Description
Book SynopsisThis is the first full account of the crucial role of black women in making the church a powerful institution for social and political change in the black community. From 1880–1920, the black church served as the most effective vehicle by which men and women alike, pushed down by racism and poverty, rallied against emotional and physical defeat.
Trade ReviewIf the period was so important for women but simultaneously a low point for black Americans as a group, then how should we understand the apparently contradictory politics of that time?
Righteous Discontent accentuates the positive, finding in the contradiction ‘a creative tension that both motivated and empowered black women to speak out.’ Ms. Higginbotham moves beyond the dichotomous thinking that has often short-circuited our attempts to understand the situation of black women… An important, sophisticated, and richly instructive book. -- Suzanne Lebsock * New York Times Book Review *
Higginbotham’s book is populated with fascinating and accomplished women… [Her] research is impeccable and her work both ambitious and important.
Righteous Discontent contributes significantly to the still underappreciated history of the black church in America. -- Adele Logan Alexander * Washington Post Book World *
Higginbotham has pioneered a study of a long-neglected component of the African-American experience. This book is a powerful and compelling story of the religious life of African-American women and their resistance to racism and sexism. Through Higginbotham’s work, the voices of African-American women, which have remained silent too long, emerge distinct and bold. -- Jill Watts * Journal of American History *
A landmark contribution to American religious history. * Choice *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments 1. The Black Church: A Gender Perspective 2. The Female Talented Tenth 3. Separatist Leanings 4. Unlikely Sisterhood 5. Feminist Theology, 1880-1900 6. The Coming of Age of the Black Baptist Sisterhood 7. The Politics of Respectability Notes Index
