To Save My Race from Abuse: The Life of Samuel Robert Cassius (Religion & American Culture)

226 Pages·2007·1.2 MB·English

by  Edward J. Robinson

To Save My Race from Abuse
RELIGION AND AMERICAN CULTURE
Series Editors
David Edwin Harrell Jr.
Wayne Flynt
Edith L. Blumhofer
To Save My Race
from Abuse
The Life of Samuel Robert Cassius
EDWARD J. ROBINSON
THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA PRESS
Tuscaloosa
Copyright © 2007
The University of Alabama Press
Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0380
All rights reserved
Manufactured in the United States of America
Typeface is AGaramond
∞
The paper on which this book is printed meets the minimum requirements of American
National Standard for Information Sciences-Permanence of Paper for Printed Library
Materials, ANSI Z39.48–1984.
Robinson, Edward J., 1967–
To save my race from abuse : the life of Samuel Robert Cassius / Edward J. Robinson.
p. cm. — (Religion and American culture)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8173-1555-9 (cloth : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-8173-1555-1 (cloth : alk. paper)
1. Cassius, Samuel Robert, 1853–1931. 2. African American evangelists—Biography.
3. Restoration movement (Christianity)—History. 4. Racism—Religious aspects—
Christianity—History. 5. Race relations—Religious aspects—Christianity—History.
6. African Americans—Religion. I. Title.
BV3785.C37R63 2007
286.6092—dc22
[B]
2006024303
To Toni

Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Chronology of Samuel Robert Cassius xi
Introduction 1
PART I: THE EDUCATION OF A BLACK MAN
1. “I Am What I Am”: The Formative Years 11
2. The Three Emancipators: Encounters in the Nation’s Capital 14
3. The Molding of a Mind: Personal In®uences and Literary Sources 20
PART II: THE “RACE PROBLEM” IN THE STONE-CAMPBELL
MOVEMENT
4. “Do You Believe the Bible?”: Samuel Robert Cassius’s
Use of Scripture 39
5. “The Whole Thing Is a Pious Fraud”: Samuel Robert Cassius
and the Missionary Society Controversy 59
PART III: FROM HEAVEN TO HELL: THE OKLAHOMA
EXPERIENCE
6. “No Race Suicide on This Ranch”: Race, Family, and Finances 81
7. “The Booker T. Washington of Oklahoma”: Samuel Robert
Cassius and the Tohee Industrial School 95
8. “Tried in the Fire”: Life in Black Oklahoma 116
PART IV: A RACE MAN AND GLOBE-TROTTER IN
PROGRESSIVE AMERICA
9. Mind Poisoning: The Racial Thought of Samuel Robert Cassius 135
viii / contents
10. The Setting of a “Sun”: The Legacy of Samuel Robert Cassius 156
Epilogue 168
Notes 171
Bibliography 201
Index 209
Photographs follow page 110
Acknowledgments
This book would have been impossible without the encouragement and
assistance of the following people: John L. Robinson; Fred Bailey; Calvin
Bowers; Michael W. Casey; Bob Chada; Doug Foster; E. Stanly God-
bold, Jr.; David Edwin Harrell, Jr.; Don Haymes; David Holmes; Richard
Hughes; Rick Hunter; Robert Jenkins; Connie Lester; Greta Leverett;
John F. Marszalek; Tom Olbricht; William E. Parrish; Jack Reese; Hans
Rollmann; Jerry Rushford; Ellen Schoenrock; Lady Vowell Smith; Jerry
Taylor; Bobby Valentine; and David Wray. I especially thank my wife, Toni,
and our three daughters, Clarice, Ashley, and Erika, who have endured my
preoccupation with this important project. I affectionately dedicate this
book to my greatest supporter.