what role did african american churches have in the struggle for freedom and equality?

Answer 1

Now for an answer from a real historian:

1. The churches were THE focal point for all societal reform from the days of slavery.
2. Since blacks were not welcome in the political arena they opted to use the church as the rallying point around which to organize their various protest and action committees.
3. Within the black community the religious leader has ALWAYS held a lofty position, in spite of their "worthiness" of spiritual trust. Even when religious leaders have been shown to be corrupt or hypocritical it made very little difference to their followers.
4. It is for that reason that when Rosa Parks was arrested on December 1, 1955 she called her husband first who in turn called their reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.
5. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s ALL civil rights leaders were also religious leaders: Vernon Johns, Martin Luther King, Ralph Abernathy, and Jesse Jackson.
6. Even today we see the Reverend Al Sharpton, Rev. Louis Farakahn etc...

The devotion of blacks to their religious leaders is unparalleled in American social history

Answer 2

Major! They took the White's religion and took it to heart and used it to break through the White's repression of Blacks with the White's own God! God lead Moses and the Jews out of Egyptian slavery! Blacks' belief that God would lead them out of slavery--both from actual slavery AND the discrimination that followed--gave them the strength to withstand the South's hatred and broke the repressive laws. The shame of their treatment during the Civil Rights struggle shocked the rest of the country into facing what they were doing to fellow citizens in the United States of America--the land of the free (but for Whites only)!! Who can forget the police dogs going after unarmed men! Or the fire hoses turned on defenseless civilians. Ingenious use of the Whites' own tools to bring about change! More to do...

Answer 3

i'm guessing they gave them hope and motavation to fight for freedom