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Quote by Michael Emerson

“It happens a little bit more in the West, where there's more fluid - where everybody's originally from somewhere else. So they have a little bit more permission to do it. It happens the least, at the individual level at least, in the South, because the South has very strong, you know, set up black churches and white churches and a long history of that, and so it's a bigger social cost.”

Quote by Michael Emerson

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Michael Emerson

Michael Emerson is an American film actor born on September 7, 1954. He is known for his outstanding performances in various film and television projects, renowned for his exceptional acting skills and unique character portrayals. more

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“One of the things we find when we talk to people that attend these congregations, they all have social cost to it. People want to know why they're doing that. Sometimes they're questions about selling out on their race or "Are we not good enough that you have to go to this kind of congregation and not ours?" So there are costs to it, and I think they're a little bit higher in the South because of its history.”

People Thinking Knows Want Kind Littles Sometimes Enough Social Bits Race Higher Cost Little Bit South Selling Good Enough Not Good Enough Congregation Selling Out

Author:Michael Emerson

“Every pastor I talk to says, and particularly if they're African American they'll say, "I'm not black enough for African Americans. I'm not white enough for the whites. I'm not Hispanic enough."”

Ifs Enough Black White African American Pastor Hispanic

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“There's always that sense of because we're so racially defined, if you're trying to cross the boundaries you don't fit into any particular space.”

Ifs Trying Space Particular Fit Crosses Boundaries Defined

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“We just say there are five, you know, racial groups in the US. I say that these folks are what we call a sixth American. There's something different. They are somebody who - they don't exist in any particular racial category, so they all feel it and they kind of congregate to each other.”

Knows Feels Kind Different Five Groups Particular Folks Categories

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“So you find a lot of these sixth Americans congregate in these interracial congregations. They hang out together at work, at school, wherever.”

School Together Hanging Out Congregation

Author:Michael Emerson

“It may be changing, but still it's the one place, that total control of an institution, that African Americans have. So sometimes, you know, you'll hear the statement of African Americans saying, "I have to work with whites.”

Knows May Stills Sometimes Institutions Statements African American

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“I may have to shop with them. But on Sunday I don't want to have to worship with them. I want to be able to just be myself and let my hair down." It's also, of course, as we know, the seat of political organization and the affirming of your blackness and so on.”

Knows Want May Able Political Courses Hair Worship Organization Seats Shops Sunday Blackness Affirming

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“That's a big fear, right, and when I talk with black pastors, the same thing: If we try to have this move towards interracial congregations, whites will just dominate then. There are so many more of them, and they're used to being in the position of power. So they'll just take over, and we'll lose the one thing we do have.”

Ifs Trying Bigs Moving Used Black Loses One Thing Position Pastor Congregation Position Of Power

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“There's a lot of terminology, like "washes whiter than snow," and these things which when they're said in a uniracial congregation, they just go fine. But when they're said in a mixed congregation, some people will get offended and wonder, "Why are you saying that? What are you saying?"”

People Said Wonder Fine Snow Offended Congregation Terminology

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“And sometimes the clergy are blindsided by that. Other times they realize that ahead of time and say they're not going to use those terms. So it gets complicated for sure.”

Sometimes Use Term Realizing Complicated Clergy Ahead Of Time

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