In Trump's Remarks, Black Churches See a Nation Backsliding
By SABRINA TAVERNISEJAN. 14, 2018
WASHINGTON In the middle of a rousing rendition of We Shall Overcome on Sunday morning, the Rev. William H. Lamar IV of the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church made a sudden change to the lyrics.
O.K., we are not afraid, but replace someday with today, he told the congregation.
The worshipers sang back: We are not afraid today.
On the day before Martin Luther Kings Birthday, African-American churchgoers gathered as they always do, to pray, give thanks and reflect on the state of race in America. But after a disheartening week and an even more disheartening year, black Americans interviewed on Sunday said they were struggling to comprehend what was happening in a country that so recently had an African-American president.
Ive been involved in the civil rights movement since my college days, and Im not sure Ive ever been more confused than I am right now, said Sterling Tucker, 94, a civil rights leader in Washington. Theres not a lot of honesty in the country now about who we are and where we are.
In interviews at churches in Washington; Atlanta; Kansas City, Mo.; Miami; and Brockton, Mass., black Americans expressed frustration and disappointment about the direction of the country in Donald Trumps first year in office.
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