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Foundational Faith Institutions

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Church Kneeling Bench

Kneeling Bench

This kneeling bench is from Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Indianapolis, whose congregation started in 1836 and continues to meet today.

Usage

Prayer benches or kneelers like this one were used for prayer and meditation to commune with God.

Fellowship

Churches and religious spaces, from the first records of American slavery, have commonly been some of the only places where enslaved people were allowed to congregate without punishment. Religion in the Black community has grown from purely religious houses to community spaces and meeting places.

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The creation of the Center for Black Literature & Culture is made possible thanks to a generous grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.