Willis Duke Weatherford, a liberal pioneer in Southern race reform, argued that the ethics of Christianity obligated Southerners to address the social and economic problems faced by blacks in the early twentieth century. His strategy for improving race relations centred on educating Southerners and promoting economic uplift for blacks. Weatherford advocated race reform through the Young Men\u27s Christian Association, the Southern Sociological Congress, and other voluntary organizations. He published books, taught courses, preached sermons, organized conferences, and raised funds from Northern philanthropists. Through an analysis of Weatherford\u27s published writings and of his papers archived at the Southern Historical Collection, the present study provides a biographical profile of Weatherford\u27s life and career, examines the development of Weatherford\u27s racial views in the social and political context of his time, describes Weatherford\u27s program of race education developed for college students, and discusses an interracial conference held at the Blue Ridge Assembly in 1917
