African American churches

African American churches are Christian congregations with predominantly Black membership, historically rooted in denominations formed during and after slavery when Black worshippers were excluded from or segregated within white churches.

These churches—Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, and others—have served as centers of community life, political organizing, and cultural expression: The civil rights movement was organized largely through African American churches.

The phrase often implies a distinctive worship style featuring gospel music, call-and-response preaching, and emotional expression.