A Stone of Hope: Prophetic Religion & Death of Jim Crow
Professor David Chappell
History, University of Arkansas
顿补迟别:听April 28, 2004
Event Recap
Speaking on his new book,听A Stone of Hope: Prophetic Religion and the Death of Jim Crow 听(University of听North Carolina Press,听2004), Professor David听L. Chappell from the听History Department of听the University of听Arkansas addressed a听lunch seminar at the听Boisi Center on April听28. The book, which听has been critically听acclaimed in a number of reviews, challenges听the idea that the civil听rights movement is a听story of a culminating听triumph of liberal听ideas. Chappell argues that the liberals鈥�听belief in the inevitable social听progress of reason, education, and听human nature did not provide the听cultural resources needed to create听the climate of solidarity, passion, and听self-sacrifice听required for immediate听social change.听Black activists听like Bayard听Rustin, Fannie听Lou Hamer, Modjeska听听Simkins and听Martin Luther听King Jr., on the听other hand,听were far more effective听because they听had a more realist vision of the situation.听They understood that power听was a corrupting force and that those听who had it would not relinquish it听easily. They knew that a 鈥減rophetic听Christian鈥� message would resonate听far more deeply and clearly than听rational argument. They also knew听that human nature was far more听venal than white liberals credited.听Chappell argues that black activists听saw far more clearly that their struggle听was to 鈥渉ew a stone of hope from the mountain of despair,鈥� in contrast听to the optimism of northern white听liberals. Chappell鈥檚 arguments are听viewed as challenging some of the听standard arguments in the interpretation听of the civil rights, particularly听in the emphasis that he gives to the听role of religious understandings in听the movement among black activists听as well as white segregationists.