JW's and interracial marriage?

by c.dawn 32 Replies latest social relationships

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  c.dawn

  Hi,

  My nephew a JW who is white is dating another JW who is black with the intent to announce their engagement soon.

  I had been reading about the past history of the JW's opinion of the black race. Old writings that said they were Gods people too, but not intelligent as white etc and not qualified intellectually to go door to door to teach etc.That all people would be white in the new system.

  I had read of a rope being run down the pews of the fellowship halls to separate the races during services during the 50's early 60's at the halls that did allow intergrated services..

  This was supposed to have taken place even up to a few years after de-segregation in the schools and other public places took effect.

  That in some areas they had their own hall to meet at and the whites had theirs. At one point the members of the black hall had asked to meet at the white hall as their building was being repaired or soemthing and they were told no, that some of the members of the white hall wouldn't understand or approve.

  And I read that even up into the late 90's, many black members still weren't being given postions or responsibilities that whites had held since the beginning of the JW's.

  I was just wondering how far they've come along to improve this image and if anyone knows thier opinion of interracial marriages.

  Anyone have personal experiences on it?

  Thanks. C.dawn
• 

  kls

  Welcome C.dawn to the forum. I have been out of the cult a long time but i know there are others on the forum that will help you.
• 

  StinkyPantz

  And I read that even up into the late 90's, many black members still weren't being given postions or responsibilities that whites had held since the beginning of the JW's.

  I was just wondering how far they've come along to improve this image and if anyone knows thier opinion of interracial marriages.

  Anyone have personal experiences on it?

  As a Black female I never saw anything like this. If there was any racism, it was hidden.

  Had I not been df'd , I most likely would've married a childhood friend who was white. Actually, he went on to marry a black girl anyway and his sister married a black man. There father and grandfather were very well known in the area, and the son was a former bethelite.
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  StinkyPantz

  Oh and my brother has dated a couple white & latina sisters, with no problems.
• 

  blondie

  JWs usually reflect the prejudices of their era.

  It is alright for a white man to marry a black woman.

  It is less alright for a black man to marry a white woman.

  Just like in businesses, people are promoted by people like themselves, that is why white men are promoted more often, because white men are predominantly in charge still.

  Thus because white men are still mostly in charge at the WTS, white men tend to be recommended for higher "privileges."

  The more exposure people have to people of other races, socially or at work, the less they are seen as "the other" including in congregations.

  Older people (over 60) tend to retain pre civil rights views of blacks.

  Up until the 80's I saw few blacks at Bethel.

  These are all generalities and definitely there are exceptions to everything I have stated. Just some observations over the last 50 years.

  Blondie
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  seeitallclearlynow

  I was associated for over 30 years and attended congregations in the upper midwest, East Coast, and West Coast and I have never observed any prejudice toward blacks or any other race in any of the congregations; we had black, white, hispanic, and asian elders and circuit and district overseers and a number of interracial marriages, though not a great many.

  Just my experience.
• 

  unique1

  I know for a fact that the halls in Randolph County, North Carolina were segregated until the 60's. I didn't find this out until about a year ago, because I am only in my 20's. I was talking to an older black sister about the locations of the old halls and how did they have two different ones at the same time in one city? She said one of the locations was the black congregation and the other was the white congregation. Some of the really old halls, still have two water fountains. Many have replaced one of the fountains with a short fountain for kids, but back in the day two were installed, one for blacks and one for whites, after the congregations were segregated. I couldn't believe it. I was never raised with any predjudice, but my parents didn't join until the early 70's. There are many mixed racial couples now and they all are respected and I don't think they are shown any predjudice. It is just weird that the congregations have only been mixed for 60 years. I had never even known there had ever been a segregated KH until last year and I was raised in the troof. Freaky.
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  unique1

  By the way, WELCOME ABOARD C Dawn.
• 

  Country Girl

  My mother was the first of the desegreated Witnesses. Our congregation was half black and half white, and nobody gave a crap who you married.

  CG
• 

  jwbot

  To be honest, I would be very surprised to hear of segregation. I would believe it...but at the same time, I was raised to believe that when it came to race, that Jehovahs Witnesses were progressive. Wow.

  Anyway beside that...I live in Maine so maybe this has something to do with it...but my brother dated a very lovely black woman for a year or two and he told me that older people and even younger MS and elders (with the exception of my father who is somewhat liberal) would give my brother crap saying that it would not be a good marriage because if they had kids they would be mixed and would get made fun of..blablabla. They of course did not understand that THEY were part of the problem, not my brother and his girlfriend.