Perkins School of Theology is proud to have been the first school at Southern Methodist University to welcome students of African American descent into our classes and worships. We’ve detailed this significant and historical event and welcome you to continue reading.
The History of the Perkins Five
Between the years of 1946 to 1948, the city of Dallas and SMU remained strictly segregated. Beginning in 1946, a few Black graduate students began studying here, though they did not earn any credit hours.
By 1949, a handful of Black students started regularly attending theology classes, completing required coursework and taking exams – all unofficially, with their grades being forwarded to the students’ chosen institutions.
However, it was in November 1950 that SMU trustees authorized enrolling Black students as regular degree-seeking students. In 1951, Merrimon Cuninggim, dean of the Perkins School at the time, began recruiting at Black colleges and enrolled five students, known as the Perkins Five. In 1955, they became Perkins’ and SMU’s first Black graduates: James Arthur Hawkins, John Wesley Elliott, Negail Rudolph Riley, Allen Cecil Williams and James Vernon Lyles.
By 1969, about 60 Black students – 40 undergraduate and 21 graduate – were enrolled at SMU, including Jerry LeVias, the first Black athlete in the Southwest Conference to be awarded an athletic scholarship.
In March 1965, a contingent of SMU students and faculty participated in the “Bloody Sunday” march from Selma, Alabama, to the state capitol in Montgomery to champion voting rights for Black citizens.
After police attacked the demonstrators, eight Perkins School of Theology students traveled to join the second Selma march, led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. For the third march, 56 SMU students and faculty members joined 25,000 other protestors. And on March 17, 1966, at the invitation of the Student Association, Dr. King became the first major civil rights leader to speak on SMU’s campus.
Witness Diversity and Inclusion Continue to Grow at Perkins
Today, we at Perkins hold an appreciation for our history of diversity and inclusion. While we have pursued this goal imperfectly, we are proud to provide offerings like the Black/Africana Church Studies Program (BACS), which acknowledges the need to create intentional space for inclusion. BACS is a program that allows students to grow in their faith and explore Black Theology. The design of the program is to enhance African American, African, African Diasporic, and multi-cultural church leadership skills as well as offer worship services, prayer meetings and gospel concerts to nurture spirituality and inspire faith.
We’d love to have you join our diverse and welcoming community. If you’d like to learn more about our programs, we encourage you to access our resource, Discovering Theology and Ministry Degree Programs: Which is the Right One For You?
If you have any questions about joining Perkins as a student, we encourage you to book a meeting with us.
