Religion played a vital role in the development of community leadership in the black communities. Black churches existed in the South before the Civil War, but they were under white control. When the war came to an end, many “African American congregations of Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, and other sects separated from white ones” (Keene, 415). Often times, these churches were the only places that upheld the idea of freedom. Churches also ran the schools and charities within the communities. "Churches also offered African Americans a degree of self-government, electing members to serve as trustees and on committees overseeing parish life and budget management" (Keene, 415). In particular, African American women filled numerous
