5. Distribution of Afro American People
At the first time, the population was concentrated in the South. This situation happened because throughout most of American history black people
had been heavily concentrated in the agricultural South Pinkney 47. At the end of the Civil War more than 92 percent of all blacks lived in the South. There had
been a gradual reduction in the black population in the South since the beginning of the twentieth century. At the turn of the century 1900, nine out of ten blacks
in the United States were still in the South. Throughout the present century, however, blacks had migrated from the South to other regions, principally to the
Northeast and to the Noth-Central states. So widespread has been this migration that, by 1970, only slightly more than half 53 percent of the blacks remained in
the South. The significant exodus from the South to the North happened during the
World War I. The Afro American people migrated from the South to the North because they could manage a better life in the North. The rest of the Afro
American people in the South, at the first time, prefer to live in the rural area, in the Deep South states. By 1970, four out of every five 80 percent blacks lived in
urban areas, compared to 73 percent of the total population. Blacks have been becoming urbanized at a faster rate than the population as a whole. In the 70 years
between 1900 and 1970, the black population has been transformed from a predominantly rural people to a predominantly urban people Pinkney 49.
6. Afro-American Church
Church as the central of black community has a great role in motivating black people to get their freedom. Most of the freedom movements formed by
black community are discussed in religious community. Church is not only a place for praying or communicating with God, but also a place for sharing knowledge in
managing the freedom from slavery. The primary function of the Negro church, school, and press are not, of course, to be agencies of power for the Negro caste.
Nevertheless, they are of importance to the power relation within the Negro community and between Negroes and whites.
a. Black and White Church
As a hierarchical community, Church had its leader and the followers must obey all of the rule made. At the first time, the leaders of black religious were
white men and, of course, blacks and whites were treated in separated places. Black could not do the service in the same church. Hence, the black community
then chose their own religious leader. They chose their own preachers from black community itself. This situation was clearly described by Sir George Campbell:
Every man and woman likes to be himself or herself an active member of the Church. And though their preachers are in a great degree their leaders,
these preachers are chosen by the people from the people, under a system for the most part congregational, and are rather preachers because they are
leaders than leaders because they are preachers. Myrdal 860-861.
How did the white preachers control the development of black community? Using the hierarchical system, the white controlled the black
development through the black preachers they had. Moreover, many Negro PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
political leaders were recruited from the preachers. This situation was used by whites to control black communities.
In practically all rural areas, and in many of the urban ones, the preacher stood out as the acknowledged local leader of the Negroes. His function
became to transmit the whites‟ wishes to the Negroes and to beg the whites for favors for his people. He became-in our terminology-the typical
accommodating Negro leader. To this degree the Negro church perpetuated the traditions of slavery Myrdal 861.
But, this situation gradually diminished because gathering blacks and whites in the same church was a new problem for white preachers. This situation
could be happen because there was dilemma. Segregation in Christian churches is an embarrassment. In a religion whose central teaching is brotherly love and the
golden rule, preachers have to do a great deal of rationalizing as they expound their own gospel Myrdal 868. The presence of black people in the church made
the white followers left the church one by one. It could not be avoided that black church would be born.
The development of black church was growing stronger and stronger. The biggest church which had the biggest followers was the Baptist church. It got 41
per cent from the total followers Myrdal 866. The other churches, ranked from the higher to the lower followers after the Baptist church, are the Methodist, the
Protestant Episcopal, the Roman Catholic, the Presbyterian, the Adventist, the Congregationalist, the Moravian and Lutheran.
b. From a Place to Worship to the Outstanding Social Institution
Since the black church needed funds for managing its existence, it depended on the church membership. Because of this reason, the church became
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