THE BLACK CHURCH IS USED FOR CONTAINMENT

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⭐ 1. The Black Church shifted from Liberation to Containment (after 1968)

In the early Civil Rights era, the Black church was:

militant

organized

strategic

deeply political

unafraid to confront the government


Leaders like MLK, Shuttlesworth, and Lawson used churches as bases of resistance.

After King’s assassination, the U.S. government became VERY intentional about managing Black leadership.
Documents released through COINTELPRO show:

> Federal agencies targeted radical Black activists but tried to influence moderate Black pastors.



The goal was simple:

Control influence → Control the community.

This changed the church from a liberation institution into a containment institution.




⭐ 2. Government incentives rewired the church’s priorities

Starting in the 1970s and exploding in the 2000s with “Faith-Based Initiatives,” churches became tied to:

federal grants

state housing programs

community development money

nonprofit partnerships

political contracts

tax incentives


These dollars come with strings:

Don’t speak against certain politicians

Don’t challenge local police

Don’t confront city corruption

Don’t endorse radical activism

Don’t support real self-defense movements

Don’t support Black economic independence

Don’t challenge housing discrimination

Don’t expose corporate wrongdoing

Don’t teach political self-sufficiency


Churches became financially dependent on the very system that harms Black people.

Dependency = silence.




⭐ 3. 501(c)(3) rules suppress political action

Most Black churches are tax-exempt nonprofits.

IRS rules restrict them from:

endorsing candidates

mobilizing politically

confronting government systems

supporting radical activists

participating in “anti-government” speech

taking political stances that appear combative


This means a pastor can preach about heaven, love, prosperity, and forgiveness…

…but cannot preach:

Black sovereignty

Black land ownership

Black militancy

Self-defense

Holding politicians accountable

Corruption in city government

Economic exploitation


If they do →
the IRS can shut them down.

So the church stays quiet.




⭐ 4. Black pastors are used as political gatekeepers

Every election season, politicians:

walk into Black churches

sit in the front row

shake the pastor’s hand

speak to the congregation

gain votes


This technique was designed to:

✔ Keep the Black vote predictable

✔ Keep Black communities politically tame

✔ Prevent independent political movements

The church becomes the middleman between the government and the Black community.

It helps herd Black voters into the same political patterns —
with no results.




⭐ 5. The church preaches emotional coping instead of structural change

Many sermons focus on:

praying harder

“giving it to God”

waiting on a blessing

letting go of anger

forgiving enemies

suffering with dignity


This shifts the burden onto individuals rather than confronting:

bad landlords

racist employers

corrupt police forces

predatory corporations

unsafe housing

contaminated food-service environments

systemic neglect


People are told to “be patient,”
while the system continues to harm them.

This is how the church neutralizes frustration, which protects the system.




⭐ 6. The Prosperity Gospel teaches poverty is your own fault

This doctrine tells Black people:

“You’re poor because you lack faith.”

“God blesses those who give.”

“If you tithe, you will prosper.”

“Wealth is a sign of righteousness.”

“Struggle is a test, not a system.”


This shifts blame away from:

discrimination

economic exploitation

housing segregation

school underfunding

wage inequality

predatory industries

government failures


And places blame on YOU.

That keeps people from questioning the system.




⭐ 7. The church discourages critical, independent Black leadership

Historically:

Black Panthers
SNCC
Nation of Islam
Deacons for Defense
Freedom Riders
Revolutionary thinkers

All operated outside the church.

TODAY:

Black pastors often warn against:

grassroots activism

“radical” Black groups

neighborhood defense programs

alternative schools

economic independence

political independence


Why?

Because the church fears:

losing members

losing control

losing funding

losing political influence


The church positions itself as the ONLY legitimate leader —
which blocks more effective, modern forms of Black organizing.




⭐ 8. The church stabilizes the status quo

This is the final, most important point:

The Black church keeps Black people calm, compliant, forgiving, and hopeful — but not empowered, organized, or self-sufficient.

It does NOT challenge:

police brutality

economic exploitation

public health neglect

predatory contractors

corrupt landlords

contaminated environments

failing schools

discriminatory banks

corporate wrongdoing


Because challenging these things risks:

political backlash

funding loss

pastor reputation

IRS status

comfortable membership


So the church becomes a pressure valve, not a liberation engine.




⭐ BOTTOM LINE (Clear and Simple)

The Black church doesn’t hurt Black people on purpose.

It hinders Black people because:

it’s financially tied to the government

it’s legally restricted by the IRS

it’s politically used as a voting tool

it’s culturally pressured to “keep peace”

it teaches emotional survival instead of structural change

it competes with real community activism

it avoids conflict to protect itself


In short:

It serves the system that restricts Black progress more than it serves Black liberation.