Never Been a Time (2008)
“Allison’s sermon at the First Baptist Church in East St. Louis for the first Sunday in June was “The Race Problem.”
“God has no pets,” Allison proclaimed in a plea for racial tolerance. But the tough, crusading preacher also suggested that the races, at least for the time being, should live and work and study and marry and worship apart. He intoned, “The black man never had a chance until he was set out on his own initiative. It was separate schools that produced Booker T. Washington … The atte...mpt to equalize the races is a sin against both the black and white man.” The sermon, coming from a rare voice of moderation and tolerance in East St. Louis, suggests what small steps even the supposed racial liberals of the time were willing to take to gain racial peace.1 Meanwhile, East St. Louis labor leaders had sent a telegram to the Illinois Council of Defense, the state’s civil defense overseer, arguing that the racial situation in East St. Louis threatened war industries and should be investigated.MoreLess
“God has no pets,” Allison proclaimed in a plea for racial tolerance. But the tough, crusading preacher also suggested that the races, at least for the time being, should live and work and study and marry and worship apart. He intoned, “The black man never had a chance until he was set out on his own initiative. It was separate schools that produced Booker T. Washington … The atte...mpt to equalize the races is a sin against both the black and white man.” The sermon, coming from a rare voice of moderation and tolerance in East St. Louis, suggests what small steps even the supposed racial liberals of the time were willing to take to gain racial peace.1 Meanwhile, East St. Louis labor leaders had sent a telegram to the Illinois Council of Defense, the state’s civil defense overseer, arguing that the racial situation in East St. Louis threatened war industries and should be investigated.MoreLess
Read book Never Been a Time for free
Write Review:
Guest
Read Also
7 / 10
8 / 10
User Reviews: