Faith in the Face of Segregation
Morning Star Baptist Church
As thousands of new residents arrived in the Tri-Cities during WWII, one place became a spiritual anchor for Black workers and their families: Morning Star Baptist Church.
A Wartime Church That Became a Community Cornerstone
Founded in 1946 by African American Hanford workers and their families, Morning Star Baptist Church quickly became more than a house of worship, it was a safe space for organizing, support, and fellowship during a time of widespread segregation in the Tri-Cities.
Located in East Pasco, where Black workers were forced to live due to restrictive housing practices, the church helped residents navigate both the challenges of wartime life and the injustices of systemic exclusion.
Still active today, Morning Star represents continuity, resilience, and the cultural legacy of the Black home front experience in Washington state.