Exhibition Overview
The Black Church Historical Preservation Project seeks to compile the oral histories of Black Churches in America in efforts to honor their legacy. This exhibition intends to gather the oral histories of African American churches in New Haven. By Tracing the formation of Black churches we hope to efficiently preserve that which is Black and undeniable sacred.
Meet J.W. Martin, Curator
The Negro’s spiritual is a sacred text. The spiritual is penned from stories in the Christian text, but more importantly they embody the lived experiences of the enslaved and free Africans in the United States. Crafted towards the end of chattel slavery, the spirituals encompassed colorful metaphors that subvert the Bible as we know it into an eschatological vision that conjures freedom. “I’m Buildin’ Me a Home” narrates the bodily preparation of attaining heaven.
