The Black Church: Jacksonville

[thelakelander]

The Black church has and continues to play an important role in the Jacksonville we know today. Community, social and educational centers at a time when African-Americans weren't allowed at these types of spaces, there is no Blues, Jazz, R&B, Chitlin Circuit, historically Black colleges or Civil Rights Movement without the contributions and influence of the Black church. With that in mind, here are few of the oldest Black church congregations in Jacksonville.

Read More: https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/the-black-church-jacksonville/

[jaxlongtimer]

Great article. I didn't realize how many Black churches date back to the 1800's here. 

I caught the first 2 hours of the PBS shows and found the history of the Black church fascinating.  I never before understood the various factions and how they came to be.  The role of the church in the politics, social and economic lives of the Black community was most enlightening.

In the PBS show, I note that one segment touched on this area when it highlighted the 40 acres to be given to freed slaves after the Civil War along the coast from the "St. Johns River to Charleston."  Unfortunately, this plan was ultimately reversed as Jim Crow attitudes began to take hold.

Hope I can catch the next segments, if not now, in reruns. 

I also caught the PBS American Experience episode this week on Marian Anderson.  I found her life story amazing and worthy of a movie about her upbringing from nothing to her career-building in Europe to returning to the US with a ground breaking advancement to the pinnacle of American singing and her "accidental" role in American racial politics.  Her nation-changing performance at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939 was the forerunner for MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963 where she sang once again. 

Among her many concerts was a groundbreaking one in Jacksonville:

ONE WINTER'S NIGHT — Marian Anderson possessed one of the voices of the century. And this amazing contralto had a very special tie to Jacksonville: a historic performance she gave at the Duval County Armory in 1952. This concert was the first in modern Florida history that could boast of an integrated audience....

https://www.jaxhistory.org/portfolio-items/jim-crow-takes-a-night-off/

Love watching PBS shows.  No matter the subject, they deliver with great story telling to keep you spellbound.

[thelakelander]

I watched both segments and the Marian Anderson show as well. I'm rewatching the Black Church episodes now. I've noticed that quite a few historic pictures included were from Jacksonville. A graduation picture from the Eastside's Baptist Academy (now Matthew Gilbert) and the Black waiting room at the Jacksonville Terminal were two shown.