- Collection:
- Atlanta University and Clark Atlanta University Theses and Dissertations
- Title:
- The political economy of urban development at the black church in Atlanta: a case study on cluster churches involved in the empowerment zone initiative, 2001
- Creator:
- Ealey, Douglas E.
- Date of Original:
- 2001-12-01
- Subject:
- Degrees, Academic
Dissertations, Academic - Location:
- United States, Georgia, Fulton County, Atlanta, 33.749, -84.38798
- Medium:
- theses
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- application/pdf
- Description:
- The primary focus of this research was to assess the effectiveness of several local churches (cluster) in Atlanta that were both involved in a philanthropic training grant and a community development proposal to the Atlanta Empowerment Zone (AEZ). Overall, the intent of this study was to test the assumption that the Black Church (All capitalized forms of the term Black Church are consistent with the writings of C. Eric Lincoln and Lawrence H. Mamiya, The Black Church in the African American Experience (Durham: Duke University Press, 1990) can significantly affect the political economies of urban communities through partnering relationships with government entities, philanthropic organizations, and business establishments. The efficacy of the cluster was explored in relation to how the group: 1) affected Atlanta's political economy, 2) engaged in community enablement, and 3) affected resource accessibility and distribution. The method of inquiry used was a case study of four Black Churches (a controlled group) in the Atlanta area. Use of the case study allowed 1) in depth analysis and investigation of this particular group, 2) provided research data in a defined time frame, 3) the data and conclusions are useful as an evaluative tool for the group studied, and 4) the overall utility of this case study is its independence in data collection and analysis for application to local politics, urban communities, and Black Churches. Additionally, 104 persons (test group) were interviewed apart from the cluster group to gauge the cluster's responses. This test group was categorized as church executives, pastors, seminarians, and laity. While this additional interviewing process was not used to develop an in-depth comparative analysis, the use of the information provided a basis for developing and assessing the attitudes of the group relative to the Black Church's political activity. Thus, the information became useful as a means for impacting on the extracted data from the group studied. Cornel West's prophetic model was used as an evaluative apparatus. West's apparatus has three analytical components consisting of "a deep-seated moralism, an inescapable opportunism, and an aggressive pessimism" (Cornel West, Prophetic Fragments: Illuminations of the Crisis in American Religion and Culture (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1993), 41-42). This model was useful to actualize perception of both test groups regarding the Black Church's political activism. Although the cluster was effective in its individual community projects, the data suggested that this group project was ineffective for several reasons. First, the cluster had little effect on community redevelopment and the political economy of Atlanta through the Atlanta Empowerment Zone (AEZ) initiative. Second, the cluster's engagement in the community enablement process was ineffective. Finally, the churches failed to affect resource accessibility and distribution by public-policy officials associated with AEZ funding.
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12322/cau.td:2001_ealey_douglas_e.pdf
- Rights Holder:
- Clark Atlanta University
- Holding Institution:
- Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library
- Rights:
-
