The Black/African American Perspective on the Watchtower Organization

by XOCO 28 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  XOCO

  I was wondering if anybody has some input/suggestions on their feelings of blacks/A.A (no offences to ppl who are white and born in S.African or anything of that nature) in JW organization. i tried to do some research on Google but there was not a lot except for a little bit on freeminds.org (i've been there b4). but i would like to here/read ur experiences with blacks/A.A(s) it could be from the local KH all the way up to bethel/missionary/Gilead school etc.

  ok in XOCOs case I'm H***AN/American (born in the US) and i grew up in a predominantly H****AN KH so mostly black and few European ppl/decent that spoke the francophone lang (*Hint,Hint*) i've never knew what it was like to be in a predominantly Caucasian KH (4 that 1 year i was living in the bible belt of FL,US). it was different and ppl were mesmerized by the way i acted compared to other A.A. jw around their near by KHs. they told me the way that i acted was very loving i.e kissing the bros and sis on the cheek as ppl would do in francophone culture. but while i was there there weren't to many high official positions held by blacks/A.A in predominately white town or country except if you were not in a predominantly white KM or country. that's just my opinion.

  Word to the wise: i do not want to get this thread shutdown b/c the mods may think it is offensive or i'm trying to make this thread segregated. i'm being very genuine and sincere about this and as always everybody feel free to respond with 'soundnessof mind LOL'

  XOCO
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  snowbird

  Hey Xoco,

  I'm Black, African-American, whatever you prefer, deep in Alabama. My estranged hubby is a Jamaican, yeah mon!!!

  I was drawn to the JW's because I really believed they were helping people discern the will of God. I did wonder at the time - early 70's - why there were so few Blacks of the "anointed." Now I know it's because Blacks were considered inferior by the higher ups. Imagine that. So-called brothers of Christ viewing others as beneath them.

  I haven't gone to a meeting since 2005 and have no intention of ever doing so. I hate deceit and hypocrisy with a passion, and the WTS is full of both.

  Thanks for a hearing ear.

  Sylvia
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  CHILD

  I attended 2 predominantly African-American congregations and 1 50% African-American/Hispanic congregation in the Northeaster U.S. I've had Circuit Overseers who are Caucasian and African American. I've never met a Hispanic CO. The congregation that was mix culturally was warmer. People hugged and kissed one another.

  I met many African-American Bethelilites and some missionaries. One problem I noticed is some African-Americans raised a JW don't seem to know their history. The African-American church is such a part of our history that when one believes church is part of Babylon the Great, it disconnects one from one's heritage.
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  snowbird

  The African-American church is such a part of our history that when one believes church is part of Babylon the Great, it disconnects one from one's heritage.

  You are so right.

  Just today, I found myself humming Climbing Jacob's Ladder. Our church hymns and spirituals were song without instrumental music. It was so simple and beautiful.

  I really missed that. I memorized all the Kingdom songs, but it just wasn't the same.

  Sylvia
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  Junction-Guy

  Im white, but I have attended a few predominately black congregations, for the most part they were much friendlier and warmer than the predominately white congregations.
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  snowbird

  We Black people are just naturally warm and affectionate.

  I often think that's why shunning can't seem to gain a foothold among Black JW's. We depended so much on each other during the horrors of slavery, Jim Crow, and the turbulence of the Civil Rights struggle that the concept of straight-up shunning is foreign to us. Here in the South, anyway.

  Sylvia
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  blondie

  I was in the predominatly black congregation in the area. Every year there would be a special needs talk about lighter-skinned blacks discriminating against darker blacks in the congregation. White jws routinely would not work in black neighborhoods even during the day with black jws. One white sister told me that blacks were not as smart as whites and that I should not marry a black brother. BTW I am white and I was astonished at the hidden prejudices in the congregation.
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  R.F.

  From my observations, as well as from the observations of others here locally that were vocal about this, it seemed that some black brothers that could've been given burdens privileges in the congregation were looked over quite often, while the certain white brothers that had no business being in these positions were being appointed left and right.

  With me being Black though, i'm one of only a couple that slipped through the cracks, being appointed a MS eventually.

  There are many congregations within the that Circuit isn't this way though, and there have been quite a few Black Circuit Overseers here, as well as in close by Circuits.

  R.F.
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  dinah

  I was in a predominantly while congregation. They have a black CO now, I actually went to hear him a couple of years ago. Truth be told that's the only reason I went.

  Black people are warmer and seem to have a much stronger sense of family. I'm in Bama too, Snowbird--but I'm soooo white I can barely tan.

  I never witnessed discrimination, probably because of the absence of African Americans. We did finally get an African American elder when I was about 15. He was instrumental in getting me kicked out of the org. I was dating a worldly black guy and he hated that. Seems people in the community were talking too much and it was bringing reproach. Jeeeeez!

  I always loved the assemblies because the races were together. Maybe it was just a pipe dream, but it will be reality eventually.

  That is one thing I am thankful for, not being prejudiced because of something stupid like skin color. Character is so much more important.
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  snowbird

  I was in the predominatly black congregation in the area. Every year there would be a special needs talk about lighter-skinned blacks discriminating against darker blacks in the congregation.

  Light-skinned Black people, who often were the offspring of their White masters, were treated differently and given greater privileges than darker Blacks. So, naturally resentment and anger against the lighter-skinned ones developed.

  However, I've seen that it can cut both ways. I once knew a family who were all dark-skinned. Lo and behold, along came a light-skinned child! And I mean LIGHT-skinned. Tongues were set to wagging all over the place, but the saving grace for the mother was that the light-skinned child looked more like the father than the darker-skinned ones. Still, that child was treated like an outcast.

  We humans are something else, are we not?

  Sylvia