by minimus 40 Replies latest jw friends
I was raised in a city Hall. It was pretty evenly split. I wasn't raised in a blacks vs. whites environment. However, the Spanish speaking Puerto Rican congregation that we shared Halls with were very much looked down upon.
What was your experience in your Kingdom Hall?
Not looked down upon. I think racial predjudice is no more prevelant in JWism than society as a whole.
That being said, they claim to be better than the evil "world" so they are still dou**e bags.
double bags?
That is a very interesting question, minimus, and I'm sure you understand that the answers will vary according to location, experience and outlook of the person answering.
The first two congregations I associated with were in the Alabma cities of Tuscaloosa and Birmingham respectively. In both congregations, the overwhelming majority of publishers were black. The white Witnesses felt welcomed there and got along famously with everyone else. So I never saw any racial tensions there.
Then I moved from Alabama to Colorado where I spent the next 30+ years. For 23 of them I was an active Witness in two congregations there. Blacks made up less than 2% of the population in Boulder, the city I lived in and that was also reflected in the congregations I was a part of. Still, up until the time I was disfellowshipped, I can say that I was always respected and treated well. That was true as a whole for my entire stay in Colorado. Maybe my experience was atypical, but I can honestly say I had few problems with racism as a Witness.
I'm now back in Alabama caring for my aged mother and have nothing to do with either the WTS or Jehovah's Witnesses now. The racial climate in Alabama has changed for the better in the years since I have been away. That change may well be reflected in the congregations here now, but I can't speak to that of my own knowledge. Previously, Witnesses did better as a whole with the race question than non-Witnesses but with everything being less troublesome now, that difference may no longer be as marked or even exist nowadays.
Quendi
Not at all
Q, that's interesting. I'm glad I'm not the only person that didn't see "the brothers and sisters" getting along.
no
There were hardly any black jws in my area when I was growing up. Little socializing, the community at large were prejudiced, jws tending to reflect that. Considered less intelligent, interracial marriage was looked down upon, no black brothers were elders or MS. Fifteen years later in the 70's things "improved" as more and more black people became jws, ones that were intact families and had better education. It was a long time before I ever saw a black CO or DO though and I think they are still scarce.
I can Honestly Say NO.....
I will give them that... (not everyone....including Elders) most.... Saw what I see ..........
A Human! Never saw Race.... saw a Brother or Sister....
It would be interesting if people would put their experiences in a time context, 1950', 1960's, 1970's, etc.
