Another great personage: Absalom Jones. Jones, along with Richard Allen, are often cited as the first ordained African Americans in the US. More on Jones here:
In 1786 the membership of St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia included both blacks and whites. However, the white members met that year and decided that thereafter black members should sit only in the balcony. Two black Sunday worshippers, Absalom Jones (1746-1818) and Richard Allen (1760-1831), whose enthusiasm for the Methodist Church had brought many blacks into the congregation, learned of the decision only when, on the following Sunday, ushers tapped them on the shoulder during the opening prayers, and demanded that they move to the balcony without waiting for the end of the prayer. They walked out, followed by the other black members.
Absalom Jones conferred with William White, Episcopal Bishop of Philadelphia, who agreed to accept the group as an Episcopal parish.
Sistertech has not experienced that kind of discrimination, though she does stick out like a sore thumb. Being a rara avis is hard work. Long ago, Sistertech had the misfortune, er, the opportunity to teach a Sunday School class of youngsters. When we sang a song based on the Psalm appointed for this day, Psalm 137, one youngster nicknamed the song the “Sad Dancing Bear Song”. Evidently he took his cue from the first few verses. As Kermit the Frog once said, “it isn’t easy being green”, we can empathize with all those who are “different” or whose path is “different”. For all those trailblazers, this Psalm’s for you.
Psalm
1By the rivers of Babylon—
there we sat down and there we wept
when we remembered Zion.
2On the willows* there
we hung up our harps.
3For there our captors
asked us for songs,
and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying,
‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’4How could we sing the Lord’s song
in a foreign land?
5If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand wither!
6Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth,
if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
above my highest joy.