"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose."  Romans 8:28 KJV

Through faith in Christ’s death and resurrection, we are forgiven of our sin and reconciled to God. We have assurance that sin and death are defeated.

Yes, we experience life’s difficulties, but we are also filled with hope through these difficulties. The salvation of our souls and the hope of eternal life with God allows us to press on and to not lose heart despite life’s circumstances.

To God Be The Glory for Paul’s timeless words of wisdom. While the effect of sin in the world and the weight of everyday life at times frustrate us physically, it cannot touch us spiritually. Although our bodies may ache, we know God can still renew our spirit, day after day after day!

Sister Cathy Black

WEEKLY ACTIVITIES

• Join our Virtual Prayer Service by phone on Tuesday evenings from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm Bible Study from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
  
  Call: 253-215-8782 or 301-715-8592;
  Additional Phone Numbers:
  564-217-2000; 646-558-8656;
  646-931-3860
  Meeting ID: 685 433 0718
• Radio broadcasts Saturdays 9:00 am and 3:00 pm as well as Sundays at 7:30 am on WJMM FM 99.1
• International Sunday School Lesson
  This Sunday's Lesson:
  
  "Jesus Overcomes Temptation: How Do We Overcome Temptation To Sin?" Matthew 4:1-11
  
  Lesson Nugget:
  In today's lesson, we observe how Jesus handled Satan's temptations. Jesus combated each of Satan's temptations with the Word of God. Satan, totally defeated, leaves Jesus. Jesus counteracted every temptatation with Scripture.
  
  Do we as Christians, depend upon God's Word when we are faced with Satan's temptations?
  
  

• Next Sunday's Lesson: "Palm Sunday: Does Jesus Fulfill Promises About The Messiah?" Mark  11:1-11

• In - Person Worship Service on Sundays at 10:30 am and Streaming on the Church Facebook Page and YouTube. It can also be viewed on demand on the church
  historicpg.org website by selecting "Watch Us Live."
  
• Thank you for giving your Tithes and Offerings In-Person, by mail or with the Givelify App.
  
• Give with CashApp: $1790pgchurch
  
  Our mailing address is:

Historic Pleasant Green Missionary Baptist Church

PO Box 11845
Lexington, KY 40578

Upcoming Events

Virtual Prayer Service 

Tuesday, March 24, 7:00 PM

Call: 253-215-8782;

Meeting ID: 685 433 0718

Choir Rehearsal

WEDNESDAY, March 25, 7:00 pm

 Bible Study,

In-Person & Virtual

Saturday, March 28, 10:00 AM

Call: 253-215-8782;

Meeting ID: 685 433 0718

Installation Service

Sunday, 4:00 pm, March 29, 2026

Pastor Elect Rev. Freddie Moody, Jr.
First Baptist Church

Lebanon, KY

ATTENTION  ATTENTION ATTENTION

Any member who is interested in serving as a Chairperson for Homecoming/Rally Day which will be held Sunday, August 16th or for the 236th Church Anniversary to be observed Sunday, October 18th, please submit your name to Rev. Samuel Peoples or Sister Karen Taylor. Thank you.

Pleasant Green Historic Highlight

Situated at Maxwell and Patterson, Pleasant Green Baptist, was organized in 1790 under a slave preacher owned by Lexington pioneer John Maxwell. That congregation is among the few antebellum black Baptist churches that was never under the authority of white ministers, operating without permission from any predecessor white congregation.

The current building was completed in 1931 during the Great Depression. The Lexington Leader covered its dedication, noting the 40-rank Pilcher pipe organ and other impressive features. In the 1960s, the church was the hub of the civil rights movement in Central Kentucky, housing the founding of the Congress of Racial Equality, bringing in activists despite a bomb threat, and facilitating the historic election of member Harry Sykes to the city council and later as mayor pro tem.

The churches’ very existence is an achievement of which all Kentuckians should be proud.

Her history and resilience say so much about the power of Americans to overcome slavery through the uncannily self-corrective mechanisms of our democracy, including religious liberty. It should be home to a visitors’ center that tells its story and what it meant for pioneering blacks in the 1700s and 1800s amid America’s westward expansion, and in the Second Reconstruction of the 1900s. A true monument to both slavery and freedom!

Respectfully submitted by Sister Cathy A. Black

Article Source (excerpts): “Preserve Lexington’s historic black churches as monuments to both slavery and freedom” The Lexington Herald Leader 9/11/17 by Amos N. Jones

For the month of March, the Youth Ministry will begin our study of the genealogy of Abraham, the father of the Hebrew nation and of "many nations."We will dive deep into his patriarchy and how this led to the 12 tribes of Israel and its importance in today's world."  

We invite ALL middle and high schoolers to join us at the church at 7 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of this month.  We encourage you to bring a friend and join us as we find engaging ways to study God's Word.  All reminders and events will be posted in our GroupMe messaging app.  

Contact Sis. Heather Happy (859.509.2927) for further details.

Yours in Christ,
Youth Directors 

WE ARE ONE!

CONGRATULATIONS to Sis. McKinley Emerson for being a recipient of the Delta Debutante "Becoming Her" Scholarship Ball 2026!!! And let's not forget our handsome escorts, Bro. Kered Anderson and Bro. Donovan Offutt!!! Job well done to the lady and gentlemen! 👏🏽 Thank you to our other Youth who came to support! We are so very proud of you, McKinley!!!

WE ARE ONE!

Welcome to the 40 Year Christians' Cooking Corner! 

Here we will feature recipes from the 40 Year Christian Group. This week's recipe comes from Sister Alyce Emerson.

Blessings to all.

Sister Linda Gates, President

Derby Pie

2 eggs well beaten
1 cup sugar
1/2 c flour
1 cup chopped pecans or pecans
1 cup melted butter
1 cup chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp bourbon

Mix all ingredients well. Pour into deep dish pie shell. Bake at 300 degree oven for 40-45 minutes.
Allow to cool and sit.
Very rich and yummy dessert. A great holiday treat or derby 🐎 favorite

Name: Kimberly Renee Marks Winn

Current Focus: I am focusing on my health as I look forward to retiring in the next 3 to 5 years. I go to the gym 4 or 5 times a week. I do this for myself so that I can still be active when I do retire.

Career: I am a rehab technician. I assist physical and occupational therapists with patient care at the bedside. I have done this for a total of 36 years. 26 years have been at UK.

Why this Career?: I was in the wrong job at the right time! 😊 GOD worked it out perfectly. I was home from boot camp. My uncle was a restaurant manager. He needed a cocktail waitress and I needed a job. I didn’t – and don’t - drink alcohol. I didn’t know what was in the drinks. (You can guess that I didn’t make good tips! 😊) I didn’t even know how to wear the skirt! Another employee had to tell me to put the split on the side to show my legs. I thought, “That’s not how the women at Pleasant Green wear our skirts!” 😊 One day a couple came in that stayed a long time. It was my task to get them to leave. I wanted to do so politely so I started a conversation. The husband asked me what I really wanted to do. I told him that I was interested in being a physical therapist. He gave me his number. He told me to contact him for an application. I looked the number up in the phone book. (Remember those?) He was legit! He owned and operated a hand therapy business. He sent me an application and hired me. That started my career in rehabilitation.

What do you want your church family to know about you?: What you see is what you get. I try to treat everybody the way I want to be treated. I try to be mindful of the things I say and do. I never know how my words may affect someone. My morning prayer is that I might be a positive light for someone. I want to be that light on my job and at our church.

We never know who is going through something. We never know if they are considering harm! I stay mindful that I can be the one who makes a positive difference in someone else’s day. When I see someone having a rough day, I want to be ready with an encouraging word.

When someone is coming into our church, I try to be mindful of not causing offense. I hope to greet anyone entering with a compliment or joke. I am observant so I can make positive comments. If what I say doesn’t land right, I try to respond to it the next time that I see the person. I know that where I serve can affect how someone feels as they enter – or leave - the sanctuary.

I like positive, “feel good.” During the holidays, I keep up with the TV schedule. Thanksgiving and Christmas are Hallmark and Lifetime movies! Now I can even search out the schedule for African American actors! Once the holidays are over, I’m done with Lifetime!

I am always ready to watch sports. My husband will tell you that we keep the cable on for me. 😊 Basketball, volleyball, baseball - I like it all! Sports are great conversation starters with my patients. Sports also played a big part in how Derrick and I started life together 😊 ..and how our daughters started their post-collegiate careers.

In high school I ran track, played basketball and joined the softball team. I had never played softball a day in my life! I tried out because Derrick played baseball! 😊We were high school sweethearts. If I made the softball team then we could see each other before our practices. I was told that I needed softball shoes. I spent my babysitting money and bought shoes with spikes. They were soccer shoes! 😊 It was an interesting start. But, I made the team! Crazy thing is that I started and lettered!

After high school graduation, I went to Western. I was homesick. I came home and joined the Army Reserve. I wasn’t paying attention that we were getting ready to enter Desert Storm! ☹Instead, I was looking at the opportunities. I had my eyes on the financial benefits. And Derrick and I still had our eyes on each other. 😊 I stayed in the Reserves for 14 years. Derrick has been the love of my life for 41 years. Our 36^th wedding anniversary will be June 23^rd. It’s a blessing that we grew up together and are still growing wiser together.

Just as Derrick and I grew as individuals through sports, so have our daughters. Both played basketball in college. Both have college-based careers. Nave is at Xavier in Cincinnati. LaTaya is at the University of Tennessee. I keep up with what they are doing personally and professionally. They are 28 but they’re still, “our girls.” As a parent of young adults, I encourage and remind. I tell them that as young, educated black women they must continually study their craft. As they continue to work in white, male dominated fields, they must consistently keep their eyes and ears open. It’s important that they know that their education and experiences do not guarantee advancement. They must work hard and trust GOD. GOD opens doors.

I also tell them to trust GOD with their future spouses. I tell them that they don’t want GOD to bring them bologna! I tell them they don’t want to have to fry bologna and season it up. No! They want the filet mignon that GOD has for them. Singles, wait for GOD’s filet mignon!

Pleasant Green has helped Derrick and I parent our girls with an understanding of who GOD is and what HE wants for them. I grew up in Pleasant Green. I joined by letter. I was 12 and my grandfather was “coming back home” after pastoring Bethsaida.

Is there anything special your church can do for you? Pray. Pray for me, my health and my family. May GOD continue to keep us in His perfect peace. Pray for our country and our military families. Many things are going on all over the world that will involve them. May GOD keep them in HIS protective care.

What do you want your church family to know about GOD?: GOD is a forgiving GOD because we are not perfect. GOD is a loving GOD because we are HIS. If we take it to HIM and leave it there, HE will answer. HE will answer when HE sees fit. When the answer comes, we will appreciate it more. I always tell my girls, “When you do your best, GOD will do the rest. Keep HIM first in everything you do -- your job, your home, your bills. Do the right thing and trust that GOD will be there.”

Spouse: Derrick Rene Winn

Adult Twin Daughters: Nave’ Rene and LaTaya Renee

Grandfather: the late Rev. Thomas E. Moore Sr & the late Sis. Kathleen Moore

Parents: Rosaleen Connor and Rev. William Marks Sr.

Recent Requests

• Family of Sister Ollie Ragland, who passed (Wife of Rev. Floyd Ragland)
  
  
• Family of Brother Robert Williams, who passed (Uncle of Sisters Lucy Persley, Bonnie Shelton, Mary Thomas, and Brother Rodger Williams)
  
  
• Sister Alyssa Burns (Home) (Daughter of Rev. Ron & Sis. René Burns)
  
  
• Sister Charlie Peoples Brown (Home)
  
  
• Sister Debra Collins (Home)
  
  
• Brother Austin Harris (Kalamazo, MI) (Son of Sister Addie Celeste Harris)
  
  
• Brother Michael Horton (Home)
  
  
• Sister Kemona Johnson (Home)
  
  
• Sister Norma Johnson (Home)
  
  
• Sister Dawn Gay Martin (Home)
  
  
• Sister Lucy Persley (Home) (Sister to Sisters Bonnie Shelton, Mary Thomas, and Brother Rodger Williams)
  
  
• Sister Sharon Scarber (UK Samaritan Hospital)
  
  
• Sister Lynn Smith (Home)
  
  
• Brother Rodney Taylor ( ICU at Ephraim McDowell Regional Hospital, Danville, Ky)  (Nephew of Sister Juanita Black and Cousin of Sister Cathy Black)
  
  
• Sister Valerie Washington (Texas) (Daughter-In-Law of Sister Thelma White)
  
  
• Sister Dawn Williams (Home) (Daughter of Sister Thelma White)
  
  
• Brother Rodger Williams (Home) (Brother of Sisters Lucy Persley, Bonnie Shelton, and Mary Thomas)
  
  
• Brother William "Bill" Young (Home)
  
  

Ongoing Requests:

• Brother Willis K. Bright, Jr. (Indianapolis, In)
  
  
• Brother Bruce from Tates Creek Golf Course Clubhouse
  
  
• Brother Levi Fishback (Harrodsburg Health & Rehabilitation Center, Harrodsburg, KY)
  
  
• Sister Anna Jarber (Homestead Nursing Home)
  
  
• Sister Thelma Masterson (Homestead Nursing Home)
   
• Brother Glenn Allen (Home) (Relative of the Brooks Family)
  
  
• Sister Mary Ann Banksden (Florence, AL) (Sister of Brother Sammie Brooks)
  
  
• Sister Lillian Bell (Ruston, LA)
  
  
• Sister Ruby Branham (Prestonsburg, KY) (Mother of Sister Jackie Peoples)
  
  
• Sister Beverly Bowman (Home)
  
  
• Sister Bonita Brown (Home)
  
  
• Brother Byron Brown
  
  
• Sister Patricia Brown (Home)
  
  
• Sister Carrie Clay (Home)
  
  
• Sister Charmaine Collins (Home) (Daughter of Sister Debra Collins)
  
  
• Sister Gloria Coleman (Home)
  
  
• Brother Lonnie Cowan (Home)
  
  
• Crutcher, Jones, & Payne Family (especially Little Brother Vince Crutcher III and Sister Brittany Payne)
  
  
• Sister Laura Dunaway (Home)
  
  
• Brother Billy Edwards (Home)
  
  
• Sister Shirley Alcorn Edwards (Portsmouth, VA)
  
  
• Sister Jessica Embry
  
  
• Sister McKinley Emerson (Home)
  
  
• Brother Greg Forrest (Kevil, KY) (Nephew of Sisters Janice Jackson and Barbara Ridgeway)
  
  
• Sister Johnetta Frazier (Home)
  
  
• Rev. Jerry Gumm (Home)
  (Friends of the late Dr. Charles Black's family)
  
  
• Brother Darius Hall, Jr. (14 year old Grandson of Sister Marion Hall) (Home)
  
  
• Sister Sheryl Haskins (Home)
  
  
• Sister Jeanette Higgins (Home)
  
  
• Sister Gwendolyn Holloman (Home) (Wife of Bishop J. B. Holloman)
  
  
• Sister Iris Horice (Paducah, KY) (Niece of Sisters Janice Jackson and Barbara Ridgeway)
  
  
• Brother Daron Houtman, Jr. (Wichita, KS) (Nephew of Sister Lisa Leath)
  
  
• Brother Julian Jackson (Home) (Father of Brother Jarold Jackson)
  
  
• Sister Vera Johnson (Home) (Sister of Sister Marion Hall)
  
  
• Brother Vincino Johnson (Home)
  
  
• Brother Travis Jones (Home ) (Brother of Sisters Liz Brooks, Trina Morton, and Sobona Sweat)
  
  
• The Kierra Joseph Family
  
  
• Sister Janet King (Classmate of Sister Norma Johnson)
  
  
• Brother Larry Leath (Home)
  
  
• Sister Lindsey Leath (Home)
  
  
• Sister Patricia Leavell (Home)
  
  
• Sister Wanda Frazier (Home) (Sister of Brother Wayne Frazier)
  
  
• Sister Karisma Lockhart (Los Angeles, CA) and her family (Niece of Rev. Freddie Moody)
  
  
• Sister Danise Madison (Seattle, WA) (Sister of Sister Bonita Brown)
  
  
• Sister Penny McCann (Austin, TX)
  
  
• Sister Charlet McLellan & Family
  
  
• Sister Genice Moody Mays (Los Angeles, CA) (Youngest sister of Rev. Freddie Moody)
  
  
• Sister Irene Sykes McKenzie (Home)
  
  
• Sister Elnora Miller (Home) (Mother of Sister Lisa Miller)
  
  
• Sister Lisa Miller (Home)
  
  
• Brother Daryl Moberly (Uncle of Sister Marva Eubank)
  
  
• Sister Tyailan Moberly (Home) (Cousin of Sister Marva Eubank)
  
  
• Brother Charles Moore, Sr. (Denton, TX) (Brother of Sister Shelia Williams)
  
  
• Sister Dorothy Offutt (Home)
  
  
• Sister Ashanti Owens (Granddaughter of Sister Mary Thomas)
  
  
• Sister Brittany Payne (Home)
  
  
• Brother Stevie Pepper (Columbus, OH) (Cousin of Sister Mary Thomas)(Home)
  
  
• Brother Steven Prater (Richmond Hill, GA)
  
  
• Sister Ruth Rawlings (Friend of Sister Kim Bond)
  
  
• Veronica Ridgeway (Louisville, KY) (Cousin of Sisters Janice Jackson and Barbara Ridgeway)
  
  
• Sister Annette Reid (Home)
  
  
• Brother Ashley Roach
  
  
• Sister Gayle Rush-Coleman (Home)
  
  
• Sister Tamika Sales (Home)
  
  
• Sister Candace Hayes (Home) (Daughter of Sister Sharon Scarber)
  
  
• Brother Donald Scarber (Home)
  
  
• Brother Doug Smith (Brother of Rev. Michael Smith) (Home, Louisville, KY)
  
  
• Sister Pennie Smith (Home)
  
  
• Sister Eleanor Smothers (Home)
  
  
• Sister Delores Spencer (Home)
  
  
• Sister Tonia Stewart (Home)
  
  
• Brother Adrian Tatman (Home)
  
  
• Sister Anna Tatman (Home)
  
  
• Sister Cheryl "Midge" Taylor (Home)
  
  
• Sister Kendra Taylor (Home)
  
  
• Sister Carol Thomas (Home)
  
  
• Sister Anna Ison-Walker (Home)
  
  
• Brother Kevin Walker (San Francisco, CA) (First Cousin of Rev. Freddie Moody)
  
  
• Sister Martha Warner (Home) (Mother of Sister Catherine Frye)
  
  

• Sister Tassa Wigginton (Home)
  
  
• Brother Melvin Williams (Home)
  
  

• Brother Leon Wilson (Home) (Brother-in-Law of Sister Mary Thomas)
  
  
  
• Each person listed on our Sick List
  
  
• HPGMBC Full Time Pastor Search Committee Members, their families and their work
  
  
• Victims of the Wildfires
  
  
• Families of the Children affected in war torn countries around the world
  
  
• Children orphaned due to war and worldwide crises
  
  
• Families affected by gun violence in our community and abroad
  
  
• COVID-19 Victims around the world
  
  
• The People of Ukraine
  
  
• Healthcare workers, First responders, etc.
  
  
• The Entire Pleasant Green Church Family
  
  
• Our Local and National Government Officials

Heavenly Father, thank You for surrounding us with friends and family. Please help us to invite others into Your community.Thank you for Jesus. In His Name. Amen 

{Adapted from Our Daily Bread,  March 18, 2026}

Keep Your Contact Information Updated

Please keep your contact information up to date. In case of emergencies, changes of service times, etc., every attempt will be made to contact church members as expeditiously as possible using text messages to cell phones, phone calls, and emails. You can update your contact information by calling the church at (859) 254-7387.

If you would like to volunteer in assisting with contacting members on the rare occasions when information needs to be communicated to the church membership quickly, please call the church and give your name and phone number.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

FLU

Flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death.

Flu shots are available at local pharmacies. Consult your physician regarding a flu vaccination.

RSV

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common, contagious virus that usually causes mild symptoms. In older adults and adults with certain underlying conditions, RSV can cause severe infections.

RSV shots are available at local pharmacies. Consult your physician regarding a RSV vaccination.

COVID-19

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Most people infected with the virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. However, some will become seriously ill and require medical attention. Older people and those with underlying medical conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, or cancer are more likely to develop serious illness. Anyone can get sick with COVID-19 and become seriously ill or die at any age.

The best way to prevent and slow down transmission is to be well informed about the disease and how the virus spreads. Protect yourself and others from infection by staying at least 1 metre apart from others, wearing a properly fitted mask, and washing your hands or using an alcohol-based rub frequently. Get vaccinated when it’s your turn and follow local guidance.

The virus can spread from an infected person’s mouth or nose in small liquid particles when they cough, sneeze, speak, sing or breathe. These particles range from larger respiratory droplets to smaller aerosols. It is important to practice respiratory etiquette, for example by coughing into a flexed elbow, and to stay home and self-isolate until you recover if you feel unwell.

Both COVID vaccines and Booster COVID vaccines are available at local pharmacies. Consult your physician regarding COVID vaccinations.

General Health Information

General Health information can be obtained from the Health Department. Contact information is below:

LEXINGTON-FAYETTE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
650 Newtown Pike
Lexington, KY 40508
(859) 252-2371.

VOL. 18 COMMON SENSE REVISITED 3 22 26

… “THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL,…”

“…that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

This second sentence is an immortal masterpiece of the the Enlightenment Period of World History, it is our U.S. Declaration of Independence.

History textbooks define the The Enlightenment (or Age of Reason (common sense)) as a “18th-century intellectual movement in Europe that prioritized reason, science, and individualism over tradition, superstition, and religious authority. It championed critical thinking to improve society, pushing for liberty, equality, and human rights, which inspired modern democratic revolutions.

Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, the two members given the task to write the Declaration were both extensively associated with the French philosophes—the intellectuals and philosophers of the Enlightenment, as mentioned in Vol.17. They were deeply impressed and influenced by the Enlightenment philosophy during their respective times in France.

Both men developed deep personal friendships, intellectual partnerships, and shared visions for societal progress. Their fellowship with these thinkers shaped both men’s thinking about American diplomacy and their own ideological beliefs. They shared these beliefs with their fellow Americans as they were shaping their new republic.

In Vol. 17 of COMMON SENSE REVISITED I shared Jefferson’s beliefs about black people. I want to share one further statement the Philosophes made about their views on slavery: One of the most astute French Philosophes was Louis De Jaucourt who gave this “utilitarian” definition of slaves: (slaves are) “Those animate, organic units of economy. As a matter of fact, that was all black slaves were.”

He and his fellow Philosophes also believed that: “Economy and morality appeared to be inescapably interrelated. Changing one meant drastically modifying the other. An economic system based on the immoral exploitation of man had to disappear, giving way to one more equitable. His cohort Voltaire, “voiced a general conviction when he said: “One cannot too earnestly do battle against the notion, humiliating to mankind, that there are countries where millions of people ceaselessly labor for one man who devours everything.”

Such profound and well thought out and shared (full of COMMON SINCE) thoughts by the Philosophes. One would, by COMMON SENSE, agree that these well thought out convictions were worthy of, not only heeding, but adopting them to strengthen their new nation.

Benjamin Franklin’s Fellowship veered a bit different from Thomas Jefferson with French Intellectuals

Ben Franklin was revered by the French as a "Living Embodiment" of the Enlightenment. Upon his arrival to France in 1776, French aristocracy and intellectuals celebrated Franklin. They viewed him as the personification of the New World Enlightenment.

His home away from home, outside of the city of Paris, became a central hub for intellectual exchange. Many of the Philosophes made their way to his home just to fellowship with Franklin and he with them.

Franklin was a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences and engaged with the Physiocrat school of thought, a group of French economists and thinkers.

Unlike Jefferson Franklin agreed with those Philosophes that deplored the institution of slavery. Many historians believe Franklin persuaded the committee to add the statement to the Declaration of Independence that, “all men are created equal and “…that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Thomas Jefferson replaced Franklin as foreign Minister to France in 1785. Jefferson immediately took advantage of Franklin’s introductions to gain entry into the elite salons and scientific circles of Paris. (It’s reasonable to think that those connections should have influenced Jefferson in the way they did Franklin. COMMON SENSE should have dictated that.)

Jefferson also regularly corresponded and met with other intellectuals, to learn about French thought, and he shared their enthusiasm for scientific advancement and social reform. And yet, his being a huge slave owner, no doubt, hindered him in joining the efforts to advocate for the elimination of slavery in America and everywhere in the world.

Both men were strongly connected to the intellectual think tank that supported natural law, religious freedom, science, and the "indefinite perfectibility of mankind," except for slavery on Jefferson’s part.

Both were close allies with reform-minded French nobles such as the Marquis de Lafayette who would eventually come to America’s aid in the Revolutionary War.

Franklin and Jefferson both viewed the philosophes as allies in the global advancement of reason.

Jefferson, like many other slaveowners tried to soothe their consciences by creating elaborate justifications to defend the “Peculiar Institution” of slavery that lasted 222 years until the end of the civil war in 1865.

COMMON SENSE NOT REVISED… BUT DENIED

TO BE CONTINUED: