The Unsung Heart of Black America: A Middle-Class Church at Midcentury

Though parts read like a yearbook, there is much substance to this loving memoir of Downs Memorial United Methodist Church in Oakland, Calif., penned by a member. Irvin, who moved to Oakland from Houston in 1942 with her husband and two small children, describes the years from 1949 to 1964 as the church's golden age, under the leadership of the Rev. Roy Nichols, who established tutorials, counseling and political action efforts and drew a bright young congregation fleeing racism in other parts of the country. Portraits of 40 core members show how church involvement helped build careers and civil commitment. ``Downs People'' include Judge Gordon Baranco of the Alameda County Superior Court and Warren Widener, the first black mayor of Oakland. Though the book could have been more stylishly written, it is a rich and inspiring social history of a key aspect of black America. Photos not seen by PW. (July)