Church People in the Struggle

The role of the African American Churches in the civil rights movement of the 1950's and 1960's has received a great deal of scholarly attention. Little has been written, however, about the contributions of the predominantly white denominations. This pathbreaking study focuses on the role played by the ecumenical National Council of Churches (NCC), which represented the white northern mainline churches.

Drawing heavily on interviews and untapped archival materials, Findlay charts the awakening of the NCC leadership to the plight of southern blacks, and demonstrates the key role played by the organization in the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. He examines in detail the active part played by NCC groups in the `Freedom Summer' and their long-term involvement in the civil rights movement in Mississippi, including the Delta Ministry, which worked with local blacks in the areas of job and housing and provided much-needed support for the Movement-sponsored Head Start programme and the Mississippi Freedom Democratic party. In his concluding chapters, Findlay portrays a rising tide of black resentment of white liberal `paternalism.' He goes on to link the rise of black power inside and outside the religious community to the decline of church participation and interest in addressing the critical problems of racism and inequality in the U.S.