SPIRIT in the DARK

Sometimes in the foreground, sometimes in the background, at times in the shadows—but always somewhere in the frame—religion is essential to the story of Black America. In the Black press, which has served as a primary chronicle of Black life, religion often finds reflection in the images, comments, stories, and lives of noteworthy individuals, including religious and political leaders, musicians, authors, athletes, activists, and educators. The photographs and stories in this exhibition, drawn from the Johnson Publishing Company archive, reflect diverse aspects of the Black religious experience and testify to the role religion has played in the struggle for human dignity and social equality.