Turner Chapel AME Church, Fort Wayne’s First Black Church
By Jade Henry
FWIS Contributing Youth Writer
The founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church was Bishop Richard Allen. Bishop Allen founded this denomination in 1816 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the heart of our city, Turner Chapel African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church is one of Fort Wayne’s first and oldest Black churches. Built in 1927 by Calvary United Brethren Congregation, Turner Chapel purchased the building in 1963. The church was born with racial discrimination, but that did not stop the church from thriving!
In the height of the 1960’s, The Freedom School was birthed inside of Turner Chapel A.M.E. Church. A boycott from Fort Wayne Community Schools (FWCS) took place because of leaders/educators failing to integrate the school system after the Supreme Court ordered the integration of school systems in 1968. Unbeknownst to FWCS, there was a plan in place for children to still be taught with the formation of The Freedom School. A handful of local Black ministers from the Fort Wayne Ministerial Alliance had a plan in place by the fall of 1969 to include a curriculum that taught African American history. The boycott and the starting of The Freedom School served its purpose! From the start of the school year (9/3/1969) and 7 days later (9/10/69), there was talk of integrating the FWCS school system. Justice was served and history was made!
Today, the Ubuntu Learning Lab serves a similar purpose as the The Freedom School, to teach African American history to children. Located inside of the Richard Allen Cultural Center at Turner Chapel A.M.E. Church is where the Ubuntu Learning Lab holds classes twice monthly and open to all children. The instructors are volunteers and there is a passion to teach Black history throughout the year. Visuals of African American heroes and sheroes along with pictorials of the church history surround the learning lab.
I am excited to say that my mother and auntie grew up in the richness of this historical church. My grandparents remain proud active members of Turner Chapel Church A.M.E. In 2019, it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and now referred to as The Historic Turner Chapel A.M.E. Church.