There is no quick and simple way to summarize the history of Black Catholics in the United States. If you are interested in doing more studies, you might begin with the website of the National Black Catholic Congress and the work of the great historian Fr. Cyprian Davis, O.S.B.
I am going to point you to a few journal resources, but before that a couple of observations, both playing on favorite themes of mine: the power and danger of false narrative and the reality of unintended consequences.
The casual reader of American Catholic history might well have come to believe that all was mostly well in the history of Black Catholics in the United States. For the narrative that many are familiar with is one that places institutional Catholicism in favorable contrast to mainline Protestantism, with the latter’s role in upholding discriminatory civic policies and traditions. Somehow, in our mind, the work of St. Katharine Drexel and the Josephites and the image of Catholic religious marching in Selma tilts the balance in our favor against segregated and separated Protestant bodies.
Historical reality is, of course, much more complicated. We can celebrate the existence of all-Black religious orders of sisters, but why did they have to exist? Because white religious orders wouldn’t accept Black women as members and white religious orders didn’t want to serve Black populations. We can celebrate, for example, predominantly Black parishes and schools in New Orleans, but why did they come to exist? Because the institutional Church acceded to Jim Crow laws, both in letter and spirit.
In short: when we look at the history of the Catholic Church and African-Americans in the United States, there is no room for institutional or majoritarian self-congratulation. It’s a history marked by fearful submission to civic, cultural and social prejudice, which teaches us, among other things, that there is nothing new under the sun.
And, like all history, it’s quite interesting, and for those with the time and motivation, provides endless fascinating rabbit trails. A couple of places to begin.
First, as I’ve mentioned, because of the pandemic, the JSTOR site has greatly expanded its free offerings. If you are not a member of a participating institution, a simple email registration will get you free access to a hundred articles now.
Here are a couple of special issues on the matter from the U.S. Catholic Historian.
I’m sure there are other special issues, as well.
The individual stories are fascinating, and each contains a microcosm of one aspect of the experience. This article about the controversy surrounding the funeral of a Creole soldier in New Orleans, for example, tells us much about the lives of free Blacks in New Orleans as well as the conflicts within the local Church, as the priest who celebrated the funeral was at constant loggerheads with the bishop:
(I can’t download these articles and easily transcribe. So…screen capture is what you’ll get.)
This article – about Jim Crow laws and New Orleans Catholic schools – explores the deep complexity of the situation – how the “good” of a vigorous school system for black Catholics was the consequence of the Church’s willingness to abide by unjust laws, the prejudice of white Catholics and was at many stages, opposed by black Catholics because they didn’t want separate schools. Why would they?
Finally, a very detailed chronology (through the early 90’s) of Black Catholic history in the United States. Probably important to start there.
In the late 19th century, there were several meetings of the Negro Catholic Congress. You can read a summary article exploring these meetings here.
The primary concern – aside a deep conviction of the truth and value of Catholicism as a unifying force – of all the meetings was education. It was essential, the delegates emphasized over and over again, that black Catholics, especially young men, have access to the same opportunities as other Americans, and that the Church had a responsibility to provide it.
And here, thanks to the Internet Archive, is a pamphlet from the time, reporting on the first three meetings.
Scanning the reports and talks, you get a quick overview of concerns and some hints of tensions (for example, one white priest took as a central theme of his talk that of course whites and blacks don’t really want to intermingle and mix. Awkward).
Education, as I said, was a key concern. Interesting to me was an emphasis on industrial and technical education, presented as modern and forward-thinking, in opposition to the old-fashioned understanding of education as merely literary. But, of course, what use is that education if jobs cannot be obtained – and the role of trade unions as obstacles to black workers being employed was frequently mentioned. Another interesting myth-buster to many today, I’d imagine.
What was most frequently expressed was a hope and a trust that the universal Catholic faith would work as a binding force of unity among all people and, given the Church’s role in education throughout history, would play a key role in alleviating the remaining effects of enslavement.
From one of the addresses:
In conclusion then, let us continue to be patient and faithful, praying to God our Father to hasten the time when the Church without discrimination as to race, color or nationality ,will be more closely united, not only by the bonds of common faith, but that she may be able through her Catholic sincerity, to establish forever that most “sacred unity of Christian brotherhood among her children, thus enabling us all, the clergy and the laity to repeat the words of the Royal Prophet, ‘Behold how good and how pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” When this is done universally by the Church, and the proud, selfish deceitful and predjudiced heart of man- kind is changed to that of the Christian and Catholic, we shall then be united hand and heart, for where unity is destroyed, Catholicity is impossible.
Having then as Christian Catholics become united as to one religious teaching and belief, we shall go forth hand and heart zealously laboring for God’s Church and for extending the wholesome influence of the Christian religion. Then, and not until then, will the sacred mission of the Church be realized, practiced as preached, and her children made to feel that brothers we are, whatever be our color or nationality, and brothers we shall forever remain, differing in language, in habit, and in taste, we are all united in the bond of one common religion, having one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father over all who is above all and through all and in us all. Then indeed will the glorious mission of the grand old Church be fully accomplished, and the world will then realize the fact that the bond of grace and faith are much stronger than flesh and blood, and as a happy and grateful people we will sing the praises of the Lord and join in one grand chorus, repeating the beautiful words of Ruth, ‘Be not against me to desire that I should be with thee and not depart,for whither soever thou shalt go, I will go; and where thou shall dwell, I shall dwell. Thy people shall be my people, and thy God,” my God; the land that shall receive the dying, in the same will I die, and there shall I be buried.”