First published 2021
Henry Louis Gates Jr. examines the Black church as the cornerstone of African American life across more than four hundred years. Drawing from his childhood in segregated West Virginia, where the church anchored his community, Gates argues that these institutions served as far more than places of worship. He demonstrates how Black churches functioned as centers of resistance against slavery and white supremacy, incubators of leadership talent, and safe havens in a hostile nation. Gates chronicles the persistent attacks on these sanctuaries, from surveillance during slavery through Klan bombings to the Charleston massacre at Emanuel AME Church in 2015. He explores the tension between churches focused on spiritual matters and those embracing political activism, a divide that continues today with movements like Black Lives Matter. This companion to a PBS series reveals how the Black church shaped every era of American history while serving the deepest needs of the African American community.
Genres: history, african-american, religion, non-fiction, church-history, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, resistance
Setting: West Virginia
Period: 400 Years, Slavery, 2015
320 pages · Hardcover · Penguin Press
Content warnings: racism, slavery, violence