Black Church Culture and Community Action

According to The beginning Years of Grace Memorial Presbyterian Church article, there were a variety of churches that were not for black citizens to attend, but it is seen throughout history some churches started to be established by black folk(beginning 1). How did the establishment of the Grace Memorial Presbyterian Church influence areas such as the Hill district and the Northside? How did the Presbyterian Church help the community such as the Hill District as well? These are questions being presented because, throughout the Article, it is noticeable how much the black church helped the black community. Throughout this paper, it will be explained as to how the black church helped the black community.

These Grace Memorial Presbyterian churches helped influence the community by giving the community a place to praise when they had no other place to go and worship. These churches gave them a space to clear their minds and feel safe and at peace. The black churches helped by doing social events. The social events helped attract more people into the church community as well as connect different churches. Black churches such as Grace Memorial Presbyterian Church influenced black communities to be active and engage with other black citizens within their communities. Churches were involved in so many events back in the 1700s to 1970. Many of the black churches were involved in many issues black citizens had back then, in the attempt to overcome many of the issues.

Churches held black communities at unity with different programs and clubs for children as well as adults. The programs the black churches created helped with getting more people into the church. The churches can teach that not everything that happens cruelly and violently does not always be to result in violence. The Unity the black community held was a great cause of the black churches causing black citizens to never give up.

African-Americans were not invited to churches by whites, therefore African-Americans started to abandon the white Presbyterian churches to create their own churches. The Presbyterian Church had Groups such as Young people-junior high, senior high, young adults, Men's Activities club, Women's National Loyal League, Co-Workers Club, Young Women's Progressive Club, and Swift Memorial Missionary Society(beginning 5). These Groups Gave the African-American citizens the chance to actively engage with one another. There were several women's groups, and each woman could belong to more than one (beginning 6). This gave the women the opportunity to meet new women and connect with them. This also gave them the chance to hear others opinions and how they feel building a better understanding of one another, therefore creating a congregation of powerful women.

The Women's National Loyal League was a congregation of women during the Cold War supporting the Union War effort which abolished slavery(Women's 1). The women helped the Union troops by shipping foods, clothes, and helping in the United States Sanitary Commission(Womens' 1). These actions gave the women a small political role in society, so the women started to urge the emancipation of African American (Women 1). These actions would cause things such as the freedom of African American slaves. The things the women did can also cause women to gain over time a strong role in the American society. This also brings a small sense of unity between some white and African American citizens.

Boy Scouts was created with the scoutmaster being Mr.Lynne Hoye and Youth Choir directed by Mrs.Nan Currington( Beginning 6). These programs for the youth could help keep them from the cruel racial events and problems that African-Americans encountered. The Boy Scouts could help with teaching and disciplining young African-American children and young men how to be a proper young man and how to act in everyday life. The Youth Choir can help with getting more people to potentially believe in God if they felt the presence of the Lord influencing people to join the church. Black Churches worked with Allegany County Certified teachers in Sunday school(Beginning 5). With teachers working at the Sunday schools, this gave them a chance to teach many children about their savior. Since the Sunday school teacher was certified teachers they can also help with teaching children academics as well as help them with work.

A woman from Grace Church by the name of Mrs.Alma Illery created a health center in Pittsburgh. The healthcare center was a private, nonprofit community-based health care center9(primary 1). The medical center has nine medical buildings, seven healthcare for the homeless, four for dental services, and 1 for family services for mostly lower-income families 9 (primary 1). This gave black people the opportunity to get medical attention when needed. These centers also provide a center for low-income black families to be supported. There were equal opportunities that were given to homeless citizens to get dental care and medical care. These centers would bring the black community to a unified position. The role of the Grace Memorial Presbyterian Church became a more dependable source for the African American citizens in the U.S.

The article did not talk a lot about the Hill District but based on the reading it is assumed that the Presbyterian churches gave the chance to African-Americans in the Hill District area, a place to worship. The churches also gave the youth and adults the opportunity to join the many programs the churches offered. The Presbyterian Church also gave the Hill District a way to connect with all of the other churches.

Black Churches such as the Presbyterian Church were the glue to the African-American Society. Throughout African-American history, Black Churches such as the Presbyterian Church was involved in a lot of the historical events often helping the black community grow as one big family. These churches brought the black congregation to get an understanding of one another along with what racial problems they were dealing with and how to deal with them. The African-American churches caused the black citizens to never give up and always see the light no matter how bad things got furthermore, to never act violently. Presbyterian Churches highly influenced the black communities.

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