Rev. William H. Sheppard
Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
Rev. William H. Sheppard. Born in Waynesboro, Virginia, in 1865, Sheppard attended Hampton and Stillman Institutes. Sent to the Belgian Congo in 1890, he served as missionary in Africa until 1910. Became a fellow of the Royal Geographic Society of London in 1893 for his explorations. Sheppard denounced the Belgian colonists' cruelty in the Congo. Presented by Alderman George Unseld. (Reverse) Rev. William H. Sheppard - Returning from Africa, Sheppard was pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Louisville from 1912 until his death in 1927. One of the city's most respected African American leaders, he was known for his work in the Smoketown community. Sheppard Park (1924) and Sheppard Square Housing Project (1942) named in his honor. Presented by Alderman George Unseld.
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
Born in Virginia in 1865, William H. Sheppard trained at Hampton and Stillman before being sent to the Belgian Congo as a Presbyterian missionary in 1890. His explorations won him a fellowship in London's Royal Geographic Society, and he became an early and courageous voice denouncing the brutal cruelties of Belgian colonial rule. Returning home, he served as a beloved pastor in Louisville's Smoketown community until his death in 1927.
Why it matters
Sheppard was among the first Americans to expose colonial atrocities in Africa, and his life links the African American church to the global struggle for human dignity.
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Related people
- · Rev. William H. Sheppard
Themes & tags
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