If you’re interested in learning more about African American Spirituals, check out books, such as Songs my Grandma Sang, by Michael Bruce Curry, Radical Welcome: Embracing God, The Other, and the Spirit of Transformation (November, 2021) by Stephanie Spellers, and the Rastafari Book of Common Prayer by Mark Bozzuti-Jones. Also check out the Spirituals Database, and the Library of Congress’ collection of African American Spirituals.
You might be interested in other ChurchNext classes on similar topics. Try:
Spirituality and Racial Justice with Michael Curry
Racism and Racial Justice with Eduardo Bonilla-Silva
Whiteness and Racial Justice with Kelly Brown Douglas
Theology and Racial Justice with J. Kameron Carter
Reparation and Racial Justice with Jennifer Harvey
Radical Welcome with Stephanie Spellers
A reading from There is a Balm in Gilead:
There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul.
Sometimes I feel discouraged,
And think my work’s in vain,
But then the Holy Spirit
Revives my soul again.
If you cannot sing like angels,
If you can’t preach like Paul,
You can tell the love of Jesus,
And say He died for all.
There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul.
Amen.
