The Rev. E. Ethelred Brown and the Harlem Renaissance, 1920–2020

Rev. Egbert Ethelred Brown (1875–1956) discovered Unitarianism when he was in the boys' choir at the Anglican Church in Montego Bay, Jamaica. It led ultimately to ordination as a Unitarian minister in 1912 and the establishment of churches in Montego Bay and Kingston in Jamaica, and Harlem in New York despite acrimonious relationships with American Unitarian Association authorities. This essay uniquely reveals him and his "Temple and Forum" in the context of the Harlem Renaissance. Rev. Brown was also a leader in organizations promoting independence of Caribbean nations while providing the voice of liberal religion in Harlem.