Annie Merner Pfeiffer, born in Ontario, Canada, in 1860, was a philanthropist who later moved to the United States after marriage. She became affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1941, the chapel was built at Bennett College, and the college awarded her an honorary degree. Pfeiffer attended the dedication of Pfeiffer Chapel, which was named in her honor. See the order of service from when the chapel was dedicated . The above photo shows a view of the chapel, located on the quadrangle of Bennett College’s east Greensboro campus.
On February 11, 1958, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at Pfeiffer Chapel when he was 29 years old. His speech, titled "A Realistic Look at Race Relations," focused on the importance of the ballot and discussed the limitations of the two major political parties. If you're interested, you can also read an interview with Dr. King conducted by student reporters from The Bennett Banner, archived at Stanford University. Here the interview with Dr. King. It is just one example of the many significant Civil Rights events, issues, and conversations that took place in Greensboro.
Read more about Annie Merner Pfeiffer HERE.
Happy Sunday!
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