Chez Nous Role In Religion

Religion is often interpreted in various ways, for some it means following everything in their desired sacred text. While for another it may mean just believing in a higher power without an actual form of practice. There also tends to be a difference in the way men and women practice religion. In Christian churches, women tend to take a submissive role following the leadership of the males, becoming the backbone taking care of matters behind the scene. Christian women are expected to carry themselves in a respectful manner. It is also their duty to minister to other women. For members of the club called Chez Nous, Christian principles meant behaving as a proper lady, dressing properly and being well educated and participating in the church. …show more content…
The club was organized by Peggy Wood, Evelyn Washington, Rena Hawkins in order to bring black professionals, mainly couples of the same standards and goals. The men did their own things, while the women came together to discuss political issues, like urban renewal. Chez Nous meaning “ At our house” met once a month to discuss the problems their community faced and to find means for improvement. Chez Nous members were African American couples apart of the upper middle class, which made their club exclusive and selective. Not everyone could join there was a selection process to become a member. At some of the meeting the ladies talked about their travel and discussed plays. During the summer months the meetings would take place at Green Lakes, while their husbands played golf. This group suggested the life of luxury that many African Americans in Syracuse could not afford in the 1950’s. Chez Nous were a group of people admired by the black community because they were black and able to live comfortably in a time and place that pushed for the removal of African Americans. A candidate under consideration for membership would be notified by mail with the option to accept or decline. There was a membership fee that would be collected with their response. The membership fee also made it challenging for members to join, if one could not afford the fee, they were not considered an active …show more content…
In order to find participants for the ball, Chez Nous member reached out to principles, guidance counselors and teachers to provide candidates. Most school officials respected the members of Chez Nous and were pleased send their recommendations. Some school officials felt that it was not right to provide information about students. A letter of recommendation from Ithaca public high school recommended two of their students, but the counselor recommended one over the other. The student Johnson was recommended over Gibbs due to higher grades, and her future aspirations. The counselor gave details about their plans post high school, involvement in extracurricular activities, and leadership roles in and outside school. If the school official knew of the student’s involvement in church, that role was also included in the letter of recommendation. Although the counselor recommended one student more, both were selected to participate in the debutante ball. When debutantes were selected as candidates a letter was sent out to the families, allowing them to either accept or deny the participant of their daughters in the debutante ball. The parents of young black males also received a letter in the mail asking for their participation as an escort for the debutantes. With the permission of their parents, the debutantes would attend a charm school put on by Chez Nous members, which included