Black Catholic elders from Sacred Heart Parish in Camden, Mississippi, recently shared their experiences with education inequality, discrimination and racism as part of the "Passin' It On" video series, Catholic Extension reported. 

The collection of 50 short stories from elders who came of age during the Jim Crow era of segregation and discrimination were compiled to educate Christians on the way things use to be as a way to speak out against racism. As Christians, it is important to speak out against racism and injustice by affirming the values the Lord has provided us with. 

"A belief in God's providence and a deep appreciation of the gift of life propelled many of [the elders] forward amid unfathomable oppression," the narrator of the video said.

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Many of the church elders did not graduate high school or receive a diploma until later in life because they had to work to support themselves and their families at such a young age. Others recollected being arrested during civil rights protests, Catholic Extension reported. 

"These painful memories seared into their young minds, reminding them that they face more than just prejudice," the narrator said. "The entire system was against them. For many, their faith gave them strength. As an oppressed people they understood something about God's love and God's law that eluded other Christians, who professed faith while simultaneously embracing racist ideas."

Many of the elders said it was their faith more than anything that helped them survive the Jim Crow era. 

"I got along because of my faith in God," 93-year-old Cleminten Dawson told Catholic Extension. "I couldn't have made it otherwise. We got but one Father."

Other elders said we are all God's children trying to get to heaven, regardless of race. 

"Ain't we all God's children?" Ignatius Branson asked. "If I want to go to heaven, how is hating you going to get me there? We may not be able to stay here on Earth forever, but we got to live here with one another, so people got to stop this animosity."