The last issue ofÂ American AtheistsÂ featured several articles written by black peopleÂ who looked into a world unseen by most of us.Â It is the world of the American black citizen who is an atheist.
I had not thought about how religion tends to define the civil rights movement.Â Â Its gigantic figure, Martin Luther King, was a minister.Â Imagines of him are often in a clerical robe.Â Much of the early civil rights organizing took place in churches.
The black authors I read took issue with the view that churches were the only force that led to justice.Â There were secular participants in the movement from the start.Â Â The reason ralliesÂ took place in black churches was that these churchesÂ were the onlyÂ place black people could hold political gatherings.
Martin Luther King used the Bible as justification for the civil rights movement.Â No doubt, he foundÂ his voice in the scriptures and used it effectively.Â The fact is, however, he had to use the Bible as a defense strategy.Â The offense, segregationists, started using it against blacksÂ going allÂ the way back to slavery.
TheÂ black nonbelieversÂ say it is time to move on from the characterization of civil rights and black churches being one and the same.Â WhenÂ civil rights are celebrated, they would like to see the secular part of it given its proper recognition.
While churces played an important role, they say,Â the secular part of the black community did as well.