Allen led the way in integration

Percy Allen III

The late Percy Allen III, affectionately called "Jap," was the first African American along with Robert (Sam) North to integrate Miriam A. Brock Wesley Center on Main Street in the mid-1960s. This encounter brought blacks and whites together in organized sports at the center. Later on in life, I became aware of John Wesley and the Methodist Church movement among the poor and the disinherited in our society. The Methodist Church planted both Wesley and Bethlehem Neighborhood Centers in Chattanooga.

Currently, I am an Elder in the United Methodist Church. Due to the actions of Percy Allen III, who courageously decided to walk through the doors of Wesley Center to gain equal access and opportunity for those who come behind him, "I am eternally grateful."

Reverend Dr. Robert L. Hogg Sr.