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Dr. Martin Luther King’s maxim that the Sunday morning worship hour in America
is the most segregated hour of the week still holds true. Ninety percent of
the congregations in this city, and most American cities, have virtually no
membership from a race other than their own. This segment will explore what
accounts for this long-standing separation and consider the variety of responses
to this reality. Local residents will share their stories of how race matters
in issues of worship, outreach, and faith-based civic involvement. We’ll also
discover the beliefs and attitudes that Black and White religious adherents
share, as well as the significant differences that distinguish them in matters
of faith and daily life. Just as one cannot define one “religious community,”
we’ll also consider the difficulties of assuming there is one “Black Church”
or “White Church.”