Role in the Church
African American women first served a role in the Catholic church in 1829 when four African American women (Elizabeth Lange, Marie Balas, Rosine Boeque, and Almede Maxis) became a part of the Oblate Sisters of Providence in Baltimore, Maryland (Bryant).
Aftrican American women have been active within the church but received special recognition in 1968 at the height of the Civil Rights Movement when 155 African American nuns representing 79 congregations met and created the National Black Sisters’ Conference (NBSC). The goal of NBSC was to liberate “African American nuns and all African Americans from oppression and racism in the church and the society as a whole.” Much of the organization’s focus was on helping black nuns develop their identity and combat feelings of alienation, especially since it was assumed that African American nuns worked in white congregations (Bryant).
Aftrican American women have been active within the church but received special recognition in 1968 at the height of the Civil Rights Movement when 155 African American nuns representing 79 congregations met and created the National Black Sisters’ Conference (NBSC). The goal of NBSC was to liberate “African American nuns and all African Americans from oppression and racism in the church and the society as a whole.” Much of the organization’s focus was on helping black nuns develop their identity and combat feelings of alienation, especially since it was assumed that African American nuns worked in white congregations (Bryant).