Black History Month-2018

All too often only the most negative aspects of African American culture and communities get highlighted.  We hear about the poverty rates, incarceration rates, and high school drop out rates.  We are inundated with images of unruly athletes and raunchy reality TV stars as paradigms of success for Black people.  And we are daily subject to unfair stereotypes and assumptions from a culture that is, in some aspects, still learning to accept us.

As we celebrate Black History Month let us remember Before there were African-American mayors, governors, or even an African-American President, black churches received leadership from African-American Sunday School teachers, deacons, and pastors. These church leaders, along with others, were seen as community leaders, who helped mentor, educate, and counsel many in the black community. Moreover, the black church was not only a place of worship, but served the community as a center for gathering support and encouraging one another through fellowship.

The Civil Rights Movement gained significant strength because of the participation of black churches. They became meeting centers for the organization and strategic planning of the effort for equal rights. Regular church members, church lay leaders, and pastors took a position at the forefront of the work to change a racial and ethnically segregated America. Black churches should be celebrated for their part in influencing a nation to respect and value ethic and racial rights. –Rev.M.D.Rogers