The History of the Negro ChurchWoodson, Carter Godwin
Religion
The History of the Negro Church
Woodson, Carter Godwin
African Americans -- Religion
This does not mean, however, that the Negro church of to-day is not
alive to the sufferings of the race and is not critical of the attitude
of the so-called Christian elements in this country. Some Negro
ministers like Dr. F. J. Grimke are decidedly outspoken, even to the
extent of being classed with the militant Reds now being deported. Dr.
Pezavia O'Connell, a gentleman of scholarship and character, has all but
suffered professional martyrdom because he has always fearlessly
championed the cause of the Negro. Inasmuch as such an advanced position
does not always harmonize with the faith of his communicants, he has
been proscribed in certain circles. R. W. Bagnall, George Frazier
Miller, and Byron Gunner have actually preached the use of force and
encouraged resistance to the mobs to the extent that some Negroes have
probably addressed themselves vindictively to the task of retribution.
Through the Negro churches, and these alone, have the Negroes been able
to effect anything like a cooperative movement to counteract the evil
influences of such combinations against the race as the revived Ku Klux
Klan.
The church then is no longer the voice of one man crying in the
wilderness, but a spiritual organization at last becoming alive to the
needs of a people handicapped by social distinctions of which the race
must gradually free itself to do here in this life that which will
assure the larger life to come. To attain this the earth must be made
habitable for civilized people. Funds are daily raised in Negro churches
to fight segregation, and an innocent Negro in danger of suffering
injustice at the hands of the local oppressor may appeal with success to
the communicants with whom he has frequented a common altar. The
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People would be
unable to carry out its program without the aid of the Negro church.
Although Negroes are not now attracted to the church as much as
formerly, the census reports still show that there are more Negroes in
the ministry than in any other profession. The only really close
competitor of the Negro in this profession is the southern white man.
While the educated white men of the North are taking up scientific
pursuits and business, the southern whites are carrying out their
designs on the ministry, in keeping with the well-laid plans by which
they have succeeded in getting partial control of the northern press.
During recent years so many southern white students have crowded
northern schools of theology that, in keeping with the spirit of
Beelzebub, some of these institutions now deny Negroes admission. The
pulpits of the North are being gradually taken over by the apostles
indoctrinated by the medieval agents of race hate.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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