"The African American Civil Rights Movement and Archbishop Iakovos of North and South America," Journal of Religion and Society, ISSN (online) 1522-5628, 18 (2016), (original) (raw)
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The Role of the Black Church in the American Civil Rights Movement
2017
This paper seeks to argue that the black church played a pioneering role in the Civil Rights Movement (CRM) in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. To be sure, one cannot think of the CRM without the crucial role played by the black church. The black church not only provided support to various civil rights organizations but also acted as the movement church itself. The church ministers played a vital role in the success of the CRM and the black church mobilized resources and made the CRM practically possible. From the role of the Church in the CRM, one can easily envision the role of religion in social change and identity politics which, in turn, seeks to negate the promise of the project enlightenment. Today, religion has come back as a powerful force and has thus become a reality both in social change and construction of identity not only nationally but also internationally.
SEESOX Diaspora Working Paper Series No. 9, 2019
The Greek Orthodox Church of America has demonstrated a significant degree of political mobilisation in critical moments, especially during the 37-year tenure of the late Archbishop Iakovos (1959-1996). As the prelate of the Archdiocese in the Americas, he contributed to the growth of the Greek-American community and helped it become an active segment of American society. Among his achievements was his robust advocacy for civil and human rights, marching abreast with Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Alabama. For his pioneering work, he was held in high esteem by his counterparts in the US which earned him access to decision-makers in Washington, DC. Later, Iakovos used his recognition to lobby US Presidents and garner support for his ‘homeland’ in critical circumstances, strengthening Greece’s relations with the United States. But, apart from Greece, Iakovos had also to take care of issues related solely with the Greek-American community as an integral part of American society. The purpose of this paper is to explore Iakovos’ involvement in American politics related to Greece and the Greek-American community - both at the parish or citizen level, and to evaluate his work in the framework of international relations.
2014
Having assumed black Pentecostals are "otherworldly" or detached from politics and this-worldly concerns, many religious and civil rights scholars have ignored black Holiness-Pentecostals' involvements in the Civil Rights Movement and instead focused on the roles of black Baptists and Methodists. Primarily guided by historical, sociological, theo-ethical, and hermeneutical methods, this dissertation examines Church of God in Christ (COGIC) members' engagements in the Civil Rights Movement in Memphis, Tennessee, 1954-1968. I chose Memphis as the location to examine these assumptions because the most renowned Civil Rights leader, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., delivered his last sermon at Mason Temple Church of God in Christ (COGIC), the headquarters of the largest and oldest black holiness-Pentecostal denomination. The dissertation argues that Memphis COGIC members were not divorced from the Memphis Movement but endeavored to combat racial injustice and inequality through a diversity of means, including through politics, nonviolent direct action, and spiritual quest. I contend that despite being marginalized and treated as outsiders on account of their race and religious faith, prior to the Civil Rights Movement early saints affirmed their identity as United States citizens, valued American democratic ideas of freedom and equality, and endeavored to advance democratic principles through participating in civic life. Additionally, when the Civil Rights Movement came to Memphis in the 1950s, COGIC members joined and worked alongside black church leaders from other denominations and engaged in nearly every aspect of the struggle, including political campaigns, desegregation efforts, and the Sanitation Workers Strike. Furthermore, I argue that Holiness-Pentecostal theology informed the activism of Memphis COGIC Civil Rights activists. Affirming his Holiness-Pentecostal heritage, Bishop J.O. Patterson Sr., a prominent Memphis Civil Rights activist, sought to persuade blacks in general and to remind black Christian activists in particular of the indispensability of spiritual presence and empowerment for social struggle. My research findings provoke scholars of religion to rethink the meaning and implications of otherworldliness. Additionally, this research indicates that there is greater complexity to black churches involvement in the Civil Rights Movement besides the contributions of black Baptists and Methodists. This dissertation is dedicated to my wife, Courtney Miller-Chism, my companion and friend who has encouraged and supported me greatly during my years of graduate study; to my son, Jonathan Chism Jr., who was born as I began writing and who has provided me with smiles and inspiration; to my parents-Moses Chism Sr. and Forrestine Chism, who have given me a strong foundation rooted in love; my older siblings-Anthony, Felicia, Moses Jr., David, and Daniel, who have been positive role models; to my mother-in-law, Gloria Miller and my Aunt Charlotte for your support with childcare during these past few years; and to all of my sister-in-laws, brother-in-law, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins. This dissertation would not have been possible without the many people who have contributed to my intellectual development and growth. First, I want to thank to my advisor, Dr. Anthony B. Pinn. Thanks for pushing me intellectually, for being a friend, and for patiently showing me the ropes. I appreciate each of the members of my dissertation committee who have helped me to grow during coursework. I appreciate Dr. Michael Emerson for providing tips for conducting qualitative interviews and for reading the full draft of the dissertation. I am thankful to all of my colleagues past and present in the Religious Studies Department and in the African American Religion concentration at Rice. I appreciate all of my professors in the Religious Studies Department,
Religion, Belonging, and Social Mobility in Civil Rights Era Birmingham, Alabama
2021
This project narrates the story of Greek-Americans' reactions to the historic civil rights movement in perhaps its most important nerve centers, Birmingham, Alabama. In 1960 Archbishop Iakovos placed in that racial hotbed a young priest named Father Soterios "Sam" Gouvellis, who served the Holy Trinity-Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church during the most volatile years of the black freedom struggle. Father Sam joined the ad hoc ministerial group whose letter to Martin Luther King Jr. spawned the famous Letter from Birmingham Jail. Gouvellis became involved with the black freedom struggle in Birmingham and eventually marched with King and Archbishop Iakovos in Selma. This project will tell the story of how Gouvellis and his congregation negotiated the mysteries of evangelical religion in the Bible Belt and the enigmas of race in the Jim Crow South. This article distills the argument of what will be the only biography of Gouvellis and one of a very few studies of religion, r...
Pneuma, 2013
Although black Pentecostal leaders are known for their emphasis on holiness and spiritual empowerment, they are not renowned for having led and spearheaded political protest struggles during the Civil Rights movement. In this paper I discuss black Pentecostals’ postures toward political protest struggles, and I analyze reasons why some black Pentecostals participated in the Civil Rights movement while others did not. My central argument is that critical consciousness formation played an integral role in motivating a minority of Church of God in Christ (COGIC) clergy and leaders to engage in Civil Rights protest struggles. That is to say, many black Pentecostals who took part in the movement reconciled their strivings for spiritual empowerment against evil with critical reflection upon complex social, political, and economic realities. They recognized the utility of opposing structures of oppression through direct, nonviolent means.
This talk focuses on the relation of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Martin de Porres throughout the long twentieth century at Our Lady of Lourdes, Atlanta’s oldest Catholic congregation serving the African-American community. Founded in 1912, OLL is located a short walk down the street from Ebenezer Baptist Church and is today located within the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site. During the 1950s, OLL installed a 7’ tall statue of Martin de Porres, a seventeenth-century Afro-Peruvian friar whose case for sainthood culminated in 1962 when Pope John XXIII canonized him as the universal patron of social justice. Members of OLL founded the St. Martin Human Relations Council in 1965, participating in anti-police brutality demonstrations following the “Bloody Sunday” incident in Selma, AL and coordinating an in-home dialog program to foster mutual understanding around issues of race. From a combination of archival records and ethnographic fieldwork, Padilioni teases out the ways that congregants at OLL entangled the two Martins together in their mobilizations for social and racial justice, as well as the ways OLL transformed Martin Luther King, Jr. into a “folk saint of Black History” by elaborating his memory through oral history apocrypha and hagiographic practices.
“Op. Cit. Revista de Estudos Anglo-Americanos. A Journal of Anglo-American Studies", 2022
The main aim of this article is to discuss Black churches' ambivalence toward Martin Luther King Jr.'s protest strategy in the context of the "Black Lives Matter" (BLM) debate. Although many Black churches played a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement, some of them presented harsh criticism towards King's civil disobedience-criticism which is rarely mentioned today. Analyzing their arguments is especially interesting now, when churches that oppose BLM claim they would support it if it resembled King's movement more. Recalling the past controversies and comparing the discussion in the civil rights era to the contemporary debate might be helpful in understanding Black churches' reasons for accepting or rejecting protest movements.
We Walk By Faith": Religion and Race During the Civil Rights Movement
2000
Proudly Protestant and Evangelical, southerners consider themselves the religious backbone of America. Yet, in historical moments when the nation's attention was centered on the South, few recognized Christian morality in the actions of many. How could a Citizen Council member burn a cross on Saturday and serve as a deacon on Sunday? This question found resonance in particular with southern blacks, whose churches were instrumental in challenging social injustice. This paper looks at the different understandings, not of the radicals, but of the majority of black and white southerners, about the role of religion in society and how this impacted the way they reacted to the civil rights movement. By looking at these groups from an inter-religious perspective, one is able to see how different they truly are and begin to build bridges and heal old wounds.
A Quest For Human Rights And Civil Rights: Archbishop Iakovos And The Greek Orthodox Church
2018
Having completed this dissertation in partial fulfillment of a doctoral degree in history at Wayne State University, I am deeply indebted to numerous people and institutions who have aided me in various ways to realize this lifelong dream and who helped make this work possible. I wish to thank His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Detroit who permitted me to pursue both a Master of Arts degree in classics and a doctoral degree in history while serving as the senior priest of the Assumption Church in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. I am equally grateful to my wife Tina and children Nicholas, Olivia, Stavroula, and Panayiotis who endured my absences in countless church and family social functions so that I could pursue my academic work for the last six years, which would have been impossible to sustain without their constant understanding, encouragement, and support. I am humbled by their love and patience with me. Words cannot begin to describe my deepest appreciation to my professor, mentor, and dissertation advisor Dr. John Bukowczyk from whom I learned the historian's craft and whose guidance, encouragement, the inspiration for this work, and humor at critical times over the last six years proved irreplaceable. I could not have accomplished this without you, John. I am most appreciative to all my professors in both the classics and history department of Wayne State University for expanding and deepening my knowledge in various subjects. Dr. Kenneth Walters retaught me ancient Greek and was the one who insisted I pursue doctoral studies in history and recommended Dr. John Bukowczyk as my advisor. Thank you, Dr. Ronald Brown for agreeing to serve on my dissertation committee on such short notice. I am most thankful to one of my favorite professors of the history department, Dr. Liette Gidlow, who introduced me to the significance of historiography and historical perspective and who graciously agreed to serve on my dissertation committee. I am also deeply grateful to Dr. Danielle McGuire who also served on my dissertation iv committee but was also most encouraging and helpful during my comprehensive examinations and inspired me to write history to both an academic and popular audience. I am truly blessed to have had such distinguished professors and inspirational men and women who have ennobled me in so many ways. I would be remiss if I did not extend my profound appreciation to my Assumption Church office staff, Administrator Joan DeRonne and Administrative Assistant Olga Cardasis, who covered for me at the church while I was away attending classes and researching and writing my dissertation. Joan and Olga, you are a Godsend to my family and me. I am deeply appreciative of the Graduate-Professional Scholarship of Wayne State University that essentially funded my academic pursuits over the last six years. I am also most thankful to the Taylor Scholarship and the Trakatellis Fellowship of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, which also generously funded my tuition, books, research travel costs, and other academic expenses since 2012. Finally, I would like to thank my seminary professor and current Greek Orthodox Prelate of America, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios for his prayers and for making available to me the archives of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America under the astute custodianship of its archivist, Nikie Calles, whose guidance was invaluable. I wish to thank my dear friend Jeff Peterson for helping me with formatting this manuscript for submission and publication. Finally, I wish to thank Fr.
2011
This work builds on Verta Taylor's theory on social movement continuity to explain abeyance structures within total institutions. The work is grounded in the reinterpretation of Doug McAdam's data from Political Process and the Development of Black Insurgency (1982) and in new data on the Black Catholic Rights movement from 1968 to the 1990s. Together these cases outline a type of abeyance structure within social movements that holds over the culture, resources, and strategies of a movement by focusing on more narrow oppositional interest. Using the five characteristics of an abeyance structure the research will discuss how the Black Catholic Rights movement became a bridge for future Civil Rights movement work.