Hundreds of Black Churches Burned in South as Terrorism Against Community Institutions

Black churches served as schools, meeting halls, community centers, and organizing spaces in the South, making them targets for white supremacist terrorism. Hundreds of Black churches were burned in the early twentieth century, particularly when communities organized politically or economically. Church burnings destroyed community records, denied spaces for organizing, and sent explicit terror messages. The practice continued throughout the twentieth century — 30 Black churches were burned in the South in 1996 alone.