CHARLES JOHNSON, THE CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE, AND CIVIL RIGHTS IN MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPI

Abstract

Charles Johnson, an African American minister in the predominately white denomination of the Church of the Nazarene, was a leader in the civil rights movement in Meridian, Mississippi. He had to navigate the rather conservative leanings of his denomination and predominance of Jim Crow segregation in Meridian. Johnson had a profound impact on the struggle for equality in Meridian, but he, unfortunately, could not exhibit the same degree of influence on the Church of the Nazarene. This work examines the difficulties and successes of Johnson as a churchman and an activist.