Walter Earl fluker& Associates

Today we celebrate the birthday of Howard Thurman—mystic, theologian, philosopher, and guide to generations seeking the “sound of the genuine.” On this day, I find myself reflecting on the long and winding journey of the Howard Thurman Papers Project (HTPP), launched in 1992 and now comprising eleven volumes of his writings, sermons, correspondence, and lectures, along with the digital edition of The Papers of Howard Washington Thurman (PHWT). This work has supported biographies, documentaries, dissertations, and countless books and articles that continue to amplify Thurman’s extraordinary legacy. None of this would have been possible
without an incredible cadre of editors, researchers, administrators and the generous support of foundations, institutions, colleagues, and friends who believed in the enduring value of Thurman’s witness.


Today we celebrate the birthday of Howard Thurman—mystic, theologian, philosopher, and guide to generations seeking the “sound of the genuine.” On this day, I find myself reflecting on the long and winding journey of the Howard Thurman Papers Project (HTPP), launched in 1992 and now comprising eleven volumes of his writings, sermons, correspondence, and lectures, along with the digital edition of The Papers of Howard Washington Thurman (PHWT). This work has supported biographies, documentaries, dissertations, and countless books and articles that continue to amplify Thurman’s extraordinary legacy. None of this would have been possible
without an incredible cadre of editors, researchers, administrators and the generous support of foundations, institutions, colleagues, and friends who believed in the enduring value of Thurman’s witness.


Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Howard Thurman — November 18, 2025

My own journey with Thurman stretches back to my early days in the U.S. Army when his meditations first found me, and later to a memorable afternoon in 1978 when, as a seminary student, I was blessed to spend an unplanned, soul-shaping conversation with him. His handwritten words—“You must wait and listen for the sound of the genuine within you”—have guided every major vocational crossing I have faced since. That “sound” held me as the Papers Project grew from a handful of documents into a collection of more than fifty-eight thousand items, and as I moved through scholarly and leadership roles at Vanderbilt, Harvard, Colgate Rochester, Morehouse College, Boston University, Emory University, and now Hartford International University for Religion and Peace. At every step, Thurman’s wisdom, and the dedicated communities around this work, kept the flame alive. Today, as I honor his birthday, I also honor the many hands, hearts, and institutions that carried this project forward across decades, cities, and callings. From San Francisco to Boston, from Rochester to Atlanta, this journey has been a circle of return—always back to Thurman, always back to the search for common ground. I remain grateful to the mentors, editors, researchers, students, supporters, and especially to my lifelong companion, Sharon Watson Fluker, whose own connection to the Thurman family completes the circle. As we remember Howard Thurman today, may we continue to listen for the genuine, follow its cadence, and live into the work that calls each of us forward.

My own journey with Thurman stretches back to my early days in the U.S. Army when his meditations first found me, and later to a memorable afternoon in 1978 when, as a seminary student, I was blessed to spend an unplanned, soul-shaping conversation with him. His handwritten words—“You must wait and listen for the sound of the genuine within you”—have guided every major vocational crossing I have faced since. That “sound” held me as the Papers Project grew from a handful of documents into a collection of more than fifty-eight thousand items, and as I moved through scholarly and leadership roles at Vanderbilt, Harvard, Colgate Rochester, Morehouse College, Boston University, Emory University, and now Hartford International University for Religion and Peace. At every step, Thurman’s wisdom, and the dedicated communities around this work, kept the flame alive. Today, as I honor his birthday, I also honor the many hands, hearts, and institutions that carried this project forward across decades, cities, and callings. From San Francisco to Boston, from Rochester to Atlanta, this journey has been a circle of return—always back to Thurman, always back to the search for common ground. I remain grateful to the mentors, editors, researchers, students, supporters, and especially to my lifelong companion, Sharon Watson Fluker, whose own connection to the Thurman family completes the circle. As we remember Howard Thurman today, may we continue to listen for the genuine, follow its cadence, and live into the work that calls each of us forward.

https://thurmanpapersproject.org/
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My own journey with Thurman

https://thurmanpapersproject.org/

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Walter Earl fluker & Assoc.