Black and Catholic in the Jim Crow South

English language

Published Oct. 3, 2006 by Paulist Press.

ISBN:: 978-0-8091-4371-9
OCLC Number:: 61681933

Just over 40 years ago Mississippi was burning. A series of racially motivated murders and brutal repression of the movement to register black voters had drawn the moral outrage of the nation. But in the historic city of Natchez, in the midst of that dreadful period, an African American Catholic parish and its white priest chose to stand at the center of the African American freedom movement. Based on the oral histories of Holy Family Church in Natchez, Black And Catholic In The Jim Crow South tells the story of black Catholics' 20th-century struggle through the voices of the people who lived through it. It tells of the origins of the Holy Family Church from its founding as a place of worship for black slaves or servants to the central role that the parish played in the civil rights movement, when it leaped the boundaries of its original mission to …

Just over 40 years ago Mississippi was burning. A series of racially motivated murders and brutal repression of the movement to register black voters had drawn the moral outrage of the nation. But in the historic city of Natchez, in the midst of that dreadful period, an African American Catholic parish and its white priest chose to stand at the center of the African American freedom movement. Based on the oral histories of Holy Family Church in Natchez, Black And Catholic In The Jim Crow South tells the story of black Catholics' 20th-century struggle through the voices of the people who lived through it. It tells of the origins of the Holy Family Church from its founding as a place of worship for black slaves or servants to the central role that the parish played in the civil rights movement, when it leaped the boundaries of its original mission to become a center for struggle and hope. Danny Duncan Collum provides vivid interviews with members of Holy Family parish who lived through this period of ferment, hope, and terror. He documents the courageous stand taken by both his parish and by the Catholic hierarchy against the supporters of segregation, ranging from the state government to the Klu Klux Klan

1 edition

Jim Fulner reviewed Black and Catholic in the Jim Crow South by Danny Duncan Collum

5 stars

This book was fantastic and I could not put it down. Regardless of your religious, political, or racial perspective I think there is something to be learned from Black And Catholic in the Jim Crow South. They rendition of how Catholics were treated in the south regardless of color reminds me of the story of the south that ended with "Well your husband's Jewish..." "No, he's Catholic" "I knew it was something weird" returnreturnThe book has some historical references form the author, but its mostly full of short stories from folks from a town in Mississippi. Not the stories you here at the Knights of Columbus, but the ones from your Grandpa, that you can't wait to hear next time you see him, and you miss when he's gone. returnreturnThe author groups the stories together in chapters to make the readable by subject, but it really appears to be the …

This book was fantastic and I could not put it down. Regardless of your religious, political, or racial perspective I think there is something to be learned from Black And Catholic in the Jim Crow South. They rendition of how Catholics were treated in the south regardless of color reminds me of the story of the south that ended with "Well your husband's Jewish..." "No, he's Catholic" "I knew it was something weird" returnreturnThe book has some historical references form the author, but its mostly full of short stories from folks from a town in Mississippi. Not the stories you here at the Knights of Columbus, but the ones from your Grandpa, that you can't wait to hear next time you see him, and you miss when he's gone. returnreturnThe author groups the stories together in chapters to make the readable by subject, but it really appears to be the folks own words, some who where there when the Church refused to fall to pressure to keep blacks out, to integrating their schools far before the government counterparts. But not all is rosy for Christ's Church, as we have our bigots too. returnreturnWhen Holy Family ( a primary black catholic church in Natchez) becomes the head of the NAACP, and one of its priests the chairperson, it can only be by the grace of God that it is not bombed. I didn't realize how much blacks, and whites who happen to have been associated with them, really had to fear for their life from extremists, particularly once the protection of government was removed and the market saw that separate but equal was simply not profitable. Crazy people don't like the market. returnreturnPlease do yourself and your family a favor and read this book.

Subjects

Holy Family Catholic Church (Natchez, Miss.) -- Interviews.
Holy Family Catholic Church (Natchez, Miss.) -- History.
Catholic Church -- Southern States -- History -- 20th century.
African Americans -- Religion.
Natchez (Miss.) -- Church history -- 20th century.
Southern States -- Church history -- 20th century.