The movement began in 1830 when the founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Bishop Richard Allen, hosted a Colored Convention of free Black men at Bethel AME Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Some of the men involved in leading these conventions were  Frederick Douglass, George T. Downing, Henry Highland Garnet, James McCune Smith, and Charles B. Over 200 states held colored conventions for over 7 decades. RayThe goals for the conventions were campaigns that fought  for civil and human rights. The conventions also gave opportunities for free-born and formerly enslaved African Americans to organize and strategize for racial justice. Many things were discussed in these conventions that helped the black men and women be successful. They were seeking higher education, labor and legal justice. The significance of these conventions were very important. They taught the black community that they had rights just like anyone else. They stood up against violence and discrimination. They gave black leaders political experience and knowledge that eventually helped them step up into legislative roles.

-Nancy Tallas