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In Jim Crow America, White Churches Often Fueled Hatred as Black Ministers Sought Healing
Between 1883 and 1941, over 3,200 Black Americans were lynched, while white pastors too often turned a blind eye.
It is deeply troubling to think that lynching of black people till as recently as 20th century America was a prevalent reality.
Data reveals that of the 4,467 total victims of lynching in the US between 1883 and 1941, 3,265 of these victims were black. This is hardly surprising to observers of US history who know the divisive nature of the Jim Crow laws, which even after the official end of slavery continued to provide legal pathways for segregation and violence.
In her book Lynching and Spectacle, Amy Louise Wood talks about the dilemma Southern Pastors often faced. While some openly condoned the lynchings, there were others who did not. They kept silent because they simply felt that preaching against it would be bad for their personal safety! So radicaliszed was the atmosphere of the time that pastors did not want to alienate their congregations by discouraging violence against the black community.
This silence and at times incitement towards racial violence by the Church adds another layer to our understanding of the atrocities…
