ABSTRACT
James H. Robinson was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. He attended Lincoln University and the Union Theological Seminary. The Reverend Mr. Robinson has served as minister of the Church of the Master and has always been associated with social action on the part of the church. He has served as the director of the Union Neighbourhood Centre of Youth Work and as a director of the Morningside Community Centre. As the article in this anthology suggests, he has long been interested in supporting an active missionary presence, particularly on the part of Negroes. Since 1957, however, he has been identified with Crossroads Africa, which he founded as a “work-camp study seminar, friendship and aid program which takes students, teachers, professors and other specialists to countries in Africa for short term programs during the summer”. Operation Crossroads, which has functioned as a private voluntary organization from its inception, has broadened Robinson’s idea of service to Africa to include not only Negroes but youth of both races in this country as well as from Canada. According to the latest statistics published on Operation Crossroads, 1,039 persons, representing forty-seven states, nine Canadian provinces, Mexico, Uruguay, and Puerto Rico, have participated in eighty-five projects in twenty-five African countries in five general categories: construction, teacher training, and a broad miscellaneous category which would include social work, libraries, etc. Dr. Robinson, as the founder, remains chairman and director of the board of directors of Operation Crossroads.
