BLACK IDENTITY VS. CHRISTIAN IDENTITY
Both are important but one takes precedence over the other
There is sometimes a certain amount of confusion on racial issues due to our lack of an ability to understand each other. As an African-Americans sociology professor who teaches racial issues, I have made it my duty to try to understand perspectives across the racial divide. To that end I think there are many white Americans, especially those Christians who share my faith, that have a misunderstanding about black Christians. I will only speak for myself. But I offer this in hopes of being helpful to my white Christian friends and perhaps to other white people as well.
My black identity is not as important to me as my Christian identity. Not even close. But my racial identity is important to me in ways that do not tend to be true for white Christians. It is important to me because being black has shaped my social and personal reality. I have experiences that are directly tied to being an African American. I’ve had people lock their car doors when I approach them. I lost a girlfriend because her mother’s racism could not accept me. People assume that I am ignorant when I wear casual or inexpensive clothes. These experiences are locked within me and will not go away. They shape an important part of who I am.
But that does not make my black identity more important than my Christian identity, as my faith shapes every aspect of my life. There are ways in which my black identity and my Christian identity intersect to shape my perspectives. But if they do come into conflict my Christian identity will always come before my black identity.
I have spoken with many white people who are confused about why I even talk about being black. They assume that my black identity should not matter. For them, their white identity is not important, so why should my black identity be important? But our racial identities consistently impact how we see reality. Many whites may not understand this because they live in a society that for the most part treats them as if they are the norm. They do not have to think about being white in ways I have to think about being black. So I understand that they may feel that we should ignore our race. But that is just not a reality for me.
So being black is part of who I am and I do not back away from that. It may shape my politics, my cultural tastes, and my perception of others in ways that are different from my white brothers and sisters. But it does not replace my Christian identity. I do not want to say it enhances my Christian identity, because that may imply that I think I am a better Christian because I am black. But it does “flavor” my Christian identity and at times allows me to offer something that I would not have if I was not black. I am neither prideful nor ashamed of being black. It is simply a part of who I am.
Just as I will never be ashamed of being black, I will not ask others to be ashamed of being their particular race. Even though I know their racial identity impacts who they are, I am not interested in asking them to acknowledge that fact. If they do not realize how their race impacts them then that is their perception and it is how they manage their understanding of race and society. It is not for me to try to force them into a place they do not want to be. I will always place my Christian faith as more important than my racial identity. But I do hope that when my white brothers and sisters see that my racial identity is part of who I am that they do not try to force me into a place I do not want to be.
I say this in a Christian context because that is what I am. However, I see such understanding to be important to our society in general. In our society, whether we are Christians or not, we should seek out understanding of each other so that we can better live in community with each other. I hope we can learn about each other for the sake of our relationships with other people. But also, as we learn about others, it may give us some insight into ourselves.
Dr. George A. Yancey is a Professor of Sociology at Baylor University. He has published books and research articles on the topics of institutional racial diversity, racial identity, academic bias, progressive Christianity, and anti-Christian hostility. His books include Compromising Scholarship, What Motivates Cultural Progressives (with David A. Williams), There Is No God (with David A. Williams), So Many Christians, So Few Lions (with David A. Williams), Transcending Racial Barriers: Toward a Mutual Obligations Approach (with Michael O. Emerson), and Beyond Racial Gridlock: Embracing Mutual Responsibility. His previous publications in the Journal of Free Black Thought include “What Is Antiracism and What Is the Problem with It?” and “The Future of DEI.” He appeared on the Free Black Thought Podcast in May in an episode titled “Can DEI Be Fixed?” He maintains a personal website, a YouTube channel called “shatteringparadigms,” and a Twitter account.
Yes, yes. Background (traditions, ethnicity, culture) adds to the diverse tapestry of Christianity. Jesus first. And then lived experience—everyone’s story matters.
As a Black person, I sense that many White Americans are growing weary of our tendency to frame every conversation and problem through the lens of systemic racism, often using it as an alibi instead of engaging in self-introspection. Having grown up in the South under Jim Crow, I find it striking that I now hear more and louder cries of racism than I did in my youth.
Yes, a strong Black middle class exists, but a large underclass is falling further behind. The core issue is the failure to instill middle-class values: family stability, respect for education, and discipline for youth. With over 70% of Black children born outside marriage and about 64% raised without fathers, the family foundation is broken, leaving little ground to pass on the values needed for upward mobility.
Yet too often, rather than confronting these internal realities, we attribute the resulting failures to racism and present them as its legacy. I believe this is why many Whites are tiring of racial conversations.