Crowned with Glory: How Proclaiming the Truth of Black Dignity Has Shaped American History

by Jasmine L. Holmes

America was founded on the concept of the innate and inalienable rights of humankind. Many Christians see an echo of the imago Dei--that every human being carries the image of God--within those ideals. Yet these rights were systemically withheld from the Black and enslaved residents of this country for centuries. Through it all, Black people have proclaimed the truth of their dignity and personhood in powerful and profound ways.

Crowned with Glory collects many of the writings of these men and women, both familiar and lesser-known, to shine a light on what has always been an enormous movement of Black Americans demanding the liberty they were promised and deserved. With moving and insightful reflections on these oft-forgotten or suppressed voices, author Jasmine L. Holmes offers a hopeful and encouraging testament to the power of unrelenting cries for justice that will strike a chord with anyone looking for a robust Christian history of resistance.

If you want to understand how we got here, read this book. If you want to know where we go from here, read it again.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Christian, Race, Christianity, Religion, American History

224 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2023

About the author

Jasmine L. Holmes has written for The Gospel Coalition, Desiring God, Fathom Mag, Christianity Today, and The Witness. She is also a contributing author for Identity Theft: Reclaiming the Truth of Our Identity in Christ and His Testimonies, My Heritage: Women of Color on the Word of God. She teaches humanities in a classical Christian school in Jackson, Mississippi, where she and her husband, Phillip, are parenting two young sons.

Jasmine L. Holmes is the daughter of Voddie T. Baucham Jr.

Reviews

[Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Challenging. Heart-rending. Incredible.

[Ashley Hoss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am continually impressed by Jasmine's growth as a writer. I've owned all of her books and reviewed the most recent 3. It's very clear that Crowned with Glory was a passion project for Jasmine. I loved the beautiful way she showed the strength of the imago dei even through the hardship Black Americans have endured. Of course, if you're at all familiar with Jasmine, you wouldn't be surprised to see there's a prominent mention of the Fortens and Grimkes, which was my favorite part. I highly highly highly recommend this book. It will educate you, challenge you, and prompt you to think deeper.

[Nadine Keels · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book like this is so important, not only because some people are making efforts to block out or water down shameful and unjust parts of American history. I've also found over the years that Black Americans are oftentimes viewed or treated as secondary figures and voices—even in stories and discussions about them.

Much like this author states:

First, so often, when looking at the history of enslavement, readers tend to look at the perspective of the oppressor first...
When people ask, "Did anyone in the church stand up for the rights of the enslaved?" they generally mean, "Did any white churchmen stand up for the rights of the enslaved?" They don't usually mean, "What was the Black church saying about slavery?" because the Black church isn't at the center of their understanding of what the American church is.
To ask what Black men and women thought about slavery...is to center the oppressed in our conversation about oppression.

It's so important that this book gives readers the opportunity to hear from voices of the past, a people's own voices, and not only as a supplement or a secondary angle to the narrative.

I appreciate that this book highlights how Black men and women weren't idle and that the enslaved in the United States weren't merely "helpless pawns tossed to and fro" as history happened to them.

But men and women did rebel throughout the history of enslavement in America... Because as human beings made in God's image, they had an innate sense of their worth given by God.

Dignity.

Now, perhaps this part goes without saying, but I'm going to say it anyway: Just because I'm a Black woman and proud to be so doesn't mean I agree with everything every Black person in history ever did or said. Not even every distinguished Black voice in history agreed with each other about everything, of course, which this author doesn't neglect to make clear.

Hence, just because I may highly recommend this book doesn't mean I condone every word or deed of every single noteworthy figure in it.

But I do indeed highly recommend this book to anyone who considers it wise to gain perspective on history—including when it comes to the integral ways that American history and Christianity coincide.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.

[Gabby Tiesma · Rating 5 out of 5]

remember
we must look to the oppressed
and color in the chorus
we must be disturbed as we digest the hypocrisy
…
for there is hope
in exposing the cruelty covered up
and there is hope
in giving voice to those silenced
…
for the cry for freedom from the slave
and the song of perseverance from the fields
are a symphony
far more inspiring
than the patriots well-known cry



This book was a reminder not to look away from hard things, but to listen and learn from them. — It was a warning of how man will twist the very Words of God to meet his own selfish desires — It was an encouragement to read the hope filled testimonies of the oppressed whose faith rings so true in their perseverance.

[Joanna Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The American history book that should be read by every single person who calls the US home. Loaded with primary sources and own voices, story after story celebrates the dignity, courage, and brilliance of the often overlooked and marginalized lives of black people in America's history. Most of all, a testimony to the unwavering black witness to the imago dei, even as enslavers and governments sought to destroy all trace of it's reality.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. I appreciate how much Holmes learns and shared from primary sources. This fueled great discussion between my husband and I and I’ll definitely be reflecting on this book for awhile.

[Ashley Love Sellers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have wanted to read Jasmine L. Holmes since my sister recommended her, so when the opportunity arose to review her new book I was thrilled. I don’t know what I was expecting when I began reading Crowned with Glory, but I did not get the book I was expecting – I got something better. I constantly felt like I was drinking from a fire hydrant as I took in vast amounts of information; had my copy been physical it would have been laden with post-its and notes in the margin. Currently, my ebook is heavily highlighted, and as the summary states, I want to read this book again.

Crowned with Glory is a rich resource on the history of Black Americans fighting for their freedom through physical, mental, and spiritual resistance. The text is heavy on quotes because Holmes wants the enslaved and those who fought so desperately against slavery to speak for themselves. In the afterword, Holmes’ shares her reasoning for this, and it was an honorable decision. Holmes aptly presents this vast wealth of information to the reader while glorifying God in the process.

This book was a deeply emotional read for me while also managing to pluck at my academic leanings. I found each section devastating, specifically the ones focused on Black women, wives, and mothers who were enslaved. I could not separate my own identity as a wife and mother from these horrific stories, and I know they will stay with me always.

If you are a history buff, read this book. If you are a Christian, read this book. If you have questions about the Civil War, read this book. You know what? Just read this book. Holmes has constructed a beautiful, tragic, hopeful, God-honoring book that shines light on the beginning of race relations in our nation. I look forward to reading more of her work in the future. Crowned with Glory is available now. A big thank you to Netgalley and Baker Publishing Group for the opportunity.

[Sarah Fowler Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much richness of primary source material! Absolutely wonderful stories and beautiful words. Hard truths are found here; read with an open heart. We get to see the experience of both Black men and women, Christianity, and a basic introduction to some of the nuances of things we may have reduced to textbook paragraph face value (Reconstruction, civil rights, etc). I cannot recommend it highly enough.

"I share these words to point out that they are part of a robust legacy that has so often been forgotten and obscured by focusing our historical inquiry on the oppressor instead of looking at the fruit so often born by the oppressed. The enslaved had a well-rounded theology of suffering and victory in Christ that modern christians would do well to learn from and emulate."

"Will these pages inspire you in your own life? Absolutely. Have they inspired me in mine? Most assuredly. But the inspiration isn't the central facet of the story we are telling here, because even that inspiration can center our experience of history more than the important history itself and that is never my intention."

{I was given an ARC on NetGalley by Baker Publishing Group}

[LaShanda Chamberlain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t recommend “Crowned with Glory” enough—it’s an absolute must-read! Jasmine L. Holmes does an exceptional job of highlighting the remarkable lives of Black men and women who fought relentlessly against slavery and racism, even when the odds seemed insurmountable. What really stood out to me was how she emphasized the resilience of Black women, whose strength and determination are often overshadowed or overlooked. Too often, Black women’s contributions are minimized, but Holmes ensures their voices are front and center, demanding to be heard. This book is a powerful, soul-stirring journey that needed to be shared, and I’m so thankful that Jasmine Holmes did just that. I’m deeply grateful for the stories it uncovers and the voices it resurrects—voices that deserve to be remembered and will continue to inspire, uplift, and empower generations to come.

A huge thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to enjoy this advanced copy.

[Caty Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic book! This would be a great educational resource for late Jr. High/early High School as well. The message is so powerful!! I appreciate how Jasmine shares history and truth and lets the truth speak for itself. She doesn't feel the need to interject her personal opinion every 5 seconds. Some of the quotes she shared are so inspiring and impactful. I read it in ebook form, but I could see myself getting a copy to highlight.

[Jana Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had started this one last year, got busy with other books, and finally picked it back up. Jasmine Holmes has become one of my favorite writers in general, but specifically one of my favorite history writers. This was really well researched, including a lot of primary sources, and was pulled together well. It covered some historical figures I've read about previously, and some totally new to me.

[Melanie Mansfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much needed book that’s so beautifully written.

[Stephanie’s Ninth Suitcase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher. Opinions expressed are my own.
Scripture Connection
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.

Psalm 8:3-5
Spiritual Themes
The above verses from Psalms are the title verses, with the reference to mankind being “crowned with glory,” in Psalm 8:5. Crowned with Glory is a beautiful reflection on the inherent dignity and beauty of all people, and ruminates on what it means to be made in the image of God. It is also a reclamation of that image that so many have attempted to steal from Black Americans.

What to Expect
Holmes’ introduction identifies the need for a different approach to history in a system that has consistently told the story of the oppressor. In addition to explaining her personal connection to the subject matter of the book, she cites various thinkers who propounded the need “to present Black children with accurate history that presented their personhood” (p. 16).

In ten chapters, Holmes walks the reader through American history. But, unlike so many history lessons that focus on white people while pushing Black Americans to the outskirts, Crowned with Glory tells the story of Black history, and that’s where the focus remains.

Each chapter explores a specific segment of American history, through the eyes of various influential figures of the time, with an angle that draws back to the thesis about being “crowned with glory” and made in God’s image.

For example, chapter 3, “The Double Curse,” describes the plight of the black, enslaved woman. In addition to being perceived as lesser because of her gender, she had the added disadvantage of being dehumanized because of the color of their skin. While white slaveholders lauded Christianity, exemplified in modesty and virginity, among white women, they sexually assaulted black women, depriving them of the right to practice their religion. But, Holmes notes, “They declared they were made in the image of God in a world that refused to be convinced. And they demanded their seat at the table anyway” (p. 78).

What I Liked
As I’ve mentioned in past reviews, nonfiction is not my go-to genre. Nonetheless, I read more of it these days than I used to, because there are such important nonfiction Christian titles being published. Crowned with Glory is one such title, and I’m also happy to note that this was not a slogging reading experience, for me.

Holmes achieves an excellent balance between fact and commentary, as she weaves historical narrative with argumentation and affirmation about the Imago Dei dignity of the people whose stories she is recounting. As mentioned in the Afterword, she takes special care to “let the enslaved and the objectors to enslavement speak for themselves,” and I am so glad that the book is rich with primary text, with commentary infused as necessary. In addition to providing context, the commentary also consistently draws back to the thesis. Throughout the reading, Holmes returns again and again to the idea of being “crowned with glory.” This an excellent tool for teaching history– and spiritual truth!

Indeed, referencing the words of Charlotte Forten Grimké in context of Eph. 6:10-12, Holmes writes, “…with this May 1854 passage in her journal, Charlotte displays a different perspective. Has slavery derived its power from practicality or legality? Or from cosmic powers, present darkness and spiritual forces of evil?” (p. 124). I find it so refreshing that Holmes does not shy away from spiritual explanations of the evils of slavery.

I also like that Holmes argues for consistency in education. For instance, in her discussion of Nat Turner’s rebellion, she acknowledges that “Nat Turner’s quest for liberation turns many a modern reader’s stomach. Understandably” However, “if students of history are taught to believe that Patrick Henry was a son of America in his battle cry of liberty or death, then they must also recognize that Nat Turner is a son of America in his same battle cry” (p. 36). This is such an excellent conceptual pairing, as well as a logical reframing of the rebellion.

Favorite Quotes
Because people made in the image of God were made to stand on equal footing alongside each other before the God of heaven. They were made to bow to Him and Him alone, not made to bow to and be cowed by the brutality of their fellow image bearers. And whether in a pamphlet, in a newspaper, in a speech, in the Bible, or from the voice of God Himself booming from heaven, this knowledge cannot be hidden from image bearers forever.

Jasmine L. Holmes, Crowned with Glory, p. 39
God has already had the last word on who is deserving of respect and whose rights are worthy of being fought for and protected.

Jasmine L. Holmes, Crowned with Glory, p. 131
Content Notes
Due to the gruesome realities of slavery and racism, Holmes does not shy away from harsh content. However, it is presented very tactfully and never gratuitously. I would feel very comfortable recommending this to high schoolers and up, and would be delighted to see this book used in curriculum.

Recommendation Status
Crowned with Glory is an empowering book that applauds Black dignity and reveals history that has been buried for far too long. Although subject matter is very difficult, Holmes does not write to highlight hardship but to celebrate triumph, constantly hearkening back to the reality of what it means to be an image bearer. This is a book I would highly, highly recommend, especially for use in Christian curriculum.

[Julie Vasquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Patrick Henry cried, "Give me liberty or give me death," rallying Americans to fight for freedom from tyrannical Britain, he did not envision a similar cry emanating from the voice of enslaved Nat Turner 25 years later. In fact, Henry, like four of the first five presidents of the United States, was a slaveholder.

The story of Nat Turner and his doomed slave revolt is how Jasmine Holmes opens the first chapter of her book, "Crowned with Glory." It's a shocking juxtaposition that sets up the struggle illustrated in a series of telling moments in the nation's history when African Americans fought for their inherent dignity and worth as children of God.

While the nation fought for liberty from a colonial nation that taxed them excessively and harmed their well-being, the founding fathers withheld liberty from the slaves owned for convenience to further their prosperity. Yet they found ways to survive.

While revival was sweeping the nation, slaves converted in large numbers but were given Bibles with passages about deliverance from oppression excised from the text. Slaveholders even prevented slaves from worshiping freely. Yet, Holmes writes, “From the ring shouts on the plantations to the staid services of Mother Bethel AME Church, Black Americans forged access to Christianity, understood it as proof that God had made them equal to their white counterparts.

While family values and female virtue were held up as models of excellence, slave families were routinely broken up and black women raped without recourse. Yet heroes like Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman forged a Deborah-like femininity undergirded with strength and boldness.

At a time when politicians seek to rewrite history to frame slavery as an institution that benefited the enslaved, these stories stand in stark contrast: the slaves knew the way they were treated was wrong, and they found ways to express themselves and resist in ways that took tremendous courage.

Real People Who Exerted Agency

The people whose stories she tells are held up not as unvarnished heroes, but rather as examples of resistance to the dominant narrative that they were not equal image bearers of God, like their white counterparts. As Holmes explains, "Black Americans forged access to Christianity, understanding it as proof that God had made them equal to their white counterparts." She paints a compelling picture of people who stood against forces that could easily have destroyed them.

Somehow, they did not internalize racism nor reject the faith professed by their oppressors. By contrast, Holmes writes, "Rather than being turned away from the practice of Christianity by their oppression, many enslaved people saw the Christianity practiced by their enslavers as a counterfeit gospel." This, in itself, is miraculous.

Setting the Record Straight

Setting the record straight about African Americans' response to years of violent oppression is key to how young people understand the history of their people. In her memoir, Viola Davis recounts the shame she felt at learning that slaves in the American South could not read. She equated the inability to learn to read with low intelligence. It was years later that she learned that they were prevented from reading to make them easier to control.

Black students who hear revisionist history today about the years of slavery are at risk of having similar misperceptions. If they hear that slavery benefited slaves, they could internalize the message that their ancestors lacked agency. White students who hear the same false narrative are at risk of taking a paternalistic view, at best, and perpetuating a sense of racial superiority at worst.

Recognizing Patterns in History

Gaining perspective on history benefits people on both sides. Ray Dalio, in his investment tome, "Principles for Dealing with a Changing World Order," explained that most investors have a blind spot around history and economic cycles. As such, they misjudge markets and fail to take the right actions at the right time. We could draw a similar comparison to revisionist history: rewriting or ignoring it prevents us from addressing root causes that would help the country heal.

Jemar Tisby called out a recurring cycle in response to the September 30, 2023, Atlanta, GA appeals court decision to temporarily block a grant program specifically meant to provide capital funding to Black women-owned businesses. In an Instagram post, he wrote, "Every time a movement for racial justice occurs, far-right individuals and organizations respond with harsher restrictions on Black freedom and enterprise." Reading the stories Holmes writes in exquisite prose, we can hone our senses to see the forces at work beneath the surface and identify cycles so we can play a part in breaking them.

Image Bearers with Inherent Dignity and Worth

Holmes's book provides an understanding of the repeated patterns of oppression and the mental gymnastics used to justify violent subjugation. Her stories provide context for the outcries we hear today and challenge all of us to see our neighbors as God's image bearers to be treated with dignity. By better understanding history, we will be better equipped to dismantle legacy systems of racism and avoid the riptide of ignorance.

With Holmes as a guide, the reader, regardless of race, can come away inspired by the perseverance of the people whose story she tells. More than that, her book invokes a conviction that we all need to be vigilant about protecting the inherent worth of people made in the image of God regardless of our differences.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Very educational and important—parts of it just got a little confusing with so many quotes and different people.

[Grace Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Baker Books and Net Galley for the chance to read this e-arc!

Excellent resource for educators or anyone wanting to learn more about Black History!
Jasmine gives the reader so many stories and quotes from lesser known and rarely quoted figures, mentioning contemporaries, even contemporary abolitionists, and then juxtaposing them.

She says in the afterword that she had to try to make this a book that wasn't simply hundreds of quotations from these historical figures, but honestly, I would have read that!

This book guides the reader through subjects such as the struggles of the free Black woman, the fight for education (during and after slavery), the enslaver's "Christianity" (the role of religion in perpetuation of white supremacy, during and after slavery), Reconstruction and more!Excellent resource for educators or anyone wanting to learn more about Black History!
Jasmine gives the reader so many stories and quotes from lesser known and rarely quoted figures, mentioning contemporaries, even contemporary abolitionists, and then juxtaposing them.

She says in the afterword that she had to try to make this a book that wasn't simply hundreds of quotations from these historical figures, but honestly, I would have read that!

This book guides the reader through subjects such as the struggles of the free Black woman, the fight for education (during and after slavery), the enslaver's "Christianity" (the role of religion in perpetuation of white supremacy, during and after slavery), Reconstruction and more!

[Haerlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The description said:
America was founded on the concept of the innate and inalienable rights of humankind. Many Christians see an echo of the imago Dei--that every human being carries the image of God--within those ideals. Yet these rights were systemically withheld from the Black and enslaved residents of this country for centuries. Through it all, Black people have proclaimed the truth of their dignity and personhood in powerful and profound ways.

Crowned with Glory collects many of the writings of these men and women, both familiar and lesser-known, to shine a light on what has always been there: an enormous movement of Black Americans demanding the liberty they were promised and deserved. With moving and insightful reflections on these oft-forgotten or suppressed voices, author Jasmine L. Holmes offers a hopeful and encouraging testament to the power of unrelenting cries for justice that will strike a chord with anyone looking for a robust Christian history of resistance.

Holmes delivered on the promise of the description. I appreciated the balance of little known Black women-both freed and enslaved- who were mentioned in this publication. However, I would have liked a more womanist analysis of the intersections of the Black women presented here, Christianity, and social justice. I would have also liked a little more discussion of Imago Dei, but I did like how it was grounded as a paradigm with which to view enslavement in America. I do recommend this book for scholars studying American history.

[Karen Lemmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. Jasmine got my immediate attention when she started with the story of Nat Turner and David Walker. This, to me, formed the framework of dignity, respect, and truth. Each person she mentioned in this story had biblical truths that framed their thoughts and actions--either for or against violence, either for black women or black men voting rights, or for staying in America or going to Africa. She mentioned other people: Harriet Jacobs, Mary Shadd, the Forte family, Booker T. Washington, Frederick Douglass, Rev. Daniel Payne, and many others who fought for dignity, respect and truth using the tools and skills they had. As Holmes so clearly stated in one of her chapters. . ."This was not just about slavery, but about personhood. These people, created in the image of God, had the same inalienable rights as their white neighbors, and like their white neighbors, they were willing to fight for them." And we still are.

[Meredith Martinez]

(4/5 stars) Every time I read a work by Jasmine Holmes I feel encouraged, challenged, and like I have a fuller view of God. I would describe this (and she probably would as well) as Holmes' most academic work - a historical survey of American abolitionists and black Christians who demanded that the imago Dei be honored through acts of mental, spiritual, and physical resistance. It is very clear that Holmes has done her research, and her book contains SO MANY primary and secondary historical sources. What a wealth of information! I will definitely have to pick up a copy of this one to see the included figures (the advanced copy noted their locations but didn't place them in line in the text).

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is out now!

[Ivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of quotes from primary sources, Jasmine L. Holmes writes a story of the history of the Black residents of America. This book if full of history that isn't often told in history books and shows history from both sides. Through this book, readers will learn about people, events, and beliefs that will leave them thinking. Recommend this book!

"America is complex, bearing its shame in tandem with its accomplishments, its pride right alongside its shortcomings."

"Because people made in the image of God were made to stand on equal footing alongside each other before the God of heaven."

"They declared they were made in the image of God before a world that refused to be convinced. And they demanded their seat at the table anyway."

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Emma Hinkle · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, Holmes walks the reader through early American history and establishes how Black people are crowned in glory, made in the image of God, and have rights that were not acknowledged in the founding of America.

This was a masterfully crafted and researched book. Holmes let the stories of those in slavery and fighting against slavery shine through with extensive first person quotes. It's not a light read, but it's an important one especially as a Christian since the South held many heinous views about Black people which they tried to root in the Bible. Throughout the book, Holmes continually reminded the reader of the important truth that Black people are made in the image of God and they have believed that core truth throughout the centuries, but many others have not accorded them this.

[Katie Powner]

In the Afterword, the author jokes about all the quotes used in her book, and in like fashion I am tempted to fill my review with quotes from her work, because there are so many worth repeating. Instead, I will choose just one, also from the Afterword: "...when modern-day Christians are constantly looking for (the fruit borne from saving faith in Christ) in the lives of enslavers and oppressors, they are shaking the wrong trees. The gospel fruit borne by those who stood against the widespread practice of chattel slavery is far sweeter."

This book is enlightening, straightforward, and graciously unapologetic. I recommend it to anyone willing to broaden their understanding of the history of slavery and racism in America.

[Maddie Settle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first book of Jasmine Holmes and I found it challenging, insightful and important. I love how it opens up a world of other voices. Reading about the treatment of fellow image bearers before, during and after slavery is heart wrenching and bewildering. Over all I think I would rate this book higher if I had read the book rather than listened, not because the audiobook was bad but because the content likely lends itself better to reading. My rating would be somewhere in the 3.5-4 stars range. I enjoyed it, I wanted to love it more but it’s possible that I expected more of cohesive story than one can give by quoting from so many different sources.

[Brook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be required reading in our schools. This tells black history in the United States, both the painful ugly and the triumphant hope filled. I should call it the 'mostly untold story', for what is told is little and doesn't helpfully depict the best and worst in the history of our nation.

If this were required reading, it would make many angry, some for the right reasons, and some because its easier to hide from whats pain-filled and hard when the thoughts and attitudes that created this history are still present in our nation and on display frequently.

My favorite facet of this book is that i refers to humans as 'image bearers'.

[Elizabeth Ziegenfus · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a teacher of American history, I was familiar with many of the stories in this book because I have had the benefit of good mentors who shared the stories with me. But there are so many more stories that were new to me that I look forward to sharing with my students. And this will be an excellent book for me to recommend to friends and family who are looking to educate themselves. Jasmine Holmes is an engaging writer who has written a compelling narrative for a broad audience (which is not something that many historians can do). Highly recommended!

[Alicia Wiggin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jasmine Holmes is a wizard at history and storytelling. She has crafted a narrative that relates the oft overlooked and forgotten history of how Black Americans proclaimed and fought for their own dignity and freedom as image bearers of the Creator. Black Americans have been at the forefront of their self-emancipation and struggle to live in the freedom they have a right to since the very beginning of their enslavement. It may be quote heavy, but as Holmes describes, how better to learn the story than from the pens and mouths of the Black Americans who were proclaiming it. Thank you!

[Erin Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much from this book. The author highlighted black people fighting against slavery and racism who I either had not even heard of or knew very little about. I appreciated how she detailed the odds black women were against and how they still kept fighting for their rights. Throughout the book she highlights the Imago Dei in people and how that was the inspiration and support for those fighting against slavery and racism. Highly recommend.

[Rachel G · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, if you aren’t following @jasmine on Instagram, you’re missing out on her wonderful history resources. Jasmine generously shares about American history, and I’ve learned a lot from her, especially about the importance of primary sources.
•
Nonfiction is not my preferred genre, but I had a hard time putting this book down. Jasmine writes, “I have written of Black Christians who understood their rights came from the Word of God, defended those rights in word and deed, and forged citizenship for themselves in a country that claimed to be founded on them.”
•
Much of what I read felt like a knife in my heart - how could people claiming to be Christian dare to ignore the imago Dei, the image of God, in other people? It is not easy history to read about, but it is important. Jasmine includes dozens of direct quotes from primary sources, giving the reader a chance to hear directly from people living in the time period.

[Erin Livs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio. I've become a huge fan of Jasmine Holmes. This was a dense read (listen in my case!) but I so appreciate her use of primary sources AND her labors to unearth the positive stories in the African American church in spite of America's checkered past. She highlights these noble saints who remained faithful despite circumstances and others in the church trying to thwart them.

[Stacey Cochran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good read, a hard read, an enlightening read. The way that Jasmine guides the reader through the source material was well-done. This book will educate, challenge, and cause deep reflection (at least it did for me).

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.