In Many Ways, 11 A.M. Sunday Morning is Still the Most Segregated Hour in America

Martin Luther King Jr. once famously said the time when segregation was most prominent in America was 11 a.m. on Sunday mornings when whites and blacks exclusively went to different churches. While integration has unquestionably occurred in the nearly 50 years since King made his remarks, it mostly involves African-Americans going to otherwise predominantly white churches. The reverse is seldom true, and the trend holds firm for Hispanics as well.

A fascinating story in the Asbury Park (N.J.) Press examines this trend. In the piece, perhaps the most interesting quote comes from Ellieen Ancrum, director of the Office of Black Apostolate for the Diocese of Trenton.”Worship style is more than color,” she says. “Church is finding the place where your spirituality is nurtured.”