The history of the black Catholic community is just as important for the history of the Catholic Church in the United States. More than we realize, the history of the black Catholic community is coextensive with the history of the American Catholic community. What is needed today are historical studies that no longer simply probe the ministry and apostolate to blacks but rather focus the spotlight on the black Catholic community itself to determine its role in the Catholic drama of the last two centuries.
Article by Cyrian Davis, OSB