Silenced and Excluded: Mother Tate, Black Female Bishops, and the Production of Pentecostal History

The history of American Pentecostalism, particularly within Black Holiness-Pentecostal denominations, is often narrated through the lens of the 1906 Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles. While this event is significant it is but a partial historical narrative. Pioneering women, often overlooked, played vital roles in laying spiritual, logistical, and communal foundations for Pentecostalism's proliferation. This paper expands scholarly treatments by examining the contributions of Mother Mary L. Tate, the first African-American woman bishop, whose story challenges patriarchal norms within religious historiography. Despite her groundbreaking episcopal leadership, Tate's narrative is marginalized, highlighting the need for a reevaluation of entrenched gendered power dynamics in religious history. Drawing on Keri Day and Michel-Rolph Trouillot's work, our inquiry aims to unveil the silenced past and illuminate Tate's significant contributions to the Holiness-Pentecostal Movement.