08/25/2026
Good morning everyone! Welcome to, "Would you like to know Tuesday!?" Bishop Daniel Alexander Payne of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church and the first President of the private (HBCU) Wilberforce University located in Wilberforce, Ohio made history on April 14, 1862, as the first African American to visit President Abraham Lincoln at the White House.
Bishop Payne's agenda that day, was to encourage President Lincoln to sign the D.C. Emancipation Act, which would abolish slavery in the District of Columbia. However, during their 45-minute meeting, Payne directly asked Lincoln if he intended to sign it. Lincoln's advisory delegates had come to ask him not to sign the bill, but he did not reveal his final decision during the visit. Two days later, on April 16, 1862, Lincoln signed the act into law. Which opened new doors of hope to completely eliminate slavery.
The historic significance of the meeting marked the first official visit by an African American to the White House. Payne also used the opportunity to present the President with copies of the AME Church publication, the Christian Recorder. It takes a village to rise up in prayer, in order to be a blessing to all humanity.
