AME stands for African Methodist Episcopal, which is a denomination within the African American Methodist tradition. The African Methodist Episcopal Church was founded in 1816 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by Richard Allen, a former slave who became a prominent minister and community leader.

The AME Church was established in response to racial discrimination and segregation within the predominantly white Methodist church in America at the time. Richard Allen and other early leaders of the AME Church sought to create a church where African Americans could worship freely without facing the discrimination they experienced in other denominations.

The AME Church played a significant role in the abolitionist movement and the fight for civil rights in America. Many prominent African American leaders and activists were members of the AME Church, including Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Tubman.

Today, the African Methodist Episcopal Church is one of the largest and most influential historically black denominations in the United States. It continues to be a powerful force for social justice and community empowerment within African American communities.