Race in America

After exploring CNN webpage on race, I was particularly struck by the article that discussed the tension caused in a church because of fluctuations in the races of the churchgoers. Prior to reading the Wise and Hacker articles, I believe that I may have read this most recent article and dismissed as being a kind of case study, something that is not a widespread issue. However, both the Hacker and Wise articles opened my eyes to the reality and presence of racism in modern America. In light of the two aforementioned race articles, as I read this most recent CNN article, I did not find myself to be particularly surprised by the content. Of course it was still striking, but after hearing some of the harsh statistics and rough truths offered by Hacker, I cannot say that I was shocked that churches are dealing with integration issues. Something I was not expecting to read though was the repeated mention of battles and tensions that sparked because of an increasingly interracial parish. I would think that one's faith would (hopefully) supersede in importance one's feelings towards people of a different race. Therefore, I found it odd that such hostility has been sparked in a place where faith is the primary concern. The fact that the issue has become so prominent that ministers have left interracial parishes out of sheer frustration speaks to the gravity of the issue. Not only is modern day racism taking precedence over faith-- and in churches nonetheless-- but it is resulting in outright racial tensions and battles.