The Role of Clergy in Black Protest Leadership Networks

• In Event: Sociology of Religion Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 7. Clergy and Congregations

Abstract

The Black church and Black clergy were an important source of leadership in the Civil Rights Movement. However, some have observed that, more recently, Black clergy play a less central role in Black protests. We use a novel data set, social network analysis, and relational event models to examine changes in the role of religious clergy in the Black movement from 1994 to 2010. We use data on Black protest events in the U.S. from 1994 to 2010 as reported in newswires and Black newspapers to construct networks of leaders who attend protest events together by year. We describe these networks and the characteristics of leaders in the networks, particularly religious leaders, and discuss changes over time. We find that religious leaders are highly connected and act as bridges between leaders. Leaders are more likely to attend events together when one of them is religious. However, certain religious leaders play an outsized role in the network. The role of religious leaders in Black protests has not declined over this period. However, paying attention to the complex identities of religious leaders and to changes over time is necessary to understanding the role of clergy in the network of leaders of Black protest.

Authors

• Anna Milewski, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Chaeyoon Lim, Washington University in St. Louis

• Pamela Elaine Oliver, University of Wisconsin-Madison