Abraham Akaka
Encyclopedia
Abraham Kahikina Akaka was an American clergyman. Born in the Pauoa Valley on the island of Oahu
. For the better part of three decades, Rev. Akaka was Kahu (shepherd) of Kawaiahaʻo Church in Honolulu, Hawaii. His mother was of pure Hawaiian ancestry, and his father was of Hawaiian-Chinese ancestry. He delivered his messages in both the Hawaiian and English languages.
. Each morning the Akaka household would begin with a prayer, recitation of Psalm 23
in Hawaiian, a Scripture recitation by each child, and hymn singing. The routine was repeated at the close of day. The Akaka family often looked after, and provided shelter for, disadvantaged children.
in Honolulu, Akaka did undergraduate work at the University of Hawaii
, and received his B.A. degree at Illinois Wesleyan University
in 1939. He received his B.D. degree at Chicago Theological Seminary
in 1943.
He was drawn to the ministry in 1939, when he was 22 years old, while attending the multi-national World Conference of Christian Youth in Amsterdam
. He realized that with little commonality except their faith, the 2000 attendees were one body in their belief in Jesus Christ. With the vision of his faith as a unifyng force for good, Akaka felt the call to the ministry while at the conference.
Akaka served for two years with the Western Kauai
Larger Parish Council, nine years ministering to five different churches on Maui
, and three years pastoring at Haili Church in Hilo, before accepting a call to shepherd Kawaiahaʻo Church in Honolulu in 1957.
, gave him the visibility to become "...Hawaii's most influential and widely known Hawaiian since Kamehameha the Great." From that pulpit, Akaka would become a champion for civil rights, a spiritual guide to all level of government servants, and statesman for the good of humanity.
Akaka also had his own revised version of Einstein's
famous E=mc2 equation : (Creative Mutuality, squared) CM 2=P (Prosperous peace) . He believed this formula held the hope for the world.
An eloquent speaker, it is from Akaka's March 13, 1959 address at Hawaii's formal statehood ceremony that we have a clear image of the moment of the statehood announcement:
Akaka was the first chairman of the Hawaii Advisory Committee of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission.
Akaka was at the forefront of the civil rights movement, joining the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
on the 1963 march on Washington, D.C. He sent the flower leis seen in photos draped around the necks of King and others in the March 21–25, 1965 Third Selma Civil Rights March
when King delivered his How Long, Not Long
speech.
In 1972, when Kamehameha Schools
faced the legal challenge of its "Hawaiians only" admission policy, and their policy of Protestant-only teachers, Akaka mounted a defense on behalf of the dwindling Native Hawaiian population.
Akaka was a ukulele
player, who incorporated the instrument into his messages, and leading attendees in the singing. In a 1970 sermon at Kawaiahaʻo attended by President Richard Nixon
, Akaka likened various races of the earth to ukulele strings, demonstrating how beautiful the result when they work together. That analogy would be repeated by Akaka over the years in many sermons.
Entertainer Danny Kaleikini felt that singing in the choir at Kawaiahaʻo helped set him on the road to success and a good life. Kaleikini calls Rev. Akaka "one of the greatest mentors in the history of the world." He described Akaka as an astute personality whose one-on-one guidance helped Kaleikini build an inner foundation that guided him through life.
Seldom a day went by when there wasn't news of Akaka appearing at one public function or another, often delivering invocations or blessing new homes and buildings, bus fleets and animals.
Never having fully retired, his last activity before his death was to conduct a service at Hawaiian Memorial Park Cemetery in Kaneohe. Collapsing shortly thereafter, he was in intensive care before dying on September 10, 1997 of a dissecting aortic aneurysm.
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
. For the better part of three decades, Rev. Akaka was Kahu (shepherd) of Kawaiahaʻo Church in Honolulu, Hawaii. His mother was of pure Hawaiian ancestry, and his father was of Hawaiian-Chinese ancestry. He delivered his messages in both the Hawaiian and English languages.
Family background
Abraham Akaka was the fourth of seven children in a deeply spiritual family. His youngest brother is United States Senator Daniel AkakaDaniel Akaka
Daniel Kahikina Akaka is the junior U.S. Senator from Hawaii and a member of the Democratic Party. He is the first U.S. Senator of Native Hawaiian ancestry and is currently the only member of the Senate who has Chinese ancestry....
. Each morning the Akaka household would begin with a prayer, recitation of Psalm 23
Psalm 23
In the 23rd Psalm in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, the writer describes God as his Shepherd. The text, beloved by Jews and Christians alike, is often alluded to in popular media and has been set to music....
in Hawaiian, a Scripture recitation by each child, and hymn singing. The routine was repeated at the close of day. The Akaka family often looked after, and provided shelter for, disadvantaged children.
Education
A graduate of President William McKinley High SchoolPresident William McKinley High School
President William McKinley High School, more commonly referred to as McKinley High School, is a public, co-educational college preparatory high school of the Hawaii State Department of Education and serves grades nine through twelve...
in Honolulu, Akaka did undergraduate work at the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
, and received his B.A. degree at Illinois Wesleyan University
Illinois Wesleyan University
Illinois Wesleyan University is an independent undergraduate university located in Bloomington, Illinois. Founded in 1850, the central portion of the present campus was acquired in 1854 with the first building erected in 1856...
in 1939. He received his B.D. degree at Chicago Theological Seminary
Chicago Theological Seminary
The Chicago Theological Seminary is a seminary of the United Church of Christ. It prepares women and men for leadership in the church and society through Master of Divinity , Master of Arts in Religious Studies , Master of Sacred Theology , Doctor of Ministry , and Doctor of Philosophy programs...
in 1943.
Call to the ministry
Abraham Akaka was ordained into the ministry in 1944.He was drawn to the ministry in 1939, when he was 22 years old, while attending the multi-national World Conference of Christian Youth in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. He realized that with little commonality except their faith, the 2000 attendees were one body in their belief in Jesus Christ. With the vision of his faith as a unifyng force for good, Akaka felt the call to the ministry while at the conference.
Akaka served for two years with the Western Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
Larger Parish Council, nine years ministering to five different churches on Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
, and three years pastoring at Haili Church in Hilo, before accepting a call to shepherd Kawaiahaʻo Church in Honolulu in 1957.
Kawaiahaʻo Church
Kawaiahaʻo Church, located across the street from [[ʻIolani Palace]] and the Hawaii State CapitolHawaii State Capitol
The Hawaii State Capitol is the official statehouse or capitol building of Hawaii in the United States. From its chambers, the executive and legislative branches perform the duties involved in governing the state...
, gave him the visibility to become "...Hawaii's most influential and widely known Hawaiian since Kamehameha the Great." From that pulpit, Akaka would become a champion for civil rights, a spiritual guide to all level of government servants, and statesman for the good of humanity.
Akaka also had his own revised version of Einstein's
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
famous E=mc2 equation : (Creative Mutuality, squared) CM 2=P (Prosperous peace) . He believed this formula held the hope for the world.
An eloquent speaker, it is from Akaka's March 13, 1959 address at Hawaii's formal statehood ceremony that we have a clear image of the moment of the statehood announcement:
"Yesterday, when the first sound of firecrackers and sirens reached my ears, I was with the members of our Territorial Senate in the middle of the morning prayer for the day's session. How strange it was, and yet how fitting, that the news should burst forth while we were in prayer together. Things had moved so fast. Our mayor, a few minutes before, had asked if the church could be kept open, because he and others wanted to walk across the street for prayer when the news came. By the time I got back from the Senate, this sanctuary was well filled with people who happened to be around, people from our government buildings nearby. And as we sang the great hymns of Hawaii and our nation, it seemed that the very walls of this church spoke of God's dealing with Hawaii in the past, of great events both spontaneous and planned."
Akaka was the first chairman of the Hawaii Advisory Committee of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission.
Akaka was at the forefront of the civil rights movement, joining the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
on the 1963 march on Washington, D.C. He sent the flower leis seen in photos draped around the necks of King and others in the March 21–25, 1965 Third Selma Civil Rights March
Selma to Montgomery marches
The Selma to Montgomery marches were three marches in 1965 that marked the political and emotional peak of the American civil rights movement. They grew out of the voting rights movement in Selma, Alabama, launched by local African-Americans who formed the Dallas County Voters League...
when King delivered his How Long, Not Long
How Long, Not Long
"How Long, Not Long" is the popular name given to the public speech delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on the steps of the State Capitol in Montgomery, Alabama, after the successful completion of the Selma to Montgomery March on March 25, 1965...
speech.
In 1972, when Kamehameha Schools
Kamehameha Schools
Kamehameha Schools , formerly called Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate , is a private co-educational college-preparatory institution that specializes in Native Hawaiian language and cultural education. It is located in Hawaii and operates three campuses: Kapālama , Pukalani , and Keaau...
faced the legal challenge of its "Hawaiians only" admission policy, and their policy of Protestant-only teachers, Akaka mounted a defense on behalf of the dwindling Native Hawaiian population.
Akaka was a ukulele
Ukulele
The ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
player, who incorporated the instrument into his messages, and leading attendees in the singing. In a 1970 sermon at Kawaiahaʻo attended by President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
, Akaka likened various races of the earth to ukulele strings, demonstrating how beautiful the result when they work together. That analogy would be repeated by Akaka over the years in many sermons.
Entertainer Danny Kaleikini felt that singing in the choir at Kawaiahaʻo helped set him on the road to success and a good life. Kaleikini calls Rev. Akaka "one of the greatest mentors in the history of the world." He described Akaka as an astute personality whose one-on-one guidance helped Kaleikini build an inner foundation that guided him through life.
Seldom a day went by when there wasn't news of Akaka appearing at one public function or another, often delivering invocations or blessing new homes and buildings, bus fleets and animals.
Retirement and final days
He retired from Kawaiahaʻo Church in 1984, and began to channel his energies to The Reverend Abraham Kahu Akaka Ministries Foundation, established to focus on:- Kōkua - Direct Help to Meet Need
- Kōkua (help) to Churches
- Scholarships and help to Schools and Individuals requesting assistance in their educational goals.
- Peace on Earth - to Organizations for Worldwide Humanitarian Work
Never having fully retired, his last activity before his death was to conduct a service at Hawaiian Memorial Park Cemetery in Kaneohe. Collapsing shortly thereafter, he was in intensive care before dying on September 10, 1997 of a dissecting aortic aneurysm.