Black Religious Activism: Exploring the Issues

In 1787, Richard Allen and Absalom Jones left the predominantly white St. George Methodist Episcopal Church to protest the racism and discrimination they faced. A few years later, both men would create their own African American Christian denominations to meet the political and spiritual needs of black communities. Black leaders created countless religious organization over the next two hundred years to meet those same needs. Black religious communities ranging from mega churches to Black Lives Matter continue to play an important role in politics.

This book examines the background and significance of black religious activism in the United States. The book begins with an overview of black religious activism. A chronology then profiles key events related to black religious activism. Roughly 50 alphabetically arranged reference entries follow. These provide objective, fundamental information about people, organizations, events, and other topics related to black religious activism, with an emphasis on modern concerns. Each entry provides cross-references and suggestions for further reading. The volume closes with a selected, annotated bibliography of the most important broad works on black religious activism.

A chronology, an overview essay, and alphabetically arranged reference entries explore the background and contemporary significance of Black religious activism in the USA.

In 1787, Richard Allen and Absalom Jones left the predominantly white St. George Methodist Episcopal Church to protest the racism and discrimination they faced. A few years later, both men created their own African American Christian denominations to meet the political and spiritual needs of Black communities. From there, Black leaders have created countless religious organizations over the next 200 years to meet those same needs., and contemporary Black religious communities continue to play an important role in local, regional, and national politics.

This book explores the historical and contemporary significance of Black religious activism in the USA. An informative overview provides context for the movement, followed by a chronology highlighting key events. Alphabetically arranged reference entries follow, providing objective and fundamental information about the people, organizations, and events that shaped Black religious activism, with an emphasis on topics of modern relevance. Readers are encouraged to extend their understanding of the topic with cross-references and suggestions for further reading after each entry.