▁not ▁necessarily ▁a ▁separate ▁den om ination . ▁Several ▁pre domin antly ▁African - American ▁churches ▁exist ▁as ▁members ▁of ▁pre domin antly ▁white ▁denomin ations . ▁African - American ▁churches ▁have ▁served ▁to ▁provide ▁African - American ▁people ▁with ▁leadership ▁positions ▁and ▁opportun ities ▁to ▁organ ize ▁that ▁were ▁denied ▁in ▁main stream ▁American ▁society . ▁Because ▁of ▁this , ▁African - American ▁past ors ▁became ▁the ▁bridge ▁between ▁the ▁African - American ▁and ▁European ▁American ▁communities ▁and ▁thus ▁played ▁a ▁cru cial ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁Civil ▁Rights ▁Mov ement . ▁ ▁Like ▁many ▁Christians , ▁African - American ▁Christians ▁sometimes ▁particip ate ▁in ▁or ▁attend ▁a ▁Christmas ▁play . ▁Black ▁N ativity ▁by ▁Lang ston ▁Hugh es ▁is ▁a ▁re - t elling ▁of ▁the ▁classic ▁N ativity ▁story ▁with ▁g ospel ▁music . ▁Produ ctions ▁can ▁be ▁found ▁in ▁African - American ▁the aters ▁and ▁churches ▁all ▁over ▁the ▁country . ▁ ▁Islam ▁ ▁Gener ations ▁before ▁the ▁advent ▁of ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁slave ▁trade , ▁Islam ▁was ▁a ▁th riv ing ▁religion ▁in ▁West ▁Africa ▁due ▁to ▁its ▁peace ful ▁introduction ▁via ▁the ▁luc r ative ▁Trans - S ah aran ▁trade ▁between ▁prominent ▁tribes ▁in ▁the ▁southern ▁Sah ara ▁and ▁the ▁Arab s ▁and ▁Ber bers ▁in ▁North ▁Africa . ▁In ▁his ▁att est ing ▁to ▁this ▁fact ▁the ▁West ▁African ▁scholar ▁Che ikh ▁An ta ▁Di op ▁explained : ▁" The ▁primary ▁reason ▁for ▁the ▁success ▁of ▁Islam ▁in ▁Black ▁Africa ▁[...] ▁consequ ently ▁st ems ▁from ▁the