Date: August 26, 2026
If you go to the website “Word in Black” you will find a fascinating article on Willie Pearl Mackey King. You can read it here. As you know a version of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail was recently discovered in the African American Episcopal Historical Collection, among the papers of Bishop John M. Burgess and Esther Burgess. That discovery has helped bring renewed attention to Willie Pearl Mackey King, the remarkable woman who painstakingly assembled and typed the fragments smuggled from Dr. King’s jail cell. Willie King recently visited the library and sat with the team from the AAEHC who found the letter in Bishop Burgess’ papers.
History is not only about the famous names we remember; it is also about recovering the contributions of those whose work made historic moments possible. VTS is committed to keeping that fuller record alive. Through its archives, scholarship, and educational work, the Seminary helps ensure that important voices – especially those too easily overlooked – remain part of the story we pass to future generations.
I am especially grateful for the leadership of Donna Sweeting, MA, Project Director of Faith-Filled Families at VTS. Donna is helping establish a foundation dedicated to preserving Willie King’s legacy, documenting her contribution to the Civil Rights Movement, and creating opportunities for a new generation to encounter that history. Her work embodies something deeply important to the mission of VTS: remembering faithfully, telling stories truthfully, and ensuring that courage, faith, and justice are not lost between generations.
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D.
Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary and the President of The General Theological Seminary.