Was first organized in New York during the late 18th century.
Prominent members included Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, and Frederick Douglass.
Many Black churches followed suit and added Zion to their names.
I know of a Greater Zion Tabernacle, Little Zion Missionary Baptist Church, and Big Zion AME Church.
Charles Russell decided to drop Zion from his magazine title because many people were associating his publication with a "colored" church. His explanation as follows is from the December 15, 1908 WT.
With the New Year we expect to drop the word "Zion's" in the title of our Journal, because many of the friends inform us that the word is objectionable, having been so much used by Mr. Dowie and his followers. They report that our Journal is frequently cast aside under the supposition that it is published under Dowie's auspices, or in some manner affiliated with Zion City, which he founded. The new name, THE WATCH TOWER, is the one by which the Journal is usually mentioned. It appears, further, that African churches and papers use the word Zion extensively, which has led to the inquiry whether or not our Journal is published and generally read by colored people.
History is something, isn't it?
Sylvia
