Black History Month Resources
Black history is not confined to a single month. These resources are offered as tools for ongoing learning, faithful
reflection, and embodied diakonia—as individuals, congregations, and communities committed to justice, accompaniment, and radical welcome.
Deaconess History & Witness
Sister Emma Francis
Sister Emma Francis was the first African-American deaconess to serve in North America and the first Lutheran deaconess from the West Indies. Born in Grenada, she came to the United States in the early 20th century and was consecrated as a Lutheran deaconess at a time when racial and gender barriers sharply limited who was recognized as a leader in the church.
Her ministry focused on education, care for children, and service among marginalized communities, embodying diakonia as faithful presence and perseverance. Sister Emma’s life reminds us that deaconess ministry has always been shaped by courage, resilience, and a deep commitment to serving where the need is greatest.
Sister Edith Prince
Sister Edith Prince was a Lutheran deaconess whose ministry centered on education, formation, and leadership development, particularly within Black Lutheran communities. She played a significant role in shaping opportunities for Black women in church leadership during a period when such paths were often denied.
Her witness reflects the quieter, sustained labor of diakonia—teaching, mentoring, organizing, and nurturing faith across generations. Sister Edith’s story underscores the importance of honoring those whose faithful service laid foundations we continue to build upon today.
Museums & Cultural Sites
In-Person and Virtual Resources
These museums and historic sites offer opportunities for learning, remembrance, and faithful reflection on Black history, culture, and witness. Many provide virtual exhibits and online resources, making them accessible nationwide.
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Washington, DC
Address: 1400 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20560
Website: https://nmaahc.si.edu
The Smithsonian’s flagship museum exploring African American history, culture, and faith—from enslavement and resistance to religious life, arts, and civic leadership. Extensive virtual exhibits and educational resources are available online.
African Burial Ground National Monument
New York, NY
Address: Duane Street & African Burial Ground Way, New York, NY 10007
Website: https://www.nps.gov/afbg
A sacred National Park Service site honoring thousands of Africans—enslaved and free—buried in colonial New York. The visitor center is open, and the outdoor memorial invites reflection on memory, dignity, and justice.
The DuSable Black History Museum
Chicago, IL
Address: 740 East 56th Place, Chicago, Illinois 60637
Website: https://dusablemuseum.org/
The first independent and oldest Museum of African American History.
The King Center
Atlanta, GA
Address: 449 Auburn Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30312
Website: https://thekingcenter.org
Founded by Coretta Scott King, The King Center preserves and advances the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., with exhibits on nonviolence, moral leadership, and the spiritual foundations of the Civil Rights Movement.
Legacy Museum
Montgomery, AL
Address: 400 N. Court Street, Montgomery, AL 36104
Website: https://legacysites.eji.org
Created by the Equal Justice Initiative, this museum traces the history from enslavement to mass incarceration, calling visitors into truth-telling, lament, and the ongoing work of justice and repair.
National Civil Rights Museum
Memphis, TN
Address: 450 Mulberry Street, Memphis, TN 38103
Website: https://civilrightsmuseum.org
Located at the Lorraine Motel, this museum chronicles the Civil Rights Movement through immersive exhibits that connect faith, courage, and collective action.
Charles H Wright Museum of African American History
Detroit, MI
Address: 315 E. Warren Ave., Detroit, MI 48201
Website: https://thewright.org
One of the world’s largest independent African American history museums, offering expansive exhibits on African origins, the Middle Passage, Black church life, and contemporary culture.
International African American Museum
Charleston, SC
Address: 14 Wharfside Street, Charleston, SC 29401
Website: https://iaamuseum.org
Built at a historic port of entry for enslaved Africans, this museum centers memory, genealogy, and the enduring impact of the transatlantic slave trade, with strong digital storytelling and online resources.
These sites—across regions and accessible online—offer spaces for learning, remembrance, and faithful engagement with Black history as an essential part of our shared story and Christian witness.
Books & Learning
These books—fiction and non-fiction—offer theological, historical, and narrative perspectives that deepen understanding of Black history, faith, and lived experience. They are suitable for individual reading, congregational study, sermon preparation, and reflection groups.
Non-Fiction
The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story
Author: Nikole Hannah-Jones
Publisher: One World, 2021
A reframing of U.S. history that centers the impact of slavery and racism in shaping the nation’s institutions, culture, and democracy.
The Burning
Author: Tim Madigan
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books, 2001
A detailed historical account of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, examining racial violence, memory, and the long struggle for truth and reconciliation.
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
Author: Isabel Wilkerson
Publisher: Random House, 2020
An incisive examination of racism in the United States through the lens of caste, revealing enduring structures of hierarchy and inequality that shape American life.
The Color of Compromise
Author: Jemar Tisby
Publisher: Zondervan, 2019
A sobering exploration of the church’s complicity in racism and segregation, challenging Christians to repentance, accountability, and action.
The Cross and the Lynching Tree
Author: James H. Cone
Publisher: Orbis Books, 2011
A powerful theological reflection connecting the Christian symbol of the cross with the history of racial terror and lynching in the United States.
The Dead Are Arising
Authors: Les Payne and Tamara Payne
Publisher: Liveright, 2020
A Pulitzer Prize–winning biography offering a richly detailed portrait of Malcolm X’s life, faith, and evolving vision for justice.
How Long, O Lord?
Author: Carl F. Ellis Jr.
Publisher: IVP Books, 1996
A pastoral and theological examination of race, justice, and reconciliation within the Christian church.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Author: Rebecca Skloot
Publisher: Crown, 2010
The story of Henrietta Lacks and the ethical questions surrounding race, medicine, consent, and scientific discovery.
Jesus and the Disinherited
Author: Howard Thurman
Publisher: Beacon Press, 1949
A foundational work of Black theology exploring Christian faith from the perspective of those living under oppression, addressing fear, love, and hope.
Just Mercy
Author: Bryan Stevenson
Publisher: Spiegel & Grau, 2014
A powerful memoir recounting Stevenson’s work defending those wrongly condemned and marginalized by the criminal justice system, calling readers toward justice, mercy, and hope.
Sisters in the Wilderness
Author: Delores S. Williams
Publisher: Orbis Books, 1993
A womanist theological interpretation of survival, faith, and God’s presence amid suffering, centering the experiences of Black women.
The Spirit of Justice
Author: Jemar Tisby
Publisher: Zondervan, 2021
A call for sustained, Spirit-led engagement in the work of racial justice, offering theological grounding and practical guidance for faith communities.
The Warmth of Other Suns
Author: Isabel Wilkerson
Publisher: Random House, 2010
An epic narrative of the Great Migration, tracing how millions of Black Americans reshaped cities, culture, and the nation itself.
Fiction & Poetry
Beloved
Author: Toni Morrison
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 1987
A deeply moving novel exploring memory, trauma, love, and the enduring impact of enslavement.
The Color Purple
Author: Alice Walker
Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1982
A Pulitzer Prize–winning novel centering Black women’s lives, faith, suffering, and healing through love, resilience, and community.
Homegoing
Author: Yaa Gyasi
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 2016
A multigenerational novel tracing the legacy of slavery and colonialism from West Africa to the United States.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Author: Maya Angelou
Publisher: Random House, 1969
A lyrical and deeply personal memoir of childhood, resilience, and the power of voice amid racism and trauma.
The Known World
Author: Edward P. Jones
Publisher: Amistad (HarperCollins), 2003
A Pulitzer Prize–winning novel examining freedom, bondage, and moral complexity in antebellum Virginia.
Neighbors and Other Stories
Author: Diane Oliver
Publisher: Grove Press, 2024
A collection of short stories portraying Black life in the Jim Crow South, capturing moments of quiet resistance, community, and humanity.
Passion Blues
Author: Ramona Cecille Daily
Publisher: Self-published, 2000
A collection of poetry exploring love, longing, faith, suffering, and resilience through deeply personal and embodied reflection. The author is a member of the Deaconess Community, and her work reflects lived experience, spiritual depth, and the creative voice of diakonia.
Songs for Worship & Reflection
These hymns and songs may be used in congregational worship, prayer services, vigils, educational settings, and personal devotion during Black History Month and throughout the church year.
Hymnal Resource
This Far by Faith
Publisher: Augsburg Fortress, 1999
A Lutheran hymnal rooted in African American religious experience, theology, and musical tradition. It includes spirituals, gospel hymns, and contemporary songs reflecting faith, struggle, hope, and perseverance, and is widely used in ELCA congregations.
Featured Hymn from This Far by Faith
I’m on My Way
This Far by Faith: #218
ELW: #627 (“I’m On My Way, the Lord’s Been Good to Me”)
A joyful spiritual celebrating God’s faithfulness and the sustaining power of hope along the journey. Well suited for sending hymns, testimonies of perseverance, and services that affirm courage and trust in God’s leading.
Additional Hymns & Songs
(with ELW cross-references where available)
Lift Every Voice and Sing
This Far by Faith: #246
ELW: #841
Often called the Black National Anthem, this hymn of praise and perseverance is appropriate for worship, commemorations, and prayer services.
Precious Lord, Take My Hand
This Far by Faith: #221
ELW: #755
A deeply prayerful hymn of lament and trust, frequently used in times of grief, healing, and reflection.
Guide My Feet
This Far by Faith: #220
ELW: #818
A traditional spiritual expressing trust in God’s guidance and a commitment to faithful movement forward.
There Is a Balm in Gilead
This Far by Faith: #234
ELW: #614
A spiritual of comfort and healing, affirming God’s presence amid suffering and weariness.
We Shall Overcome
This Far by Faith: #215
ELW: Not included
A song of communal hope and resilience, closely associated with the Civil Rights Movement and often used in justice-centered worship and vigils.
These songs carry the theology of lived faith—giving voice to lament, resilience, hope, and trust in God’s abiding presence across generations.
Quotes for Worship, Preaching & Personal Reflection
These quotes may be used in sermons, congregational newsletters, social media posts, or personal writing.
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it.”
— Howard Thurman
“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”
— Martin Luther King Jr.
“The work of justice requires more than good intentions; it requires courage, persistence, and love.”
— Fannie Lou Hamer
“We are not makers of history. We are made by history.”
— Martin Luther King Jr.
“Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky. It is an axe you break down doors with.”
— Rebecca Solnit
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