Women Roles in Churches and Fraternal Northern Black Communities

Churches and Black Community

The role played by Black fraternal organizations in the creation of a much bigger "social network" that was very important for the Black communities in the North was hugely significant. The Black church was just as significant in the North as were the churches in the South. Besides the emotional input achieved by the Black churches, they were also cultural, political and social centers. They supported glee clubs and choral groups and protested against slavery and temperance (Pessen 46).

Northern free Blacks were much better placed to make significant advancements in their own lives both economically and education wise than their counterparts in the South. While the ones in the South were fighting for more freedom, the Northern Blacks had more liberties and were gaining from them in the form of educational attainment and personal empowerment. During the period, Black education was largely ignored by the majority White and they had to come up with their own programs to ensure their own education. The first schools to be created for the black communities were occasioned by these circumstances ("Monique Langhorne" para 3-8). This was one of the primary differences between the advancement of the black community in the North and the black community in the south.

Women who made major contributions to the setting up of the foundations for the education of Blacks include Lucy Laney who founded The Haines Normal and Industrial Institute of Georgia; Nannie Helen Burroughs who founded the Daytona Normal and Industrial Institute for Girls; and Mary McCleod Bethune who founded The Daytona Normal and Industrial Institute for Girls. The products of these institutions stayed in the black neighborhoods and contributed further to their development ("Monique Langone" para14).

The Black churches also contributed greatly in developing the Southern communities' tradition of education. The churches were not limited to spiritual teachings, they also served as advisers on the political and social issues the communities faced. Scholars note that the overlap between Black history and black church history is so huge that the two are sometimes almost the same. The Blacks were also in support of their churches having the autonomy to make decisions in matters affecting their lives without interference from the larger church body. The Episcopal and the Baptist denominations were some of the earlier milestones of the Black church ("The Black Church: a Brief History" para 5&6). This parallel growth between the church and the black community is also one of the main reasons why we see such a huge simultaneous support that the two entities still continue to give each other.

Looking at the status of the women during the pre-Civil War Chicago, point to a fact that the role played by women was very significant in the building of cultural influence and authority in the society (Women's History, para6). Historically, there had already been established the traditional gender roles by this era. The society's take on the role of women may have disadvantaged them in the church as well. The place of slavery in shaping the view of women's roles in the church cannot be ignored (Hamilton 2).