RICHARD ALLEN

Richard Allen rose from slavery to found The Bethel (House of God) Church.  It is known today as the African A.M.E. Church.  He also was the first African-American bishop in the United States.  Allen was one of the first leaders in the black struggle for equality and full participation in America.  He is numbered among the 100 influential African-Americans, past and present, in the book, "The Black 100."