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 Save a ‘Prayer’ A Review By Kim Herrington My mother and I had a discussion not too long ago regarding recent findings on slave plantations in the South. A family member had toured a plantation in North Georgia and told my mother that, according to the tour guide, there is virtually no evidence of the religion slaves brought to America. Nearly all archeological sites worldwide contain artifacts that reveal three aspects of life in ancient cultures: religion, survival and traditions. My mother and I were perplexed by this fact and wondered why our ancestors supposedly abandoned their spiritual heritage. The answer is a simple yet compelling one that can be found in a book titled “Standing in the Need of Prayer” by Howard Dodson. Dodson is the director of the Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture. His travels over the past few decades to the African Diaspora revealed that prayer is central to black cultures worldwide. He was inspired to showcase a collection of photos that proved his findings; he also published them in a book. The pictures show black people of various religious backgrounds in black cultures worldwide in the process of praying, coupled with captions of prayers by famous blacks and traditional spiritual hymns. Dodson introduces the book with some background on African-American spiritual heritage. He said that European Christian missionaries introduced African slaves to Christianity in the 15th century prior to the advent of the slave trade. Because it is a faith-based religion, Christianity does not require objects for worship. This is why there aren’t any religious artifacts found on slave plantations. It was not until much later that African Americans started to practice other religions and incorporate them into their lives. Regardless of religious fate, prayer clearly is a powerful tool used by blacks to overcome extreme adversities. “Standing in the Need of Prayer” is not shy about revealing this. A lot of photographs I recognized instantly as having to do with the Great Depression, Civil Rights Movement and the 1970s black pride wave. Photography credits range from New York Times photographer Chester Higgins Jr. to photographer Gordon Parks to photographer and artist Coreen Simpson. The moods of the photos reflect the photographers’ styles. Some photos are electric and capture people at the height of an emotional breakdown while others are quiet and serene, presenting an undeniable humility of their subjects. I was impressed with the fervent prayers written by many famous blacks. The prayers communicate raw emotions that add depth to an already riveting photo collection. For instance, one prayer titled “God Sees” by Frank Barbour Coffin is befitting for a photo of siblings saying a prayer at bedtime. The prayer is straightforward yet hints at the fact that life is meaningful because everything we do is recorded by a higher being. I think that subtle messages like this one are the best part of the book. Though reading “Standing in the Need of Prayer” was a rewarding experience, I was somewhat disappointed that the book didn’t expand on how blacks have used prayer to propel them forward in life. The forward by Coretta Scott King was interesting because she gave very personal accounts of how she and her husband, Martin Luther King Jr., used prayer to lead the Civil Rights Movement. I felt I could relate to some of those accounts because the essence of the experiences were so universal. For that reason, I am certain that people of many backgrounds would appreciate this book and be compelled to seek more information on the subject. |
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