ChurchesremainsomeofthemostsegregatedspacesintheUnitedStates.Incongregationsthataremultiracial,leadershipcanbeasourceofconflict.Whatdoesitmeanforpastorsofcolortoleadinmultiracialspaces?Whoarethepastorsofcolorthatserveasheadclergyofmultiracialcongregations?Whatadvantagesdotheyhaveandwhatchallengesdotheyencounter?Howdotheymanagetheirrole?Howdotheirexperiencescomparetotheirwhitepastorcounterpartswhoalsoheadmultiracialcongregations?DrawingondatafromanationallyrepresentativecomparativestudyofmultiracialcongregationsacrosstheUnitedStates,includingmorethan100in-depthinterviews,EstrangedPioneersbothanswersthesequestionsanddiscussesthebroaderimplicationsforcommunityleadersinmultiracialcontexts.KorieLittleEdwardsandRebeccaY.Kimmakethreeprimaryarguments.First,pastorsofcolorwholeadmultiracialcongregationsareestrangedpioneers-theyleavetheirfamiliarhomechurchestoleadmultiracialcongregations,butoftenfindthemselvesestrangedfromtheiroldreligiouscommunityaswellastheirnewone.Second,comparedtotheirwhitecounterparts,theyarebetterabletorecognizepervasivewhitehegemonyandalsomoreeasilycrossculturalandracialboundaries,allowingthemtoreconcilenormsfromatleasttwocultures.Finally,EdwardsandKimarguethatleadersofcolorcanfunctionasindispensablebrokerswhocanbridgesegregatedracialnetworks.Inasocietythatisincreasinglydiverseyetwheresegregationpersists,theyhavetheuniquepowerandabilitytofunctionasbridgesthatconnectotherwisesegregatedcommunities.EstrangedPioneersrevealshowpastorsofcolorareleadingthewaytowardsamoreunitedmultiracialfuture.
