Summary Of The Last Segregated Hour

In The Last Segregated Hour Stephen Haynes records the plight of white churches claiming a defense of religious liberty to ensure they remain segregated in the midst of the 1960s Civil Rights struggle. Haynes’s account reveals that in the midst of the abominable treatment of African Americans by many southern government systems, many white Southern Christian churches were practicing equally heinous, racist behaviors while prohibiting black worshippers from entering worship services. Through recording this continuing ledger of racist, sinful offences committed by many white churches, Haynes reveals the often hidden racial tension of white Christianity that was perpetrated in the post-slavery era and which implicitly (or in some cases explicitly)

While it is clear that these protestors were victimized, it also called into question of their authenticity of their desire to enter the church to worship. Haynes records, “From the perspective within the targeted churches, of course, kneel-ins were not dramatic moral gestures but political stunts.” Since there are no accounts of the protestors causing conflict once they were allowed to enter the church, it is evident that these accusations should be regarded as largely false. However, the inclusion of these accusations in the book help the reader understand the fear mongering that caused many congregants to support the

It is not Haynes fault this section is disappointing, he is simply making evident that even half a century after the kneel-in conflicts very little has been done. While black visitors are no longer restricted from entering white churches, sanctuaries appear just as segregated. It shows that while church’s no longer must feel guilty of explicitly restricting blacks from entering the church, they still have not created an accommodating worship environments for all races and thus have not yet accomplished giving Christ full reign of the