By Peter Finney Jr. | Clarion Herald There was rarely an occasion, either inside or…
February 8, 2024 | Tennessee Tribune
Despite protests at his ordination, he was America’s first black bishop of the 20th century
“I feel that the greatest contribution I can make to raise the dignity of my people is being a good religious bishop.”
By Larry Peterson | Tennessee Tribune
Harold Robert Perry was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, in 1916. He was the oldest of six children born to Frank Perry, a rice mill worker, and his wife, Josephine, a domestic cook. The Perry children grew up Catholic in the French-Creole region. Their parents taught them to be tolerant of others and also taught them not to harbor hatred against white people despite the racism they experienced.
