Churches played an active role in slavery and segregation

#religion

Some churches across denominations are acknowledging that their wealth was often built off of enslaved labor and are committing parts of their endowments to reparations funds.

“The Diocese of New York played a significant, and genuinely evil, part in American slavery,” Dietsche said during his November 2019 address. “We must make, where we can, repair.”

You’re absolutely right. Churches indeed played a significant role in both slavery and segregation. For instance, Episcopal churches across New York state were deeply embedded in the slave trade, with church founders, congregants, and even the churches themselves benefiting from enslaved labor.

In response to this history, the Episcopal Diocese of New York set aside $1.1 million of its endowment for a reparations fund, acknowledging their past and committing to repair. Other denominations, including the Presbyterian Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, have also studied their roles in slavery and begun the process of making reparations.

The Black Church, on the other hand, fueled slave rebellions, sustained the Underground Railroad, and produced influential abolitionist orators and political leaders during Reconstruction2.