The Spirit of Justice: True Stories of Faith, Race, and Resistance by Jemar Tisby is a historical survey of people who fought against racism and stood for justice. The book starts at the founding of America and takes us all the way up to the present day, giving real-world examples of opposition to racism. For each of these stories, Tisby shares the interaction of faith with activism as well.
Two quotes really stood out to me from this book, both from the first chapter:
There is a relentless drive in human beings, both inward and transcendent, that demands dignity and propels our progress–it is the spirit of justice. It is the conviction to continue the struggle no matter the odds or the obstacles. It is the heartbeat of people who hunger and thirst for righteousness. It will not concede. It will not let the evil of racism and inhumanity prevail. It will not quit until justice rolls down like a river.
This one is especially timely:
The gains of the past are not guaranteed to persist into the future. Victories can turn into losses. Rights can be rolled back. Time is not an inevitable march toward greater freedom and equality. Instead, each new generation must take up its responsibility to embrace the spirit of justice and maintain the struggle for positive change.
I really appreciated this book and learned a lot from it. It was a good follow-up to his first two books – The Color of Compromise and How to Fight Racism.
In So Many Words 