Reverend Jeffrey W. Campbell and Marguerite Campbell

Rev. Jeffrey W. Campbell was a Black minister who dedicated his many talents first to the Universalist denomination and then to the Unitarian Universalist denomination. Despite years of service, excellent references, and a quick mind, Rev. Campbell never found a full-time ministry. Instead, he had to defend himself and his sister from overtly racist attacks and subtle rebukes. His sister Marguerite Campbell worked for the Universalist Christian Association and then the Unitarian Universalist Association.

Both Rev. Campbell and Marguerite Campbell are buried in Edgewood Cemetery in Nashua, NH. The plot for their graves had no marker until we raised funds to make and place a marker. The marker commemorates the service of Rev. Jeffrey W. Campbell and Marguerite Campbell to our faith, despite the persistent racism they faced. We have secured the blessings of Jeffrey Campbell’s two daughters to erect this marker; Marguerite Campbell herself did not have any children.

This marker celebrating these two Universalist and Unitarian Universalist leaders does not excuse the past racism of our faith, nor does it correct this record. However, this marker brings to the center Black history that our faith has largely so far been content to leave in the history books. By highlighting the careers of past Black Universalist and Unitarian Universalist leaders, this project seeks to fulfill the call by Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism (BLUU) and UUA President Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray to decenter whiteness within our faith.

Click to learn more about the lives of
the Rev. Jeffrey W. Campbell and Marguerite Campbell 

A Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation Honoring the Campbells

On Saturday, September 22, 2018 we gathered to remember and honor Lillian Campbell, Rev. Jeffrey Campbell and Marguerite Campbell Davis.

We began with a graveside dedication at 1:00pm at the Edgewood Cemetery, 107 Amherst Street, Nashua, NH, where we had a dedication and blessing for the new marker on their previously unmarked grave.

At 2:00pm we had a service of remembrance of the Campbell’s and we dedicated our Chapel in their honor and renamed it the Campbell Chapel

This day of remembrance and reconciliation honored the life of the Reverend Jeffrey Campbell, and his sister, Marguerite, who grew up in the Universalist Church. Both Jeffrey and Marguerite served our movement, Jeffrey as a minister and Marguerite as staff at the Universalist Church of America and then the Unitarian Universalist Association. The Campbells were biracial, and because of this faced discrimination throughout their time as Universalists and then Unitarian Universalists.