgan"  opened with a clip Harris provided from the Biography Channel of Harry Smith interviewing the delightful Irene Morgan about her experience. The original Washington Post article is posted this month at the Adventist Review site www.adventistreview.org. Click on the 'Claiming the Promise' feature.