1844-1905
Henry Vinton Plummer settled in Kansas City later in life, where he became a respected pastor known for speaking out against racism and supporting Black rights. Plummer was born into slavery in Maryland on July 30, 1844. When he was 18, during the height of the Civil War, he escaped and joined the U.S. Navy. After the war, Plummer married Julia Lomax, and in 1872, enrolled at Wayland Seminary in Washington, D.C. After graduating, he served as pastor at St. Paul Baptist Church in Bladensburg, Maryland, and later at Mount Carmel Church in Washington, D.C.
In 1884, President Chester A. Arthur appointed Plummer the chaplain of the all-Black Ninth Cavalry Regiment. He later received a commission as a captain in the U.S. Army and served as the only Black officer at Fort Robinson in Nebraska.
Following his military service, Plummer moved to Kansas City, Kansas, where he became pastor of the Second Baptist Church. During his time there, he spoke out against racism, traveled throughout the region delivering guest sermons, and attended numerous national meetings of Baptist leaders — championing Black rights. He was also active in Republican politics, both at the national and local level.