Newman African Methodist Episcopal Church

In 1861 the Reverend Augustus Green organized Oakland County’s first African American church. Services were held in homes, in a church basement, and in a schoolhouse. In 1868 they incorporated as Newman African Methodist Episcopal Church, named for George Newman, a founding member. The congregation bought a church building on Auburn Avenue in 1872, worshipping there until 1961, when the city acquired the land for urban renewal. The present church was built in 1963. On July 12, 1920, the Newman Men’s Club established the Oakland County Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The Reverend J. A. Charleston, Newman’s pastor, served as the first president.