Lillian Russell Tells the History of Clergywomen

1976 Lillian Russell was invited to Virginia Annual Conference to be the final speaker at an event celebrating the bicentennial of the United States. The creator of the celebration, Rev. Ernest Emurion, was a friend of the Russell family. He knew when he met Lillian that she needed to be part of this historic celebration. Having a flare for the dramatic, he had the lights lowered with a single spotlight on the center of the stage. A petite woman dressed in white with her gray hair braided into a bun walked across the stage. It was as if she was gliding on clouds and the light made her hair look like a halo. The auditorium with more than 2,000 people was silent in anticipation. Listen to a live recording of the speach below.