My neice asked me this question and I dont know how to answer.?

Question

My neice is 5 and today she asked me why black people can have an all black church while white people cant, and if some one tries to create an all white church they are consisdered racist and wrong. Altough she is only 5 she is very smart, I dont know how to answer her. Any sugguestions? Thanks

yes I my neice asked this question and she is 5, this happen after she went to church with a friend and she noticed every one was black. We are white and i have gone to church with black friends before and some of the older people made me feel un welcome. Maybe it is just those churches in virgina.

Answer 1

Expain to her that usually an all black church is open to whites but often white people don't want to go to an all black church. You can have her look on TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) to find a church show with a black minister and many times I have seen open-minded white's attending. I use to live in LA and there was a program showing the West Los Angeles church with the Rev. Charles Blake who is african-american and the church is in a predominantly black community. On several of the Sunday shows I saw white people attending. I would advise her that a true christian is color blind. Good luck.

Answer 2

I did not know that you all are started differentiating white church and black church. Height of racist mind !!

This little girl asked this question after she got fade up with the racist behavior of the people around her. What a five year old can understand on her own - you need to ask question in yahoo to realize the same. Great!!

Some time I am expecting a racist question related to mom's white dress and black dress.

In the answers of this question all of you are mentioning "I am white but go to their church" -- what a great sacrifice for man kind.
You are writing "Blacks are allowed" -- what a great kind offer !!
Why the hell you need to differentiate between black and white, why you notice who is white and who is black. What can not you see human as human and stop noticing their color !!

I think America needs another author like - Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Answer 3

I don't doubt that your neice asked a question like that (if you say it, I don't doubt you) but are you sure you're not missing part of the story? Try to remember if your neice wanted to go to a black church (perhaps she has a black friend in kindergarten or in the neighborhood and wants to go where he does) but when she asked whether she could be taken, she was told that blacks don't like other people who are white to be attemd their churches? Perhaps if you think hard enough, you can even figure out who might have told her that.

In general, particularly these days, little children don't invent racial stereotypes unless they hear them from grownups who should know better. As Oscar Hammerstein wrote in the lyrics to South Pacific, "you have to be carefuilly taught."

Answer 4

Just tell her that that is not necessarily true! At a couple of churches that I USED to go to, although the congregation was mostly Black, there were a few members of the congregation who were White or Latino. Also, I know that there are a few Blacks and maybe Latinos who go to a church where the majority of the congregation is White because that is the church that is the closest and most convienent for them to go to. So, just tell your niece that it is because that certain people of certain races attend a certain church because it is closer to where they live, REGARDLESS of race.

Answer 5

Ah, this same notion apply to the United ***** College Fund, BET, Jet Magazine, etc....

There are two things that can be attributed to this: racism and "white guilt."

Whitey usually sees no problem with race-specific groups because he/she is made to feel like he/she owes that race the right to segregate because of what his/her forefathers MIGHT have done. (Run-on sentence much?)

For example, "Well, they were once treated poorly, so they're allowed to set themselves apart from the general population."

Wrong!

I can understand that racism is still afoot and present in our society, but separating yourselves further is not the answer. Having a race-specific group/magazine/scholarship program is doing exactly what Whitey did: segregating!

I've never liked the idea of using your enslaved ancestors as an excuse. So, some people you never met hundreds of years ago were shackled and forced to work on a plantation? Yes, that's absolutely terrible, but what has that got to do with you?

My ancestors were the FIRST slaves here in North America. They were afflicted with European diseases, robbed, murdered, raped, you name it. Am I using that as a crutch or setting myself apart from everyone else? No. The past is the past.

I recommend telling your niece only it's very complicated and she'll better understand when she's older. She may be very smart, but the concept of "white guilt" is too difficult to comprehend at that age.

Also encourage her to continue going to that church, and invite her friend to go to her church, as well.

Answer 6

I think you should admit this is a question you wanted to ask. Smart or not a 5 year old did NOT ask that question. And the answer is white people attend black churches. I believe you have some racism in your blood. Shame on you!

Answer 7

i go to church in virginia and unfortunately racism is alive and well here so i know what you mean.just tell her that you can go to a black church if you want(not that all will accept you) and a black person can go to a white church(not all will accept you there either ).maybe tell her the reason they're are all black churches is because so many families like to go together.you could try explaining racism to her but i wouldnt recommend it at that age...by the way when my brother was 5 he was asking questions like that so i dont know why all these people dont believe you.

Answer 8

FWIW, while there are many churches that started out as all-black because of segregation, I don't know of a single church today that bars white people from attending. Virtually every church with a predominantly African-American congregation that I know of welcomes people of other races.

Churches tend to be neighborhood affairs and to reflect the ethnicity of the neighborhood around them. Because America still tends toward ethnic neighborhoods rather than mixed neighborhoods, it's pretty natural for churches in predominantly white neighborhoods to have mostly white congregations, churches in hispanic neighborhoods to have mostly hispanic congregations, and neighborhoods that are most black to have mostly black congregations. But I think that in all churches worthy of the name, people of all races are welcome.

Answer 9

Sweetheart, white people are allowed to join the black church. It's your choice not to. Blacks are allowed to join white churches and some of us choose to do so, some don't. Personally, I love the "soul" of the black church but I have visited white churches in the past. If you want to go to a black church then go. No one is stopping you. You may like it, and you will certainly change your, I mean "your nieces" views of the black church.

Added-Well, if your niece was allowed in the black church with her friend, how can it be an all black church? Think about it. Did they ask her to leave? I doubt it. I'm sure she was welcomed with open arms just like when I visited the white church, I was welcomed with open arms.

Answer 10

Um, yes she did, you stupid jerk on top. My six year old asked me quite a similar question about that at school, why can all the black kids sit together, but the white kids can't because they get in trouble. Tell her it's because we can't understand how they talk. No, I'm only kidding! Justbtell her that some people like to be with people similar to themselves, because they feel comfortable that way. And I somehow don't think that we are the ones segregating. I went into a friend's black church and was asked not-so-politely to leave, or there would be trouble. WTF? She was my best friend!