Social Stratification in the Deep South

Attending the church service at 16^th Street Baptist church was polar opposite from the Greek Orthodox service I am used to.  When we walked in and sat there were three women with microphones at the front of the church but women are not allowed in the altar at my church so it was surprising to see only women to start the service.  The women had great voices and the songs and people playing instruments made it difficult to stand and not clap and get into it.  I was also surprised by how many couples and families had never been to the church because they were some of the most energetic and into the service ones in the congregation.  Another difference about people in the church besides the obvious of race, was the children’s role in the service.  During services in my church the boys from the 14 years old Sunday School class are altar boys and participate in the entire service while older church members pass around collection baskets but at the 16^th street church the kids pass around the collection which is interesting because I’m sure people would feel more inclined and obligated to give money to a child.

The preacher was a large part of our discussion after the service because he was just so animated and exactly what one would expect from a Baptist church in the deep south.  He shouted most of what he was saying all the while wiping his sweat with a towel.  For the most part his sermon was uplifting and encouraging people not to give up even in the rough times that are bound to come.  He spoke to an older crowd with several marriage references and was actually really funny with his boxing examples and bobbing and weaving at the podium.  However, what stuck out to our entire group was an intolerant comment the preacher added pretty unnecessarily to his sermon about gay relationships being a sin.  The comment was unwarranted and left me with a somewhat negative view of the church.  I would be a hypocrite if I did not admit that I disagree with some beliefs my priest has, but in reflection some people said that the comment would probably deter them from returning to the church.  Just avoiding that particular church is not helpful because his views are not acceptable and one would hope for someone that directly knows prejudice and intolerance they wouldn’t turn around and judge others in a similar manner.

Watching the Spike Lee movie after going to the church was good because we got a good idea of the events and histories of the girls from Teresa before going and then in the movie we could see the places we went and hear more in depth about the happenings of the day of the bombing.   Hearing the girls’ family members, neighbors, and friends talking about each girl’s personality and childhood was extremely touching.  Carole was supposed to play in her first clarinet concert the day after the bombings and Cynthia reached out and made friends with people that other students rejected and picked on.  I got goose bumps when Cynthia’s sister retells the last thing her mother had said to her before she was killed.  Cynthia left the house with her slip sticking out from her skirt and her mother stopped her to tell her to pull her skirt down because “you just don’t put your clothes on any way when you are going to church because you don’t know how you’re going to come back.”  To think these were the last words a mother spoke to her daughter is gut wrenching.  Denise’s grandfather describing having to tell her that she could not get a sandwhich at the mall because the food was white only was just as difficult as seeing her dead shows how young and innocent these girls were.  They were 14 and 11 years old and the little life experience they had was completely unjust.  It was hard to sit in the church service thinking about these issues and not be a little distracted from the service.  I wonder if members of the church think about it each Sunday.