Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America

by Michael O. Emerson

In a movement centered and most successful in the South, black Christians called, protested, boycotted, and died for an end to Jim Crow segregation. The connection between religious faith and the social movement is a remarkable moment in American religious history, attesting to the power of religion to call for and realize change. In this case, the goal was freedom from oppression and unequal treatment, at least as expressed through the laws and practices of the South. When the movement moved north and attempted to address northern race issues, namely ghettos, it was largely unsuccessful. This different version of segregation and discrimination was not easily addressed by direct-action campaigns. Clear villains were difficult to identify, clear solutions difficult to implement. Still, this relatively short period of black Christian action led to monumental changes in the South.