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Arnold Josiah Ford (23 April 1877 – 16 September 1935) was a Barbadian American spiritual leader, recognized as a pioneering figure of the Black Hebrew movement.^[1]

Biography

Ford was born in Barbados to Edward Thomas Ford and Elizabeth Augustine Ford. He grew up to become a musician in the Royal Navy before settling in the United States. Talented as a linguist, poet, musician and composer of many Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA-ACL) songs, Ford co-authored The Universal Ethiopian Anthem with Benjamin E. Burrell. Ford officially functioned as director of UNIA Band, Orchestra, Band of the African Legion, and the Liberty Hall Choir. He published the Universal Ethiopian Hymnal in 1920.

Following Garvey’s arrest and conviction, Ford founded the Beth B’Nai Israel Synagogue in a Harlem storefront, and declared himself to be a rabbi. He was never recognized as such by the wider Jewish community. In 1930 he and a small group of Black Jews went to Ethiopia, where they participated in the coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie. They created a school, and acquired 800 acres (320 ha) of land for the purpose of uniting Black Jews of the Diaspora with their brothers already in Ethiopia. He died there in 1935. His daughter Arlein Ford Straw became a composer, music educator, and church music director in New York City.^[2]

While Ford's religious congregations did not survive, his influence is strongest through Wentworth Arthur Matthew, one time student of Ford, and founder of the Commandment Keepers. Ford provided Matthew with a certificate of rabbinic ordination from Ethiopia, signed by himself as the "Chief Rabbi of Ethiopia".^[3]

Shais Rishon, a Black Orthodox Jewish writer and activist, has claimed that "Ford never belonged nor converted to any branch of Judaism."^[4]

References

^ Chandler, D.L. (8 September 2015). "Little Known Black History Fact: Arnold Josiah Ford". Retrieved 23 December 2021.
^ Photo of Florence V. Lucas, Roy Wilkins, and Arlein Ford Straw, The Crisis (December 1967): 487.
^ Michael T. Miller (2024). Black Hebrew Israelites. Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781009400107. ISBN 9781009486989.
^ "A Case of Mistaken Identity: Black Jews & Hebrew Israelites". TribeHerald.com. 16 August 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2022.

External links

This Barbadian biographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This article about Afro-American religion is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[Ford-1] Chandler, D.L. (8 September 2015). "Little Known Black History Fact: Arnold Josiah Ford". Retrieved 23 December 2021.

[2] Photo of Florence V. Lucas, Roy Wilkins, and Arlein Ford Straw, The Crisis (December 1967): 487.

[3] Michael T. Miller (2024). Black Hebrew Israelites. Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781009400107. ISBN 9781009486989.

[4] "A Case of Mistaken Identity: Black Jews & Hebrew Israelites". TribeHerald.com. 16 August 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2022.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
-Rabbi '''Arnold Josiah Ford''' (23 April 1877 – 16 September 1935) was the first black rabbi in America, and a prominent member of [[Harlem]]'s [[Jews and Judaism in the African diaspora|Black Jews]].
+{{Black Hebrews}}
+'''Arnold Josiah Ford''' (23 April 1877 – 16 September 1935) was a [[Barbadian American]] spiritual leader, recognized as a pioneering figure of the [[Black Hebrew]] movement.<ref name="Ford">{{cite web |url= https://blackamericaweb.com/2015/09/08/little-known-black-history-fact-arnold-josiah-ford/ |title= Little Known Black History Fact: Arnold Josiah Ford |last=Chandler |first=D.L. |date=September 8, 2015 |access-date=December 23, 2021}}</ref>
+==Biography==
-Ford was born in [[Barbados]] to Edward Thomas Ford and Elizabeth Augustine Ford.  He grew up to became a musician in the [[Royal Navy]] before settling in the [[United States]].
+Ford was born in [[Barbados]] to Edward Thomas Ford and Elizabeth Augustine Ford.  He grew up to become a musician in the [[Royal Navy]] before settling in the [[United States]]. Talented as a linguist, poet, musician and composer of many [[Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League]] (UNIA-ACL) songs, Ford co-authored ''The Universal Ethiopian Anthem'' with Benjamin E. Burrell. Ford officially functioned as director of UNIA Band, Orchestra, Band of the [[African Legion]], and the [[Liberty Hall]] Choir. He published the ''Universal Ethiopian Hymnal'' in 1920.
+Following Garvey’s arrest and conviction, Ford founded the Beth B’Nai Israel Synagogue in a [[Harlem]] storefront, and declared himself to be a [[rabbi]]. He was never recognized as such by the wider Jewish community. In 1930 he and a small group of Black Jews went to [[Ethiopia]], where they participated in the coronation of Emperor [[Haile Selassie]]. They created a school, and acquired {{convert|800|acre|ha}} of land for the purpose of uniting Black Jews of the Diaspora with their brothers already in Ethiopia. He died there in 1935. His daughter [[Arlein Ford Straw]] became a composer, music educator, and church music director in [[New York City]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=MVwEAAAAMBAJ&dq=Arlein+Ford+Straw&pg=PA487 Photo of Florence V. Lucas, Roy Wilkins, and Arlein Ford Straw], ''The Crisis'' (December 1967): 487.</ref>
-Talented as a linguist, poet, musician and composer of many [[Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League]] (UNIA) songs, Ford co-authored ''[[The Universal Ethiopian Anthem]]'' with [[Benjamin E. Burrell]]. Ford officially functioned as director of UNIA Band, Orchestra, Band of the [[African Legion]], and the [[Liberty Hall]] Choir. He published the ''[[Universal Ethiopian Hymnal]]'' in 1920.
+While Ford's religious congregations did not survive, his influence is strongest through [[Wentworth Arthur Matthew]], one time student of Ford, and founder of the [[Commandment Keepers]]. Ford provided Matthew with a certificate of rabbinic ordination from Ethiopia, signed by himself as the "Chief Rabbi of Ethiopia".<ref>{{cite book |author=Michael T. Miller |title=Black Hebrew Israelites |url=https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009400107 |year=2024 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |doi=10.1017/9781009400107 |isbn=9781009486989}}</ref>
-In 1930 he and a small group of Black Jews went to [[Ethiopia]] where they participated in the coronation of Emperor [[Haile Selassie]], created a school, and acquired {{convert|800|acre|ha|lk=on}} of land for the purpose of uniting Black Jews of the Diaspora with their brothers already in Ethiopia. He died there in 1935.
+[[Shais Rishon]], a Black Orthodox Jewish writer and activist, has claimed that "Ford never belonged nor converted to any branch of Judaism."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tribeherald.com/a-case-of-mistaken-identity-black-jews-hebrew-israelites/ |title=A Case of Mistaken Identity: Black Jews & Hebrew Israelites |date=16 August 2020 |publisher=TribeHerald.com |accessdate=2022-04-24}}</ref>
 ==References==
+{{Reflist}}
-* [http://www.blackjews.org/images/September%2011%20A%20Tradegy%20in%20Search%20of%20Meaning.pdf Levy, Sholomo B. ''September 11th: A Tragedy in Search of Meaning'']
 ==External links==
 *[http://www.unia-acl.org  The Official UNIA-ACL website]
+*[http://www.blackjews.org/images/September%2011%20A%20Tradegy%20in%20Search%20of%20Meaning.pdf Levy, Sholomo B. ''September 11th: A Tragedy in Search of Meaning'']
+{{Authority control}}
-{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
-| NAME              = Ford, Arnold Josiah
-| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
-| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
-| DATE OF BIRTH     = 23 April 1877
-| PLACE OF BIRTH    =
-| DATE OF DEATH     = 16 September 1935
-| PLACE OF DEATH    =
-}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Arnold Josiah}}
 [[Category:1877 births]]
 [[Category:1935 deaths]]
-[[Category:Barbadian Jews]]
 [[Category:Royal Navy sailors]]
-[[Category:UNIA members]]
+[[Category:Rabbis from New York (state)]]
-[[Category:African American religious leaders]]
+[[Category:Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League members]]
-[[Category:American rabbis]]
-[[Category:Jews in the African diaspora]]
 [[Category:American people of Barbadian descent]]
-[[Category:20th-century rabbis]]
+[[Category:Black Hebrew Israelite religious leaders]]
 {{Barbados-bio-stub}}
-{{US-rabbi-stub}}
+{{Afro-American-religion-stub}}
-[[no:Arnold Josiah Ford]]

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