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of Richmond’s First Baptist Church, one of that city’s largest Black congregations, while working on his speeches and writings. In 1889, he and Emma moved to Nashville, where Our history expert solves local mysteries: who, what, he served as pastor of the First Baptist Church. He never seemed to run out of energy; during his short when, where, why, and why not. Well, sometimes. time in Nashville, he helped establish the American BY VANCE L AUDERDALE Baptist Theological Seminary there and worked as the corresponding secretary for the National Baptist Convention. “Griggs began his career as a novelist with Imperium in Imperio, published in 1899,” wrote Magness. “By the time he moved to Memphis in 1913, he had written eight books.” His wonderfully titled first novel has been described as “an important addition to the history of utopian literature.” A reviewer for the Texas Observer noted that the plot “has a startling twist: the revelation of an African-American ‘empire within an empire,’ with a shadow government based in Waco. … Bernard Belgrave, who has been hand-picked to serve as president, advocates a takeover of the Texas state government, while his friend, Belton Piedmont, argues for assimilation and cooperation with the state.” At some point — well, I won’t give away the ending. Sutton followed this up with other works, including The Hindered Hand, Overshadowed, Unfettered, and Pointing the Way. That’s just a sampling; he eventually wrote 33 books over his career. He formed his own publishing company but was so determined to make his voice heard that he also sold his books door to door. Despite his efforts, his works were not widely known in his day, though a 1969 reprint of Imperium helped to revive interest in his life and career. DEAR VANCE: What can DEAR S.W.: It is indeed a handsome structure, and quite a landmark in our city, since the Griggs Business and you tell readers about “An activist, Griggs attended the Niagara movethe old Griggs BusiPractical Arts College — its full name — was one ment that preceded the National Association for the ness College, with its of three Black-owned colleges in our community, an Advancement of Colored People (NAACP),” wrote Dr. impressive building still educational partner with Henderson Business ColBruce Glasrud, professor emeritus of history at Califorstanding at 492 Vance? lege on Linden, and not too far away, LeMoyne-Owen nia State University, for the Blackpast website (blackCollege on Walker. — s.w., memphis. past.org). “He participated in Black protests against police brutality, Jim Crow laws, streetcar segregation, This establishment was founded by Emma Griggs in 1916. She enjoyed quite a fascinating life. Born Emma and inadequate educational facilities.” What’s more, Williams in Virginia sometime in the late 1800s (I’ll “Griggs spent years as a pastor and organizing Black explain why I’m uncertain about that date later), she atself-help associations in Memphis, such as the National tended Norfolk Mission College and Hartshorn MemoPublic Welfare League and the National Religious and rial College in Richmond. I know this because Williams Civic Institute for the Baptists of Houston.” was one of many men and women featured in Notable Sutton and Emma Griggs moved here so he could Black Memphians, a collection of biogtake over the leadership of Tabernacle “Griggs envisioned an raphies compiled in 2004 by Dr. MirBaptist Church, originally located at iam DeCosta-Willis, the well-known 208 Turley. “By 1916, he had begun institutional church that Memphis author and educator. construction of an imposing strucwould serve the religious, In Virginia, Williams met — and ture on South Lauderdale,” wrote married — the Rev. Sutton E. Griggs, DeCosta-Willis in Notable Black Memeducational, and social needs an important minister, orator, author, phians. “Griggs envisioned an instiof his congregation and of the and civil rights leader. In one of tutional church that would served wider community.” her “Past Times” Commercial Appeal the religious, educational, and social needs of his congregation and of the columns, historian Perre Magness wider community. The church provided a gymnasium, described the Rev. Griggs as “one of the few Black writers of his time who openly dealt with the subject of swimming pool, and employment bureau … and also race relations in fiction, and one of the most published began a free weekly newspaper, The Neighbor, to demonBlack authors of the twentieth century.” strate the progress of Black Memphians.” Born in Texas in 1872, Sutton Griggs was educated According to some accounts, that swimming pool at Bishop College in Dallas and earned his divinity was the first one available to Blacks in Memphis. degree from Richmond Theological Seminary. After While Sutton was working as the church pastor, his marriage to Emma in 1892, Sutton served as pastor Emma also stayed busy, in 1916 opening a “practical arts
SUT TON GRIGGS PHOTO FROM E.C. MORRIS’S ‘’SERMONS, ADDRESSES AND REMINISCENCES AND IMPORTANT CORRESPONDENCE, WITH A PIC TURE GALLERY OF EMINENT MINISTERS AND SCHOLARS’’ (NASHVILLE, 1901).
BUILDING PHOTO BY VANCE LAUDERDALE
Griggs Business College
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