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combination of various methods of oppression left many slaves in desperate need of
hope from some source. Many who chose to challenge the dominant narrative had hope
in a political freedom that was possible only in the afterlife. The language of the slave
spirituals makes proclamations such as: “I'm gonna wait upon the Lord till my change
comes.” 7 This represents one polarity in which the Black Church was pulled. Indeed,
this ideology continued well beyond the period of African enslavement and into the Civil
Rights Movement era.
Many African Americans chose not to participate in civil rights protests and
demonstrations because of their firm belief in God's ability to create the necessary
social change without human intervention. An interview with both Black church leaders
as well as their parishioners during the 1960s is evidence of this perception. Gary Marx
quotes a parishioner from a Detroit church who states her thoughts on political
activism: “I don't go for demonstrations. I believe that God created all men equal and
at His appointed time He will give every man his portion, no one can hinder it.” 8
Although this comment is only one anecdote, it was by no means an isolated incident.
Perhaps the most recognized religious activist group during the Civil Rights Movement
was Martin Luther King Jr.’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). This
organization sought tirelessly to incorporate political activism as a staple of the
everyday practice of Christianity. However, despite its popularity there were many Black
religious leaders who were highly critical of the organization because of its perceived
over-involvement in politics. It has been estimated that as many as ninety percent of
Black ministers shunned the activities of the SCLC. 9
However, alongside this view of political and social activism in the Black Church
tradition, there is another perspective that has an equally rich history. Social activism
and divine liberation in the here and now have also been a distinct characteristic.
7
Gary Marx, “Religion: Opiate or Inspiration of Civil Rights Militancy among Negroes,”
American Sociological Review, 32:1 (1967), 70.
8
Marx, “Religion,” 72.
9
Alison Calhoun-Brown, “Upon This Rock: The Black Church, Nonviolence, and the Civil
Rights,” Political Science and Politics, 33:2 (2000), 172.