Segregation

There are large and important differences between blacks and whites in nearly every facet of life. Our society reflects racial, ethnic, and religious diversity. Racial discrimination can take many forms from the most horrible and brutal form of racisms. Due to the fact rich people do choose where and as they want to live and they can exclude those neighbors from lower social class. So there can be trace the tendency that high social class is concentrated in the part of the city where they have the opportunity to occupy "own" territory and keep others away from it, they can develop their own way of construction, their own house types, schools, services, and church’s. Rich people have enough power and money to build their own world by the rules they are made. As if whites ruled everything, which is sad to say but back then it was true.

As of 2013, the racial dynamic of church demographics remains hopeless. Nevertheless, the efforts of several pastors and church members-indicates that everyone isn't comfortable with the idea of segregated Sundays. Indeed, many people have embraced a more multicultural mentality advancing the notion that individuals of all colors should worship God together. The religious populace seems to have concluded that the racial divisions are inevitable. Moreover, some view them as advantageous and appropriate given so-called natural differences of racial groups. As made evident by the existence of both segregated and integrated churches, the world views that buttress each spiritual community have maintained for quite some time. There is segregation in today’s religious groups. As Martin Luther King Jr’s assertion, that Americans most segregated hour is 11am Sunday morning. I agree, why is it that blacks are with blacks, Hispanics with Hispanics, Asian Americans with Asian Americans? I never understood or realized how that worked till I read Some of my Best Friends Are Black. It made me reflect on society today, I came to several unanswered questions. My family is multiracial with Mexican and African American. So I’ve attend church where there’s only African American’s, and a different church where theirs only Hispanics. We all go to church to worship God, so can’t we attend church as one? Only time will tell which gains greater prevalence in 21st century church history. Hopefully in future reference there will be changes.

Segregation today is not what my grandparents back in the late 1900's may have seen it. Although different races may sit together in restaurants and buses, drink from the same drinking fountains, and use the same restrooms. There is still segregation. Some people still think that there should be a difference between two different races and look at them a little weird when they do something that they think is out of place. Some races look down on other race which comes back to Church’s; in today’s society it’s separated. When I enter church on Sundays, I see either just Hispanics or I see just African American’s depending on who I go with that’s in my family. As I think about it now, when I enter a Hispanic church and take my 2 cousins that’s also mixed with black, I do receive the stares from others that’s in that church. As if it’s a problem to be in there. I feel it shouldn’t because were all there for one reason and that’s to worship God. Whether you’re Japanese, black, Mexican, Chinese, or white, it shouldn’t matter because there is only one god. “In 18616 in Philadelphia, blacks broke from the main Methodist hierarchy and organized the African Methodist episcopal (AME) Church, American’s first fully independent black denomination.” While doing just that they still feared that religion would give slaves the mean to rebel. Slaves had to worship god in an invisible way, as if they didn’t matter.

As I learn more about the racial segregation in religious groups really makes me reflect on how it is in today’s society. Blacks were not allowed in white churches. Wallace Belson got a very harsh and unforgettable reminder. One Sunday morning in 1964, he went to the wrong church. He opened the door to the white church and was approached by two white men. Then they started beating him, right there in church, dropped him to the floor, kicked him in the head, on his back repeatedly. All this happened while the rest of the white people weren’t saying or doing not a thing. Now, I don’t think it would get that far as to beating somebody to the floor for being in the “so called” wrong church. But by seeing a different race come into the opposite race church, you will get stares and people most likely wondering what you’re doing there. As if you’re lost.

Martin Luther King, Jr. said “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” This means that through strength and courage great achievements can be met. As the future arrives we can only hope and see the changes that happen overtime. Maybe then there will be churches that serve for all ethnicities, not separated. To notice how human society is so messed up makes me think will this world we live in ever change for the better? I personally feel Sunday mornings would feel a whole lot better to realize we’re all coming together as one, Hispanics, blacks, whites, Chinese, Koreans, all different ethnic groups.