Religion and Society in America

African American Churches and Early Black Nationalism

Week 8 – Lecture 2

African American Churches, And Early Black Nationalism

African American Churches African American Leaders Images of “the Black Church” Religion and Black Nationalism

African American Churches

The era of Reconstruction proved to be one of growth and negotiating politics of the day

Freed slaves craved knowledge and the education so long denied them

Reading was fundamental to education

“Ultimate source” of knowledge and truth for freedmen was the bible

African American Churches

Question confronting free men and women: How does one become educated?

Whereas the working poor in the North at this time had access to public education, the South’s caste system denied the formation of such a system

Blacks in South seek education from other blacks (ministers)

African American Churches

Religion and the churches of the South provide a key for the improvement of conditions for African Americans

Churches provide an institution cohesiveness enabling blacks to organize in different areas while continually relying on the stability of the church as their social matrix

African American Churches

Tensions and divisions external to the African American churches develop

Tension in religious community between whites and blacks over “assistance” and “control”

Tremendous need within black community forces leadership to negotiate the terms and conditions

Depiction of Trent River settlement – Harper’s Weekly, June 9, 1866

African American Churches

Operative term – “self-reliance” Methodist minister Thomas W.

Stringer wrote from Vicksburg Mississippi in 1867, “Our people will not be satisfied until they have colored teachers.”

African American Churches

Religion, Christianity in particular, also gives a sense of purpose and stability to the black community as its members underwent tremendous social change in a few short years

Northern black missionaries heed the call for educators and flood the South starting up schools and churches

African American Churches

Those coming from the North were typically women

Examples: Dinah Smith Jordan (left); Rebecca Pitts (right)

Both Baptist missionaries from the North

African American Churches

Methodist Freedman’s Aid Society, American Freedman’s Union Commission are just of few Northern benevolent societies which sought to improve the educational opportunities for blacks

Churches provide a “dual” forum of education during the week and worship on the weekend (but also education for the masses)

African American Churches

Example: In 1867 the state of Alabama had 50 Sunday schools for blacks and 4,268 pupils attending each week

1880 African Methodist Episcopal General Conference reported operating 2,345 Sunday schools, employing 15,454 teachers and officers, and serving 154,549 pupils. The church also owned and operated 88 schoolhouses which housed nearly 200,000 books

African American Churches

Internal divisions and tensions emerge in black churches as they gain strength and organizational sophistication

Class differentiation between blacks and mulattoes

In Alabama, Georgia, and cities such as Memphis, blacks rather than mulattoes, enjoy social privilege

African American Churches

Another means of distinction was between freeborn blacks vs. slaves; privileged slaves vs. field hands

These distinctions usually connected to land ownership and social opportunities

Paternalism among black preachers

African American Leaders

Minister-politicians tended to be conservative and conciliatory

Believed God would help them overcome racial hatred and injustice

Also emphasize command to love thy enemy

Working principle: “justice before the law” (dual edge sword in pre-Jim Crow America)

African American Leaders

Avocation for equal society and the practical necessity of life compel black leaders to seek building a biracial society through economic means

African American Leaders

“Their class interests led them to espouse a bourgeois ideology that regarded hard work, frugality, and the slow but steady accumulation of wealth as the stones that paved the road to advancement” – W. Montgomery

African American Leaders

Daniel Alexander Payne (1811-1893)

AME bishop and educator Born of free parents in

Charleston, SC Ran a small school in Charleston

(1829-1835) until state laws close it

Licensed to preach by Lutheran Church in 1837 after attending Gettysburg Seminary

African American Leaders

Joins AME church in Philadelphia in 1841

1852-1864 travels around country to educate blacks

Advocates a trained and literate clergy which elicits criticism among constituents

1863 AME purchases Wilberforce University in Ohio & Payne becomes president (1st Black president)

African American Leaders

Delegate at first Ecumenical Conference of Methodist Episcopal Church in London 1881

1893 - Participant at World Parliament of Religion held in Chicago

Senior spokesman of AME church

African American Leaders

Bishop Henry McNeal Turner (1834-1915)

Born Newberry Courthouse, SC and licensed to preach in 1853 by ME Church becoming a popular revivalist

In 1858 he joined the AME Church and filled pastorates in Baltimore and Washington, DC

During Civil War, recruited black troops and served as a chaplain

African American Leaders

1868; 1870’s served as representative in Georgia State House

Denounced Supreme Court decision in 1896 denying federal civil rights with “separate but equal” clause

1890s – advocates “back to Africa” movement

1898 – “God is a Negro” is the precursor for what later becomes known as “Black Theology”

African American Leaders

Francis Grimké (1850 – 1928) Son of a mulatto slave, Nancy

Weston, and Henry Grimké, brother to Angelina and Sarah Grimké

Half-brother sells him into slavery

Educated Lincoln University, 1870

Studies law at Lincoln and Howard University (B.D. 1872)

African American Leaders

Fifteenth Street Presbyterian Church, Washington, DC minister 1878 – 85; 1889 – 1928

Urban church attracting the elite of Negro society

Known for powerful and intellectual sermons

African American Leaders

In light of Jim Crow legislation, Grimké advocates “character formation” and “moral integrity” of blacks

Through hard work, industrial education, and respect for authority, black citizens could find parity with whites

Images of “the Black Church”

Images of “the Black Church”

Images of “the Black Church”

Images of “the Black Church”

Religion and Black Nationalism With economic, social, and judicial

injustices the question emerges within the black churches about the long-term standing of blacks within American society.

Benjamin F. Porter, pastor of the Morris Brown AME Church in Charleston, SC proposes Liberian “liberation” scheme in a sermon, 1877

November 3, 1877 edition of The Harper’s Weekly a brief story (right hand column, middle) informing readers “A ‘Liberia Exodus Association’ has been formed in Charleston, South Carolina”

Religion and Black Nationalism Porter proposes a “joint stock

company” to facilitate emigration to Liberia

“Liberian Exodus Joint Stock Company”

South Carolina newspapers run ads with masses reading “Ho for Africa!” and “One million men wanted for Africa”

Religion and Black Nationalism

Company gets enough backing to purchase a ship named the Azor

Bishop Henry M. Turner helps to dedicate the initial journey of the ship

April 26, 1878 – 206 emigrants sail to Liberia

Religion and Black Nationalism By the 1880s, there emerges a vocal

debate in the press (such as the Christian Recorder) between opponents of emigration and its advocates

Two key figures on opposite sides of the debate are Henry T. Turner and Benjamin T. Tanner (pastor AME church

Religion and Black Nationalism Tanner fires opening salvo in press

suggesting that Dr. Edward W. Blyden, the minister to the Liberia Exodus Association, had little understanding of the condition of black Americans

Tanner insisted blacks in America had little in common with Africans: “To speak plainly…we are simply black white men.”

Religion and Black Nationalism Blyden countered this argument suggesting

“savage, or at most, semi-civilized…we know we are not [Africans], and yet by the most destructive sentiment, not a few of us insist upon linking our destiny to him…”

Turner responded suggesting Tanner simply dabbled in “moral philosophy” in the comfort of his Philadelphia office, while blacks were dying at the hands of white Southerners

Religion and Black Nationalism Nationalist agenda raises 3 important

questions for whites and blacks in America:

For blacks was it better to maintain livelihood in harsh environment and fight for rights realizing equality won’t be realized in your lifetime, or risk it all to secure personal freedoms elsewhere?

Religion and Black Nationalism

Who would stay behind? Would this draw off the intellectual elite and skilled labor among blacks? Loss of manual labor within white sector would not tolerated by many businessmen who were prepared to go to great lengths to secure manpower.

Religion and Black Nationalism

Challenge internally to black community and its leadership. Where would the numbers be to be morally persuasive in one’s arguments to U.S. government and sympathetic whites?

Questions in light of the debate Why is black nationalism emerging at this

time? What generation is debating this issue? What assumptions about the character of

America as a nation are being made? What are the assumptions of human nature

at play? Other???