I have to admit this surprised me. I didn't realize there was a biased history with the WTS.. they were right when they said the light gets brighter..
it most certainly does, regarding the hypocrasy of this organization is moer visible every day!
Few Black/African people on this board
by Joker10 43 Replies latest jw friends
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Leolaia
Good articles, but they don't exactly address my question.....
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Valis
*** The Watchtower of April 15, 1900 p. 122 ***
[Note: not available on 1993/1995/1999 CD-ROM]There are probably as many as a hundred colored brethren on the Watch Tower lists, some of them very clear in the truth, and very earnest in its service, financially and otherwise. We have received letters from several of these, who had intended engaging in the volunteer work, expressing surprise that in the call for volunteers in the March 1st issue we restricted the inquiry to white Protestant churches. They rightly realized that we have not the slightest of race prejudice, and that we love the colored brethren with just the same warmth of heart that we love the white, and they queried therefore why such a distinction should be made in the call. The reason is that so far as we are able to judge, colored people have less education than whites ? many of them quite insufficient to permit them to profit by such reading as we have to give forth. Our conclusion therefore is based upon the supposition that reading matter distributed to a colored congregation would more than half of it be utterly wasted, and a very small percentage indeed likely to yield good results.
[Emphasis Added]
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simplesally
The Society always held up Bible Brown as their shining example of how they were not prejudiced and how a black man DID take the lead in the 'truth'........
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flower
First, if you take ANY online group or 'real life' group (unless it is specifically geared to minorities) you will have the same disproportionate number in regards to race. It proves nothing except that there are more white people in most of these countries than there are minorities. That is why we are called minorities.
Secondly, I have met many black people from this board over the past couple of years and at least half a dozen in person so just because they didnt respond to your thread doesnt mean they arent around here.
That being said, there may be in fact some truth to the fact that there are less black anti jw 'activists'. I offer my theory on this....
Like many other cultures, in the black community, almost NOTHING is more important than family. I mean nothing. Being an outspoken activist ex witness is a sure-fire way to get yourself shunned and for many who have managed to leave and still keep a relationship with their family, no matter how limited...thats just not worth it.
Right now I get a phone call from my mom every few weeks and I'm not willing to give that up to go marching around the conventions with a 'jah sucks' banner.
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DanTheMan
The Watchtower is a *very* equal opportunity cult. Black people often get fairer and more equal treatment in JW-world than outside, I think. Many of my good friends while I was a JW were black dudes. I don't have any "worldly" black friends. I don't count my one black friend at work because he was raised in Ghana, so he's not an Americanized black man.
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flower
I agree with you..the congregations I was a part of there was no racial issues at all. I never felt or even heard of any racial issues within the organization until after I left and I believe those to be blown out of proportion and in reality a very small number of experiences.
As with any corporation in America there are always going to be mostly white folks running the show at the very top but I have to give it to the JW's they are an example to the world where race relations are concerned. You will not find another organization with as much a mix of races and where those differences are put aside almost completely by the majority of members.
Yes the Watchtower did print very racist articles like that one in the early 1900's because just like the rest of the world they saw colored people as different but even as early as the 1900's they were starting to recognize that they were wrong before most people were even acknowledging that black people were human. And they are still light years ahead of other corporations in that regard.
Granted, it could very well be that the Watchtower saw an opportunity to create the one place where black people could feel equal as another way to lure in more members. The equality is something that most black people will notice right off the bat when they start studying and it makes them think there must be something divine behind it so they stick around to learn more.
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ellderwho
I attended an all black congregation, our family and two other white familys. Really didnt see any racism towards myself, there very well could have been but I never noticed any either race. Then again checkin out some sisters, and flirting alot with the sisters in the cong. knowing it was very "taboo" kinda made it very interesting
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Ex Dub MS
Somebody say something?
Besides Sassy? *Waves* Yoo hoo! Over here!