In the predominantly Protestant African American community, the Catholic Church is often viewed as Eurocentric, offering little to the spiritual development of Black Americans. Forty years after the Black Catholic bishops released the influential document What We Have Seen and Heard, challenges and opportunities for inculturation and evangelization remain. Inculturation refers to integrating the Church into a culture, transforming cultural values through Christianity. On September 28, 2024, Dr. Greta Stokes Tucker led a workshop organized by the Diocesan National Black Catholic Congress Leadership Team of Pittsburgh to explore the document and its relevance today, focusing on evangelization and inculturation within African American communities.
 
Dr. Tucker emphasized that the 1984 document highlights how a shared history of racism, slavery, and oppression shapes African American identity. While this history brings suffering, Black American spirituality is marked by the ability to find joy amidst adversity. For inculturation to be meaningful, Catholic teachings must convey joy in transcending suffering. This resilience, she explained, is key to the strength of Black Catholics, who have transformed the pain of discrimination into a profound gift of self-acceptance and identity.
 
Tucker outlined three core aspects of Black American spirituality, according to the 1984 document. First, the ability to transform adversity into strength by embracing "Blackness" as a gift rather than a burden. Second, the rejection of self-destructive hatred and vengeance fosters reconciliation even in a history marked by oppression. Third, the expressiveness and emotional depth of Black Catholics' spirituality are evident in historically Black churches' hymns, preaching, and call-and-response tradition. These spiritual qualities, she argued, should guide the inculturation of Catholic liturgy in Black communities.
 
Drawing on the pastoral letter, Tucker identified key "gifts" of Black spirituality that can enrich Catholic worship: prayerful, emotive liturgical celebrations and physical engagement in worship. The Church can more effectively evangelize Black communities by grounding Catholic Masses in these principles in predominantly African American parishes. The expressiveness of African American spirituality, including spontaneous prayer and dynamic worship, can help reshape perceptions of Catholicism as more universal and less Eurocentric.
 
Tucker emphasized two major themes central to Black spirituality: reconciliation and freedom. True reconciliation, she argued, requires justice, equality, and self-respect. For Black Americans, embracing their identity and rejecting shame are crucial to authentic reconciliation. These elements are necessary for any attempt at reconciliation to be complete.
 
As Tucker described it, freedom involves accepting one’s identity and the ability to worship in ways that reflect African American culture. Spiritual freedom, she said, is a divine gift that compels Christians to oppose all forms of oppression. Black Catholic spirituality, focusing on community over individualism, can deepen the Catholic Church’s universal mission. The African saying, “I am because we are,” reflects the belief that individuals and communities are interconnected, a core value in Black Catholic life.
 
In conclusion, Tucker argued that the Catholic Church has a framework, based on the 1984 document, to engage African American communities authentically. By embracing African American Catholics' cultural identity and spiritual gifts, the Church can be seen as truly universal, not confined to a Eurocentric image. This shift would deepen evangelization efforts and enrich the Church with the unique contributions of the spirituality of Black Catholics.