Final answer:
Richard Allen was not an opponent but a crucial proponent and founder of the independent Black Church. He and Absalom Jones founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church, which opposed discrimination and contributed significantly to political activism and social change within the African American community.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that Richard Allen was a strong opponent of the founding of an independent Black Church is incorrect. In fact, Richard Allen was a key figure in establishing the first formal African American church. In 1791, Allen, together with Absalom Jones, protested the treatment of Black people in the Methodist Episcopal Church by walking out of the service. Just a few years later, Allen played a pivotal role in the founding of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in the 1790s, which became one of the earliest and most politically active Black church denominations.
The African Methodist Episcopal Church openly opposed racism and discrimination and supported the political work of abolitionists to end slavery. This independent Black denomination was significant in providing not only religious guidance but also a foundation for social activism and was an epicenter for African American social experiences, networking, and strategizing for total emancipation.
Richard Allen's role in establishing the AME Church was integral to the development of autonomous Black religious institutions, which served as crucial platforms for political activism and social change in the African American community.