C. Eric Lincoln
C. Eric Lincoln was an influential African American scholar, author, and educator known for his contributions to the understanding of race relations in America. Born in 1925 in Athens, Alabama, Lincoln faced the challenges of growing up in a segregated environment but excelled academically, graduating as valedictorian from his private segregated school, Trinity. He pursued higher education at LeMoyne College and later earned multiple degrees, including a Doctor of Philosophy from Boston University. Throughout his career, Lincoln held several professorships, most notably at Union Theological Seminary and Duke University, where he became a distinguished expert in sociology and religion.
Lincoln's significant scholarly contributions include a comprehensive study of the Black Muslim movement, for which he is credited with coining the term "Black Muslim." He authored over twenty books and numerous academic articles, and his work was pivotal in understanding African American identity and spirituality during the mid-twentieth century. In addition to his academic pursuits, Lincoln was a devoted family man, married twice and father to four children. He passed away in 2000, leaving behind a legacy as a scholar, novelist, musician, and philanthropist, with his papers archived for future study.
On this Page
Subject Terms
C. Eric Lincoln
Educator, religious scholar, and sociologist
- Born: June 23, 1924
- Birthplace: Athens, Alabama
- Died: May 14, 2000
- Place of death: Durham, North Carolina
An educator and religious scholar, Lincoln examined the influence of the African American church on the lives of African Americans. His scholarship during the Black Power movement shaped race relations in America during the mid-twentieth century.
Early Life
Charles Eric Lincoln was born in Athens, Alabama, a small segregated cotton mill town located forty miles from Huntsville. Little is known about his parents, but Lincoln’s grandparents, Less Charles Lincoln and Mattie Sowell, raised him. Each member of the impoverished Lincoln household contributed to its livelihood. Less farmed three acres of land, and Mattie worked as a domestic for the white residents of Athens. C. Eric Lincoln started working around the age of seven, delivering milk from 4:30 to 9:30 in the morning for a local dairy. The family’s weekly income, including the fifty cents contributed by Lincoln, totaled $5.25.
While the family survived on a meager income, Lincoln was able to attend Trinity, a private segregated school founded in 1865. The American Missionary Association established the school, but the African American residents of Athens provided financial support for its continued existence in the community. Lincoln began his primary education at the age of four, and he was described as a serious, studious child who started writing poetry at the age of six. At Trinity, Lincoln met many people who sparked his interest in education, but he credited Louise H. Allyn as the most influential person in developing his young mind. Allyn was the second principal at the school and considered its most effective fund-raiser. Lincoln graduated as valedictorian of his class in 1939 at the age of fourteen. In 1940, he boarded a train to Chicago to expand his horizons.
Life’s Work
After a short stint in Chicago, Jay Wright suggested that Lincoln attend LeMoyne College in Memphis, Tennessee. Wright succeeded Allyn at Trinity and served as the principal of the school until it closed in 1943. Lincoln enrolled in LeMoyne College in 1943 and remained at the school until World War II interrupted his studies. After serving in the U.S. Navy, Lincoln returned to LeMoyne to complete his studies, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1947. By 1953, Lincoln had earned both a master’s degree from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, and a bachelor of divinity from the University of Chicago. In 1960, through a grant awarded by the Ford Foundation, Lincoln earned master of education and doctor of philosophy degrees from Boston University.
Lincoln began his academic career in 1960 as an assistant professor of religion and philosophy at Clark College in Atlanta, Georgia. By 1965, after earning the rank of full professor at Clark, Lincoln moved to Portland State College, where he served as professor of sociology. In 1967, Lincoln became professor of sociology and religion at Union Theological Seminary in New York. Throughout his career, Lincoln held several professorships and administrative posts in American colleges and universities. Lincoln later became professor of religion at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. In 1991, he was named the William Rand Kenan, Jr., Distinguished Professor of Religion and Culture at Duke. Lincoln retired from Duke in 1993.
Although a consummate scholar with a notable publication record, Lincoln was also a dedicated husband and father. Lincoln’s second wife, Lucy Cook, attended the New England Conservatory of Music, where she earned a bachelor of education degree. Lucy also attended the Boston University School of Education, where she earned a master of education. Lincoln had four children: Cecil Eric, Joyce Elaine, Hilary Ann, and Less Charles II. Lincoln died of a massive heart attack at his home in Durham, North Carolina, on May 14, 2000. During his distinguished life and career, Lincoln wrote more than twenty books and published numerous scholarly articles and papers.
Significance
Lincoln was one of the premier authorities on race relations in America during the mid-twentieth century. His research in 1961 on the Black Muslim movement in America is considered one of the most comprehensive studies completed on this religious group, and he is credited with coining the term “Black Muslim.” His seminal work was seen as daring for its time because of the perception that the Black Muslims promoted African American militancy in America. Aside from his scholarly work, Lincoln was known as a historian, a novelist, a musician, a poet, a minister, and a philanthropist. Lincoln’s personal and professional papers are located in the Special Collections at Robert W. Woodruff Library of the Atlanta University Center.
Bibliography
Copage, Eric V. “C. Eric Lincoln, Race Scholar, Is Dead at Seventy-Five.” The New York Times, May 17, 2000. Obituary gives a concise overview of Lincoln’s academic career and highlights the significant books he published.
Lincoln, C. Eric. Coming Through the Fire: Surviving Race and Place in America. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 1996. Reflections from Lincoln on race relations, observations he had collected for more than fifty years.
Pollard, Alton B., and Love H. Whelchel, Jr., eds. How Long This Road: Race, Religion, and the Legacy of C. Eric Lincoln. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003. Collection of articles that examines religious patterns and social dynamics of African Americans.