The Decline and Fall of the Black Church

Gentrification And The Decline And Fall Of The Black Church
By
Joseph Young

Black pastors are worried about the future of the Black church experience in major inner-cities across the nation as membership shrinks. In Washington, DC, many Black houses of worship have closed, like the 106-year-old historic African American Church in Georgetown, Alexander Memorial Church, Faith Baptist Church on Capital Hill and Mt. Joy Baptist Church in Southeast.
"I am seeing churches that are being torn down, built as office space or housing units," said the Reverend Anthony J. Motley.
This is due in large part to the gentrification of Black space and the exploitation of land use for profit. As a result, longtime DC residents are being forced out of their Black space because the rents have absolutely risen too damn high.
The photography in this essay is of the Water Worship Center on Capital Hill. It has been purchased by developers who plan to re-purpose the church for home use.
This essay explores the use of space as a natural resource in a capitalistic democracy.

Water Worship Center on Capital Hill. Washington, DC. 2018. © Joseph Young

Joseph Young is a photographer living in Washington, DC. His photography has appeared in the Washington Post Magazine, Washington Times, Washington Afro Newspaper and the Washington Informer. He earned a bachelor degree in art from the University of the District of Columbia, with a focus on photography, as well as a bachelor degree in English. He is also a grant recipient from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities for his photography series on the Homeless in the nation's capital. His photography has been included in a group show at the GalleryOonH in Washington, DC, and Gallery 42 at the University of the District of Columbia and the School of Communication's Malsi Doyle and Michael Forman Theater at American University.

The Decline and Fall of the Black Church

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