As times change, what will the roles of Black grandmothers be in the future?Ī: The realities of race, racism and white supremacy cannot be divorced from religious practices in America. Q: Your book shows how much of what the grandmothers did was a result of their own backgrounds and upbringing.
Something will be profoundly lost if we do not have another generation that respects and upholds the stories, traditions and faith practices of the elders. The hymns of my childhood, many of which are no longer sung in churches, still inspire me and motivate me. Q: How has faith changed between the generations? What is it that you hope today’s generation of women will maintain?Ī: Within my book, I discuss how something as simple as music becomes a mechanism for connecting the generations. Grandmother theology is generational wisdom, rooted and grounded in liberating practices of the generations who precede us, including our ancestors. Q: How do the older women in your book shape the values for younger Black women today?Ī: I describe a generational inheritance in my book faith and culture are shaped by older generations who “inherit” a legacy they often do not appreciate until they are older. It argues that the theology of these women is the sustaining feature of a faith tradition, even if these women are not normally considered “theologians.”
I wanted to offer the larger public academic and personal insight into the beauty and complexity of the Black church tradition.Ī: The book is written for people interested in the intersections of race, faith and gender those who want to learn more about the African-American religious experience and those who value the unique role of storytelling inherited from the kitchen tables of their elders and ancestors.Ī: My book describes the role of the “church mother,” a unique office within African-American churches.
A: I’m a womanist theologian and scholar of the Black Church tradition, but I am also a daughter of the Black church.
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