Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-02-08
NEGROES AND THE SUNDAY
MEETINGS.

(Richmond Va. News Leader. Jan. 80,
1919
The News Leader is so accustomed
to sober thinking and reasonable nc
ton from our Negro citizens that we
should like to understand the psycho
logy behind the present protest at the
cXclus sion OF Negroes from the Sunday
meetings. We do not expect, OF course
that Or ineligible answer will come
from those who are always intent up
on stirring up racial strife; but VIC
know we shall not appeal In vain to
men like the Rev. w. II. Stokes, of
Ebenezer church: the Rev. w. #.
Johnson, OF First African Baptist
church and the Rev. u. d. Lewis, Of
the Second Church.
rhe policy which has been followed
in Richmond represents as we under
stand it. tho deliberate choice OF color
ed christians. In antobellum days,
both slave and free negroes belonged
to the white churches. The Negroes
always had their special seats and
occasionally their special services, but
usually they attended the regular ser
vices, rece' we'd the Chris ian ord 'nin
ceS and were in%every respect nom.
hers of the church. Even the most III
hid abolitionists who visited the South
recorded the fact tina before the
throne OF God the Negro stood side by
SIDE with the white man. Nor was
th'S custom the expression OF any
special prudence on tho part Of the
whites. The statute laws OF the com
monwcalth prob h'ted 'hc gather 'ng
OF Negroes without permit and at
one time stipulated that religious
gatherings OF Negroes should always
Ne attended by white men. The law.
however was more notable for its
violations than for its enforcement.
Where Negro preachers OF character
felt called to the ministry, they were
never barred, hut wore usually en-
couragod In all our Virginia litcra
ture, thcrc is no a more moving story
than that Of John Jasper's convers on
md ministry, as retold III JnSpcr'S
own words, by the late William T..
Hatcher In hi. biography OF that
great colored preacher.
Not many years before the war,
however, tho colored people Of Rick
mond expressed q desire to establi Sh
n church Of heir own, exclusively for
NEGROES. The matter was debated a!
considerable lecNp'h and the whole
course OF the venture Ia duly set forth
IN DR.. J. r. letters autobiography. It
wished to have church Of their own
was finally decided that if tho Negroes
wished to have u church Of thor own,
their wishes should he met. DR.. Rob.
crt Ryland, Of blessed memory, was &C
ccrlingly chosen pastor Of the First
African Baptist Church, which has
surv' we'd to this day. A little later.
memory serves. the Second Church and
FhcneZer We're eatab' chcd. All three
have done a wonderful work.
TThen cHmc the end OF the war and
tho liberation Of the slaves. Our i'm
preston has always been that one OF
the first acts cf tho Negroes was to
establish churches OF their own-not
under compulsion from the whites but
upon their own voli+ion In foct. we
have often i,card It argued NV color
cd ministers that this withdrawal OF
Tho NEGROES from tho white church IS
vas Deemed best Fer The spiritual
dovclonmcnt Of the Negroes It was
felt that tho Negro needed the
ministry Of a devoted man Of his own
race who could preach to him from
Ions. There has never boon any Sue
E2Stion to our knowledge that The ere
alton OF Negro churches represented
anvthing ESQ than a dceir" on tho
n&rt Of tho Negroes % worship God
~ tho" own farh:on nna 20 listen t.
the exhortati ons of their own preach
crs. At the sam inc, the Whit" church
cs were never closed to negro woI
shippers. Special seats wire reserved
fu1 them whenever th"y " shed t.
worship In the white churches Twcr
tv years ago mos churches St;'l ha(
a plumber Of regular nd rcvcr.,.. 20
owed attend on'S Gradually as q rrsul
nf the Negroes own free choice. the,
ceased to como to tho whit churches
until now few churches ;f nnv r.
""rve sea g for Nn~ro"s nrnPc:'red O
Their to worship IN thor own churHl
, os, under their own ministers or els,
hear white speakers upon invitation
in Negro churches.
When therefore, he Sunday NEE
ings were planned for Richmond w
assnme that hose Sho made the a
rangcmcnts supnoscd tat our coloret
citizens would follow tho" usual Gus
tom. And If the committee gave tn
matte any thought we suppose