What Does the Bible Actually Say About Segregation?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how people use the Bible to justify their beliefs. Growing up, I heard a lot of different interpretations, but one of the most painful was the idea that scripture could support racial segregation. It’s a claim that has a long, difficult history in our country, with some in the mid-19th century even twisting biblical truth to justify slavery. They’d deny that we all come from Adam and Eve or claim that dark skin was some kind of curse.

But then I learned about people like Billy Graham. Back in 1952, he took a stand and said something really simple but powerful: “There is no scriptural basis for segregation.” That statement hit me. It wasn’t just a political opinion; it came from a deep study of the Bible itself. It got me thinking, and as I looked into it, I found the evidence for unity and inclusion is all over scripture, from beginning to end.

From Creation, We Are One Family

The first book of the Bible, Genesis, tells us that God created humanity in his own image (Gen. 1:27). This means that every single person, regardless of their skin color or background, shares a fundamental dignity given to us by our Creator. When you think about it, this idea completely demolishes the concept of “race.” There’s only one human race, one family, all created in God’s image.

Sure, we have different languages and cultures. The story of the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:7-8) explains how humanity was scattered. But that was a temporary judgment against human pride, not a divine command to create permanent, separated “races.” God’s ultimate plan has always been to bring us back together.

The Example of Jesus and the Early Church

When Jesus came, he lived out this message of unity. My favorite example is the story of him talking to the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:9). Jews and Samaritans didn’t interact; their social and ethnic divisions were deep. But Jesus didn’t care about those boundaries. He saw her as a person and offered her living water, showing that God’s love and grace are for everyone, without exception.

The Apostle Paul reinforced this in his letters. He wrote that in Christ, “There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female, since you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). This is a radical statement. It means all the things we use to divide ourselves—ethnicity, social status, or gender—don’t matter to God. We are all equal and united in Him.

Finally, the incredible story of Pentecost in the book of Acts shows this unity in action. The Holy Spirit came and enabled people from every nation to hear the Gospel in their own language (Acts 2:5-6). It was a beautiful reversal of the Tower of Babel, a sign that God’s plan is to bring all of humanity back together in Christ.

A Clear Message for Us Today

For me, it’s clear. The Bible, from the very beginning of creation to the ministry of Jesus and the birth of the church, tells a consistent story of unity and inclusion. Any claim that the Bible supports segregation is a complete misreading of its core message. God created us as one family and is working to bring us all back to Him.

What do you think? Have you seen this message of unity in your own life or faith journey?