Thursday, February 17, 2005
Black Teens Significantly More Likely to Attend Church Than Whites
According to the new National Study of Youth and Religion, Black youth are far more likely to attend religious services regularly than their White peers. The gap is largest among high school seniors, with Black students nearly 50 percent more likely to go to church at least once a week.
Among seniors, 45 percent of Blacks reported weekly church attendance, compared to 31 percent of Whites.
The survey showed the attendance rate for Black youth has climbed since 1995. The White rate has held steady.
Research shows that teens who attend church are less likely to drink, smoke, abuse drugs and get in trouble with the law. They are more likely to play sports, volunteer in the community and make better grades.
The young people were not asked for reasons.
Some experts and teens, both Black and White, think the disparity might have to do with the entertainment nature of services.
Face it, teens say, some White churches can be kind of boring.
Christian Smith, professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina and primary investigator of the new study, says that "Historically, the church has been more important to Blacks than Whites because of their lack of other institutions," Smith said. "Government wasn't going to work for them. They didn't have a business community. Even in slavery days, church meetings were allowed when nothing else was."
Long after the Civil War, the church remained the heart of Black culture, often becoming political and social centers. Black ministers, such as Martin Luther King Jr., led the civil rights movement.
By Donald Bradley
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