Jay Holmes Smith

Jay Holmes Smith went to India as an educational Methodist missionary in 1930. He was one of the founders and acting head of the Lucknow
Ashram in India until 1940, when he had to return to the US because he joined 3 other american missionaries in a protest against British Imperialism. He returned to the US and founded and directed the Harlem Ashram in NYC- This Ashram advocated Ghandian non violent protest, and was visited by several early "pre-civil rights" era leaders among whom were Bayard Rustin. Rustin quotes my Smith in his documents regarding the use of non violent passive resistance as a means of protest. Rustin carried his ideas to the south to Martin Luther King, Jr. who adopted this method in his strategies to fight racial injustice. Smith was also the VP of the India League of America and chairman of the Free India and Free Puerto Rico Committees of The Fellowship of Reconciliation. He was a strong advocate for the rights of the oppressed and disenfranchised and organized marches on Washington for garment workers.

Sue Mocniak (great niece)