Annie Zachery...
There were three churches in the community, one Baptist and two Methodist, and our family attended them all. The reason being is that the churches did not meet every Sunday, but on different Sundays during the month, and the families went to all of them. We were all Baptist except for my father, but no one could tell the difference. The women in the churches sang and prayed just like the men. We had homecoming activities and the women would be responsible for cooking the dinner, serving it on the grounds, outside, and taking care of the children.

Shirley Gray...
This is the Bible belt country. Our culture is based on religion and our fear of God. The church was the only place where we as southern blacks could express ourselves freely. We were very noisy people. We sang with a spirit. We clapped our hands. We tap our feet. We urged the preacher on. It was a time to release the pent up energy and stress of the week before. You looked forward to going to church on Sunday. Also, it was a time for us to dress up. So down South you see black women going to church fully dressed, the high-heeled shoes and stockings, gloves, hats, pocketbooks, all of that was part of the dress.

To be baptized represented being saved as they speak of in the scriptures. It was really an outward acclamation for your relationship with God. It was to let the world know that I finally am saved.

Sunday was the time when you dressed up; all the men in the front row, how dressed they are, and the women with their hats on. When I was growing up, as a kid, you had to be properly dressed going to church, and as a young woman, that meant your high heels on, your stockings, hat, gloves and purse. And also it was that time when you could really express yourself. You notice that the men always sat on one side and the women sat on the other side, you know, and the children sporadically placed through. We'd always try to get some place where my mom couldn't see us. She didn't have to speak. She'd just look.

And in the Summertime, it was hot inside. When the minister would have altar call, he would always say, "The doors of the church are now open." And the ushers would go back and close the door. I was, like, "Why are they closing the door?" I was a grown woman before I realized what was going on. They were simply closing the door for reverence, you know. Nobody could come in and nobody could leave. But those were just some of my little childhood notions and questions, that I had in my mind. And I can still remember some of the old fire-and-brimstone preachers during that time.

The church was a part of a community. That's where all of our activities happened. On Friday nights, we would have what they call entertainment, and my grandmother would always make a churn of ice cream, and we'd have the little bags of parched peanuts and hot dogs and different things to eat, and that was their way of raising money, to help support the preacher and help with the upkeep of the church bills. But the church was the center of the community, as far as activities were concerned. Sunday nights we might have a singing program. During the holidays we would have a Christmas pageant, Thanksgiving dinners and whatever.

It was also our place of safety. We were a unit. So, we did have our town hall meetings in the church. 11 o'clock Sunday, was the most segregated hour of all time. Even now, we, as nations of people work together, we might eat in the same restaurants, whatever. But 11 o'clock Sunday morning, everybody goes his/her own separate way.

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