Amy Welborn's two-part introduction to the history of Black Catholics in America is a must-read.

Today's post outlines the profoundly-complex and second-class experience of most of our African-descended brothers and sisters over the course of American history.

 Historical reality is, of course, much more complicated. We can celebrate the existence of all-Black religious orders of sisters, but why did they have to exist? Because white religious orders wouldn’t accept Black women as members and white religious orders didn’t want to serve Black populations. We can celebrate, for example, predominantly Black parishes and schools in New Orleans, but why did they come to exist? Because the institutional Church acceded to Jim Crow laws, both in letter and spirit. 

In short: when we look at the history of the Catholic Church and African-Americans in the United States, there is no room for institutional or majoritarian self-congratulation. It’s a history marked by fearful submission to civic, cultural and social prejudice, which teaches us, among other things, that there is nothing new under the sun. And, like all history, it’s quite interesting, and for those with the time and motivation, provides endless fascinating rabbit trails. A couple of places to begin.

And she then provides plenty of resources to begin study of that history. 

Read it all, and do not miss the first post.