Black Catholics from Migration to Revolution

2250 North Sheffield Avenue,Chicago IL 60614

17 May, 2022

Description

How the Great Migrations of African Americans to the urban north forever changed what it meant to be Catholic in the U.S. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: This is a HYBRID event, offered both in person and on Zoom. If you plan to attend in person, please note: At this time, DePaul requires that attendees show proof of vaccination, including booster (or a negative COVID test within 72 hours of the event); masks are not required but still recommended in all indoor settings. Should the university's COVID protocol change as the event approaches, we will post those updates here and include them in the final reminder e-mails sent to registrants. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: The Great Migrations of African Americans from the rural South and Caribbean to cities like Chicago forever changed what it meant to be Catholic in the United States. Black Catholics saved south and westside Chicago parishes from closure, transforming them into vibrant, and in some cases nationally renowned, faith communities. And inspired by the Black Power movement, Black Catholics would struggle to save the Church from the sin of white supremacy, even partnering with the Black Panther Party in their fight for self-determination. Dr. Matthew Cressler will unpack this history and illuminate its implications for us today. Matthew J. Cressler is associate professor of religious studies and affiliate faculty in African American studies at the College of Charleston. His writing on religion, race, and US Catholicism includes Authentically Black and Truly Catholic: The Rise of Black Catholicism in the Great Migrations (NYU Press, 2017), “‘Real Good and Sincere Catholics': White Catholicism and Massive Resistance to Desegregation in Chicago, 1965-1968” (Religion and American Culture, 2020), and “Centering Black Catholic Religio-Racial Identity, Revealing White Catholicism” (Journal of the American Academy of Religion, 2020). He co-authored the Religion News Service series “Beyond the Most Segregated Hour” with journalist Adelle M. Banks, which won a Wilbur Award from the Religion Communicators Council. You can connect with him on Twitter @mjcressler. ~ About the cover photo ~ Fr. Rollins Lambert (center) concelebrates a Black Unity Mass at St. Agatha Church, Chicago, on February 2, 1969. (Courtesy of David J. Endres/U.S. Catholic Historian)