Black Church Barrios: African American Churches Adapt To Latino Neighbors

Soloist Vickilyn Reynolds leads the choir in "I Will Trust In The Lord" as the Rev. Al Sharpton, not shown, asks for a national day of prayer for Whitney Houston, during regular Sunday services at Second Baptist Church in Los Angeles, on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012. Houston, whose musical roots were in church gospel singing and ruled as pop music's queen until her majestic voice was ravaged by drug use and her regal image was tarnished by erratic behavior and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brow

www.christianitytoday.com:

Every week as he delivers the sermon at the oldest black church in Los Angeles, pastor William Eps stands where history was written. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at Second Baptist Church throughout the 1950s and '60s. Today social justice remains just as important to the 127-year-old church--but the faces of the community it serves have changed dramatically.

Decades ago, members of the predominantly black congregation lived nearby and walked to services. Today the church is a commuter congregation--its black members no longer live in the neighborhood, which, like the rest of once-black South Los Angeles, is now Latino.

Richard Flory, director of research at the University of Southern California's Center for Religion and Civic Culture, said that while the city's ethnic makeup has been changing since the 1990s, the newest manifestation is the identity shift of South Los Angeles churches from community churches to commuter churches.

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Comments

[aaapreciseplumb]

04:58 PM on 05/23/2012

This article is untrue. There is no church for mexicans and blacks only or the cops would be there daily. These two nationalities don't get along at all so I don't know what Sharpton thinks he is pulling. I live in a state where they kill eachother and that is how much they don't get along.

[whyalltheanger]

03:12 PM on 05/24/2012

Are you kidding me? Are you sayiong black and latino churchgoers are incapable of acting peacefuly? What God do you worship?

[Aniya Patrice Adair]

02:11 PM on 05/23/2012

Why is there an article on "the black church", as if its congregation being black somehow saves it from being just as hypocritical and backwards as every other church on the face of the Earth? Who cares what "it" does, since it is now some special entity...who the hell are they to be 'adapting to Latino neighbors' as if Latinos are some alien species UNWORTHY of Blacks' (in)hospitality? GTFOH with that.

[ResearchtheFacts]

05:23 PM on 05/23/2012

If you read the article it said the neighborhoods have changed. You are seriously overly dramatic.

[Christian Cantwell]

01:17 PM on 05/24/2012

She does not understand... The public school system is seriously flawed!!!!!!!!!!!

[Aniya Patrice Adair]

06:37 PM on 05/24/2012

I must have struck a nerve. Thanks for the reply ;)

[Christian Cantwell]

01:16 PM on 05/24/2012

Adaptation and acclimation are not negative in nature, so I think you missed the point. When you have a predominant culture in a certain area, there is assimilation,adaptation and acclimation. I dont know what your beef is a church... It could be that they have denounced the ruling on gays, or whatever. But to speak the entire "black church" experience is wrong... Check yaself before u wreck yaself." lol

[Aniya Patrice Adair]

06:36 PM on 05/24/2012

No dear, YOU have missed the point. Whether or not acclimation/adaptation is negative is neither here nor there. But, you pointing this out does go on to further my point--the point of this church (or any other) feeling that it has a need to 'adjust' to a certain group's or demographic's presence is suggestive of covert tension, elitism, and quite frankly, hypocrisy. All of these things in your beloved "church", an institution which is supposed to be the antithesis of each concept's existence? Never.

I will now move on to your "I dont know what your beef is a church" I don't understand quite what you were getting at because of obvious grammar issues, but I can answer it whether you're asking if my 'beef' is specifically with the Black church or any church in general--the answer is the latter. It has nothing to do with the gay rights thing---I'm all for that. But, these things are entirely different issues in themselves that I could on about ;)

Lastly, you say to me not to speak on the Black church as a whole but you yourself have done so, and I quote: "I don't know what your beef is...it could be that they have denounced the ruling on gays...". Who is the 'they' you are referring to? The Black church, right? Exactly. This categorization was directed towards the institution itself, not the individual experiences that may come with attending. I find it funny you ended with "check yaself before u

[BiznessLady]

10:47 AM on 05/23/2012

It seems to me that many of you are forgetting that many Latinos ARE BLACK!

I spent half my childhood in a community of Blacks/Jews/Puerto-Ricans and Italians. Then in came Dominicans. The other half was in a Black/Puerto-Rican neighborhood one block from an affluent White Neighborhood.

The Hispanic churches always had Black members as long as they spoke in English, which most did and the Black churches had the same. The Catholic Church had many shades attending but many Latinos are born again Christians and Pentecostal Holiness constituents.

We had some separation according to income but all lived side by side for years and still do in NYC. It is the influx of new immigrants from Mexico, Central and South America that don't understand the unity of our communities. Many learned these divisions from some of the White folks in the other cities they lived in before they got here.
Many of you guys could learn from NYC and many bigots in NYC could learn from those communities that Blacks & Whites live together like in Harlem.

[shawshank]

12:18 PM on 05/23/2012

Latinos in Los Angeles = Mexicans.

Why is it that blacks get along with all Hispanics except Mexicans?

[BiznessLady]

02:25 PM on 05/23/2012

I find the differences are cultural and socio-economical.

Those that are poorer find little in common culturally even though they share many common issues and compete for the same jobs or even compete in criminal activities.
Middle class Mexicans seem to assimilate with the White community, they will move AWAY from BLACKS and share the negativity that may be directed toward Blacks from others in their communities.

I speak Spanish so I have been able to bridge that divide but I find that many immigrants find it expedient to separate and not affiliate with Black people thinking that that it will shelter them from the stereotypes that plague us.

[ResearchtheFacts]

05:24 PM on 05/23/2012

Where are you getting your info from? Not true, if you notice in every civil rights speech they always say to my latino or brown brothers.

[justCannot]

02:48 PM on 05/23/2012

I appreciate your comment very much. It's disturbing to see so dissention in so many comments. ANY articles about ACCEPTANCE anywhere should be met with a positive response. Accepting of individuals of any color is what this country is supposed to represent. Various beliefs, cultures, whatever is what this nation was created for. Now that we have ACTIVE enemies of this concept, ones who want to RE-CREATE the social wars that have already been fought, we need to swallow whatever pride that keeps us from just living and let-living, and show the world that we are still the UNITED STATES. We don't really want others in the world to view us like a third-world country, do we? One which breaks into conflict over every little thing?

[Aesthete]

10:45 AM on 05/23/2012

For my entire life I have belonged to a historically black church whose outreach has been global since its founding in 1787 in Philadelphia. Even during the height of slavery, our founder strongly advocated inclusiveness. He stated that if a small circle was drawn to shut us (blacks) out, we would draw a larger circle that took in everyone. Not only is my own congregation racially and ethnically diverse,the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church today has congregations in Canada, Africa, Australia, India, the Caribbean, France, and the UK. Our clergy is also diverse. At a recent ordination service I attended, nearly half the candidates were white. It is written in the scriptures, "God made of one blood all men to dwell together upon the face of the earth."

[detroitblkmale30]

09:28 AM on 05/23/2012

Glad to see the communities worshiping together, this happens far more frequently in the south where there are higher Latino populations like Texas and even now in the northeast.

[franklma]

09:21 AM on 05/23/2012

I remember visiting a WWCG congregation in NY back in the day. The congregation was mainly Latino, Black and some Caucasians. I never forget when they sang a song, it was in English and Spanish together in perfect harmony! Even the Caucasians there had soul.

[mira chancleta]

09:15 AM on 05/23/2012

the very few comments here, SCREAMS just how insignificant this article is to "La Tinos"...just laughable...

[WhatsplanB]

08:23 AM on 05/23/2012

The world is made up of churches, diff religions are doing more harm then good,
Instead of bringing the people together all they do is cause bad feeling and death,

[Taco Lopez]

07:30 AM on 05/23/2012

Hardly, all the Hispanic I know are either Catholic or Jehovah witnesses.

[Jerry Frey]

04:41 AM on 05/23/2012

another indicator of our national decline

[mw-maryland]

09:57 AM on 05/23/2012

Attitudes like yours is the cause of our national decline!

[Jerry Frey]

10:50 AM on 05/23/2012

neo-liberalism - out-sourcing is the major cause of our decline

[VTya]

12:37 AM on 05/23/2012

I believe the younger generation are less hung up on race .. I see my teenage son with friends from a diverse group. The same God is being worshipped by Blacks and Latinos.

[White Diamond]

12:34 AM on 05/23/2012

I wonder why all the black people left this area of town?

[lotus321]

10:18 AM on 05/23/2012

Simple.some latino gangs started killing their children and young black men. It is a lie that the two communities get along...the shift in population could be evidence of that. There is a lack of respect from latinos moving into black neighborhoods. It is simple black are treated in Mexico like their were in 1940 Mississippi.

[Malaika Angel]

12:21 PM on 05/23/2012

This right here! This is the REAL truth about the black and Latino communities. Spot on, bruh!

[Arturo Ramrez]

01:31 PM on 05/23/2012

"It is simple black are treated in Mexico like their were in 1940 Mississippi." Uh, what?

[Gaaltero]

11:34 PM on 05/22/2012

Bottomline, Latinos are less racist than white folk, and I'll take that any day of the week. I go into a white store; I feel the eyes on the back of my neck. I go into a Mexican grocery, no issues at all.

[mira chancleta]

09:18 AM on 05/23/2012

Seriously?
I guess you've never seen the WHITE Miss Guatemalas year after year after year representing a 99% country of Indians...time for another Taco Bell visit, I think.
Go easy on the salsa this time.
I hear it made the Chihuahua sick recently.

[Gaaltero]

02:30 PM on 05/23/2012

Seriously.

[Malaika Angel]

12:24 PM on 05/23/2012

Hmmmm, I'm not sure where you live, but I can guarantee you that many Latinos are just as racist as many whites. In California, they've been known to shoot us down with the quickness. In Cali, there is a HUGE division between Latinos and blacks.

[Gaaltero]

02:29 PM on 05/23/2012

Detroit

[vobox3343]

03:42 PM on 05/23/2012

We're not talking about hate among the gangs here. This is an article based on Christian love. That said, and as witnessed by what we see coming from Conservative Christians. Even Christians can hate.

[R clinton]

10:53 PM on 05/22/2012

Why wouldn't they, the black church seems to make up the rules as they go.....they should understand the plight of all minorities....http://buildbackwards.blogspot.com/2012/05/gay-rights-religious-oppression-and-you.html

[michelleobamaok]

08:57 PM on 05/22/2012

BLACKS and Hispanics have always lived side by side. Ever hear of "Spanish" Harlem?

Just like Asians follow white communities, it is the same for black and Hispanic communities.

[CrestedSparrow]

09:24 PM on 05/22/2012

Most Hispanics are Catholics and most AAs are Baptist (I think) so what will happen to the now empty churches if there aren't enough members to keep it going as a Baptist church?

[michelleobamaok]

10:21 PM on 05/22/2012

MANY blacks are still Catholics.  If the two want to come together---whatever.  If they don't, then they can create their own churches.

[chevyliddle]

06:59 AM on 05/23/2012

I agree. The Baptist faith was prevalent throughout the south. When the blacks moved north after the war, they took the religion with them. My family moved out of Kentucky in the late 1800s but are still practicing southern Baptists to this day.

[alicam]

11:28 PM on 05/22/2012

As long as none of the blacks walk home at night, they should be fine.

[Tia2008]

12:22 AM on 05/23/2012

What do you mean?