By Special to The Post

Nuna Phillips-McKee will reach an extraordinary milestone on Sept. 24 —her 100th

birthday, marking a century filled with faith, family, service, laughter and the amazing grace of God.

Born Sept. 14, 1926, in Oakland, Nuna has witnessed a world of change during her lifetime, yet the values that have guided her remain constant: a deep faith in God, devotion to family, a strong work ethic and a heart for serving others.

She enjoyed a distinguished career as a civil servant for more than 40 years, demonstrating the dedication, dependability and strength that have characterized so much of her life.

Nuna’s life has been one of Christian service. A longtime member of Wings of Love Maranatha Ministries, now Incredible Church, she serves as director of Community Services and is actively involved in the church’s Food Ministries.

Through the years, she has continued to help meet the needs of others—not merely with food, but with kindness, compassion and a genuine desire to serve. Her ministry reflects a simple principle by which she lives: when God blesses you, you bless others.

Nuna is the proud mother of one son, whose memory she carries in her heart, and the beloved grandmother of three grandchildren, as well as six great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

At 100, she has the rare blessing of seeing several generations of her family carrying forward a legacy that began long ago.

She remains the loving, intelligent, witty, and, when the occasion calls for it, delightfully sassy Nuna that her family and friends know so well. Her contagious laugh, quick wit and youthful spirit have endeared her to generations of relatives, church members and friends.

Nuna was born into the large and loving Phillips family of seven sisters and one brother, with bonds that formed in childhood and have remained precious throughout the decades. Their shared love, faith, and family traditions have continued to be a source of joy, strength and countless treasured memories.

As family and friends gather for this special occasion, they will celebrate far more than a number. They will celebrate 100 years of prayers prayed and answered; 100 years of lessons learned and wisdom shared; 100 years of family, faith, laughter and love; 100 years of serving God and serving others.

Most of all, they will celebrate a life that stands as a testimony to God’s faithfulness through every season.

Nuna’s century-long journey can be summed up in the words chosen to commemorate this remarkable occasion: “100 years of God’s amazing grace.”

September 12 kickoff will unite residents, volunteers, community leaders, organizations, and local influencers for a 52-day nonpartisan Get Out the Vote initiative

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Faith & Works Collective presents ReVote Community Voter Project will launch Road to Black November, a 52-day nonpartisan voter-participation initiative, with a community kickoff on Saturday, September 12, from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at Creed63, located at 1601 Fifth Avenue North in downtown Birmingham.

Road to Black November will bring together residents, volunteers, community leaders, civic and social justice organizations, local influencers, and content creators around one shared goal: increasing Black voter participation in Jefferson County ahead of the November 3 General Election.

Faith & Works’ data identified more than 9,000 Black residents who are inactive or have been dropped from the voter files in the Jefferson County communities. The initiative is working to reach thousands of additional residents who may need to register or update their information. Road to Black November will help residents check their voter status, register to vote, and prepare to participate in democracy.

Road to Black November is not about telling people who to vote for or encouraging support for any candidate or political party. It is about increasing Black voter turnout by helping residents make sure they are registered, active on the voter file, informed, and prepared to vote.

“More than 9,000 Black residents in the communities we are working to reach have been identified as inactive or dropped from the voter file. That means thousands of our neighbors may believe they are ready to vote when they are not,” said Cara McClure, founder and executive director of Faith & Works Statewide Collective. “Democracy requires all of us to participate—and all of us to put in the work. You may not want to canvass or phone bank, but you can still make a difference. We will train you in relational organizing and give you the language and tools to reach your family, friends, church members, and neighbors. Everyone has a role in helping our community get ready for Black November.”

The free kickoff will include food, fellowship, voter-engagement tools, and volunteer training. Participants can choose how they want to contribute through canvassing, phone banking, voter-registration outreach, voter- status checks, relational organizing, community events, or online engagement. The kickoff will also begin a Week of Action from September 12–20, during which participants will work together to reach Jefferson County residents and invite others to become involved in the voter-participation initiative.

Participants may RSVP through September 11 at www.RoadToBlackNovember.com. Beginning September 12, the same website will become the Your Voter Journey hub, providing voter information, resources, and opportunities to participate through Election Day.

Road to Black November is strictly nonpartisan. Faith & Works will not tell residents who to vote for and will not support or oppose any candidate, political party, or political committee through this initiative.

About Faith & Works

Faith & Works Statewide Civic Engagement Collective is a Black-led, community-centered organization working to expand civic participation, develop community leadership, and strengthen residents’ ability to influence decisions affecting their families and communities.

Media Contacts

Cara McClure Founder and Executive Director Faith & Works Collective, 205-427-8312 – [email protected]

Brandon McCray, Road to Black November Organizing Manager, 205-215-1330 – [email protected]

NC HEALTH NEWS – Inside North Carolina prisons, incarcerated people have long turned to fellow prisoners for guidance about faith, conflict, grief, addiction, and simply how to navigate life behind bars.

An increasing number of those people are “field ministers” — incarcerated men who have earned a four-year bachelor’s degree in pastoral ministry and received training in counseling and other skills.

After graduation, the field ministers — many serving life sentences — are deployed to prisons across the state in teams of three to six, where they work alongside prison chaplains and other staff.

The role comes with an unusual degree of trust and access. Field ministers can walk into a housing block and make rounds to check on people. They can sit with men struggling with grief, addiction, mental illness or the challenges of being separated from loved ones. They can visit men in solitary confinement, counsel peers, provide hospice care and teach classes.

Their work has made a difference, said Alpha Herring, an employee at Nash Correctional Institution who oversees programs there.

Ten years ago, when someone came to him with an issue, he might spend 30 minutes talking with them. Now, he doesn’t always have to be the one responding.

“We trust them enough that when a field minister just shows up at a block, no one questions them as to why they were there,” Herring said. “We trust them enough to know that they’re going to go forth, fulfill the vision and do the work that’s been assigned to their hands.

“They help us go home daily because they intervene in situations that we would never know about,” Herring continued.

The program launched at Nash Correctional in August 2017 in partnership with Judson College, a Wake Forest-based seminary, and the nonprofit Game Plan for Life, which describes itself as training men “to be influential leaders within their own faith tradition.” It’s modeled after a similar prison ministry program at Louisiana State Penitentiary, known as Angola.

Since then, more than 80 men have graduated — more than 60 of whom now are serving as field ministers at 16 prisons. Another 87 men are completing their education at Nash Correctional. The first cohort of 19 female field ministers is also earning degrees; the program launched at North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women in January 2024.

Nash Correctional Warden Talena Lee told NC Health News that she has seen the field ministers change prison culture, and they have challenged her and other prison officials to reconsider “what they can be and what they can do.”

“You cannot pour all the time and energy into every single person,” Lee explained, noting that the 654-bed prison has fewer than 12 case managers, including supervisors. “They come alongside and help us in our jobs. We consider [the field ministers] a tool in our toolbox — one that we use quite frequently, and it’s made the population here better.”

Creating a pipeline

Rocky Wright, director of prison programs at Judson College, said the North Carolina Field Minister Program is in high demand. Each year, he said more than 100 people apply for up to 30 slots.

Participants must have already earned a high school diploma or GED, completed at least one year without any infractions and have at least 10 years left to serve on their sentence. Wright said the program looks for people who demonstrate humility, compassion, and a willingness to serve.

“We’re looking for guys who have servant hearts, who want to serve others,” Wright said.

Students take a full college course load year-round, including coursework in liberal arts, biblical studies, and counseling.

After earning their degrees, field ministers are asked to serve for at least four years, though Wright said participation is voluntary.

How field ministers work can vary from prison to prison. Despite being unordained, some work alongside prison chaplains. Others work more closely with program staff. At intake facilities, field ministers help newly incarcerated people acclimate to the prison environment, and they serve as mentors during their first weeks. Many also teach classes, such as Thinking for a Change, a therapeutic approach to changing negative behaviors, and Father Accountability, which teaches positive parenting. They also lead Bible studies.

Wright said one field minister team at Harnett Correctional Institution even came up with a nonviolence initiative that lessened violence and fights at the facility.

Finding new purpose

Barry Mintz, 21 years into serving a life sentence without parole, was part of the field minister program’s first cohort. He said he originally joined for selfish reasons, thinking it would look good and help his chances of release.

But as he studied, Mintz said, his understanding of his faith changed, along with his understanding of himself and his purpose.

“My journey to this moment right now is a testament to the transformative power of faith and education,” he said during an Aug. 19 event at Nash Correctional that celebrated 10 years of the program.

Mintz said he’s helped countless people. Some days, that means lending an ear to someone who is in a mental health crisis or going through a wrenching life event.

He recalled one encounter that has stuck with him: an incarcerated man whose father died the day before he was released from prison. Based on his training, Mintz said he felt equipped to offer theological answers, grief counseling and simply a warm embrace.

“In that moment, I realized that we weren’t just equipped to think well, to read well, to write well and speak well — but we had been equipped to love well,” Mintz said.

‘Part of the community’

Field ministers lean into their own transformations and shared experiences to reach other incarcerated men.

“Our real effectiveness comes from being a part of the community,” said Timothy Johnson, another member of the first cohort of field ministers. “They know they can trust us with their problems because we’re living with the same problems. We don’t talk to them about how hard it is to be locked up and go home at the end of the day.”

Field ministers told NC Health News they often encounter men who want to change but don’t know how — and they can step in with guidance and support.

Jimmy Smith, a field minister at Caswell Correctional Center who graduated in the program’s second cohort, said he uses his own testimony to show how much change is possible.

“I’ve been incarcerated 31 years, so a lot of guys knew me when I was in my craziness, and they knew the transitions that I had made over the years and became the preacher,” Smith said. “I had to explain to them that I thought like a child, but then I became a man, and there are qualifications of being a man, and it’s responsibility, accountability, and reliability. Walking in that, it gives you parameters and things you won’t do anymore.”

William Singletary described getting support and mentorship from field ministers at Granville Correctional Institution.

“Their presence was not only uplifting but instrumental in my growth and development as an individual and a man of faith,” Singletary said. “Exposure to these ministers opened my eyes to the profound impact we can have on one another’s lives, even in the most unlikely of places. I watched as they poured their energy into helping others find peace, joy and purpose amidst their struggles.”

Singletary wanted to do the same. He’s studying to become a field minister himself.

Matthew Grant, a field minister student in his junior year, was sent to prison in 2004. He said he’s ready to draw on his own experiences to counsel others.

“I’ve lost family too,” he said. “I’ve been in the hole too. I’ve been depressed. I’ve been suicidal. I’ve been angry before. I’ve been in fights before. I’ve been to some of the most violent prisons in the state. I’ve done that. I’ve seen what that gets you, and I’ve been able to come out on the other side.”

Filling critical needs

The field ministers aren’t intended to replace prison chaplains or other staff, but to extend their reach.

Sarah Jobe, director of Chaplaincy Services at the N.C. Department of Adult Correction, said the department has about 47 chaplains serving across the state — about one-third of whom are community-funded through churches and other grants. That leaves some prisons without a chaplain.

“People’s critical needs for conversations around hard topics do not always happen when a chaplain is on site,” Jobe said. “The field ministers are right there to be called at any time, and can really step in and be a witness and a presence inside of the dorms in a way that the chaplain cannot.”

The N.C. Department of Adult Correction funded eight new chaplain positions last year, Jobe said. Prison leaders have been working toward having at least one chaplain in each state prison, she said, in recognition that spiritual care and religious accommodations can shape prison environments and culture.

Jobe helps determine which facilities get field ministers. The biggest factor, she said, is staff buy-in and their willingness to provide field ministers with the support and autonomy they need to best serve. She said she’s got more facilities that want field ministers than there are available graduates.

“They can be radical change agents for good and serve in caregiving professions well and under incredibly difficult circumstances,” Jobe said.

N.C. Department of Adult Correction Secretary Leslie Cooley Dismukes said she “hands down, without a doubt” views the field minister program as the program with the greatest impact on the department’s population of nearly 33,000.

“This program allows us to bring in partners from the outside to reach you, and then it allows you, when you earn your yellow shirt, to reach everyone,” she said. “You are credible messengers. You are the people who can change lives.”

Jobe agrees and said their impact will only grow as more field ministers are deployed to prisons across the state in the coming years.

The impact has been tremendous on Timothy Johnson, one of the prison system’s first graduates.

He went to prison in 2005, sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. For many years, he said, that sentence defined his life story. But his work as a field minister changed his perspective.

“I feel like my story changed from life without parole, and that’s what defined me, to a life of purpose,” Johnson said. “Every day I wake up knowing I’m going to have some conversation with somebody that needs a little bit of hope, some inspiration that can feed off my story.”

Based on reporting by The Carolinian.

My grandmother, Lucille “Big Mama” Allen (1906–2003), understood something about money and emotions long before anybody called it financial literacy. Big Mama raised generations with faith, common sense, and the kind of wisdom that could stop you in your tracks. I can almost hear her from the porch saying, “Baby, don’t spend your money on your feelings.” I understand that lesson differently today. Recently, I had a front-row seat as a close friend, and his family planned the homegoing of someone they deeply loved.

I wasn’t hearing about it secondhand. I was close enough to witness the conversations, decisions, and dollars firsthand. What I saw taught me how quickly grief, guilt, and glory can become expensive. When somebody you love dies, you are not walking into a funeral home as an ordinary consumer. You are hurting. You want to honor your loved one. You want everything to be beautiful. Most of all, you want to make sure you have done enough. That is when wants can begin masquerading as needs.

And that is exactly when somebody must remain financially awake. Funeral professionals provide an important and necessary service. Families need their expertise during one of life’s most difficult moments. But there is a difference between helping grieving people make informed decisions and selling to people whose emotions have made them vulnerable.

Sales trickery is not sales support. What concerned me most was watching how knowledge of relationships, emotions, and available financial resources could influence the conversation about services. That information should help professionals serve a family better—not become an opportunity to sell them more. From what I witnessed firsthand, my friend’s family paid more for the funeral than they should have. I don’t say that to point fingers at anyone in that family. Grief affects everybody differently.

Some people become quiet. Some want to do everything. Others may believe spending more is somehow evidence that they loved more. My lesson is about becoming a wiser consumer when our emotions run highest. Big Mama would have reminded me, “Separate your needs from your wants. Everything you want, you don’t necessarily need.” That means we have to STOP before we spend.

S means separate needs from wants. T means total every expense before agreeing. O means obtain options and ask what can be removed. And P means protect the family budget. Ask for an itemized price list. Compare providers when time permits. Bring someone into the conversation who can think clearly about money. Establish a spending ceiling before discussing upgrades. And never allow the question, “What would your loved one have wanted?” to become a sales closing technique.

Because grief can make us believe that the price of the funeral somehow represents the value of the life. It doesn’t. Black history offers some sobering reminders that fame, earning money, and financial security are not the same thing. Jazz legend Billie Holiday reportedly died with only 70 cents in the bank, and another person ultimately paid for her funeral.

Legendary entertainer Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, once among America’s highest-paid Black performers, earned extraordinary sums during his career yet died nearly penniless; friend Ed Sullivan reportedly helped cover his funeral. Literary giant Zora Neale Hurston died with so little that friends and neighbors collected money for her funeral, and she was initially buried in an unmarked grave.

Think about that. These were people whose talent enriched American culture, yet their final days remind us of something Big Mama already understood: You can have glory without having financial security. That’s why conversations about money, preparation, and final wishes need to happen while we are living—not be left entirely to grieving people after we are gone.

A casket cannot measure love. Flowers cannot measure sacrifice. A limousine cannot measure memories. And the size of a funeral bill certainly cannot measure somebody’s importance. A beautiful homegoing does not require an ugly financial aftermath. Proverbs 21:5 reminds us, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance.”

Big Mama taught us to give people their flowers while they can smell them. That may be the greatest financial lesson of all. Love people while they are here. Celebrate them while they can hear you. Honor them with your presence, your time, and your actions.

And when that difficult day comes, send them home with dignity, love, and celebration. But don’t send your financial security with them. And when that difficult day comes, send them home with dignity, love, and celebration. But don’t send your financial security with them.

Terry Allen is an NABJ award-winning Journalist, DEI expert, PR professional, and Vice President at FocusPR, founder of the charity City Men Cook, and Dallas Chapter President of NBPRS.org

Based on reporting by Orlando Advocate.

Pastor Dr. Darius Brooks celebrated the release of his debut book, SAY, “SELF,” Volume I, on August 30, 2026, at Grace Central Church in Westchester, Illinois.

Presented by Brooks Legacy Publishing, the event brought together church members, relatives, friends and supporters for an afternoon of conversation, music and fellowship, marking a new chapter in Brooks’ ministry.

Legendary Chicago broadcast journalist Art Norman joined Brooks for a discussion about the experiences that inspired the book and the lessons Brooks has gained throughout his life and ministry. Brooks said he hopes the book will encourage readers to strengthen their faith, reconsider how they approach life’s challenges and pursue purposeful growth.

For years, people encountering Brooks at churches, restaurants, stores, airports and other places have asked him to repeat something he said so they could write it down. Those memorable observations and words of encouragement became the foundation for SAY, “SELF,” Volume I.

The self-published book contains 52 original inspirational statements known as #ADBQ, meaning “A Darius Brooks Quote.” Each quotation is accompanied by a personal reflection and space for readers to consider how its message applies to their lives. Structured as a 52-week journey, the book encourages readers to move forward through one quotation, reflection and intentional decision at a time.

The launch celebration concluded with an official release countdown and a book-signing session with Brooks. His wife, Deborah “Wonderful” Brooks, who designed the book, and their daughter, Dasha Brooks, also participated in the celebration.

“This book is the result of years of sermons, songs, conversations and life experiences,” Deborah Brooks said. “I have watched people stop Darius everywhere we go and ask him to repeat something so they could write it down. Now, it has already been written down for them. I could not be prouder of my husband and this incredible accomplishment.”

The family thanked the Grace Central Church congregation for its support and hospitality. It also expressed appreciation to Norman, Brooks’ relatives and friends, the event-planning team, volunteers and those who attended the celebration or purchased the book.

Brooks is an award-winning songwriter, composer, arranger, producer, musician and recording artist whose career in contemporary gospel music spans more than four decades.

For nearly 40 years, he served as music director for the late Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson Sr. and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, traveling across the United States and internationally in support of the movement for civil rights, justice and equality.

He also spent more than 30 years in musical leadership with the late Rev. Milton Brunson and the Thompson Community Singers, known worldwide as “The Tommies.”

Brooks is the creative force behind several gospel standards, including “Safe in His Arms,” “My Mind’s Made Up,” “For the Good of Them,” “If I Be Lifted,” “I Tried Him and I Know Him,” “God’s Got It” and “Your Will.”

Throughout his career, he has worked with artists including Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Ramsey Lewis, Shirley Caesar, Vickie Winans and Ricky Dillard. His work has received Grammy, Stellar and Dove Award recognition and reached audiences in Great Britain, Sweden, Italy, South Africa, Germany and other countries.

In 2009, Brooks became senior pastor of Grace Central Church. He also leads Darius Brooks & The Tommies Reunion and founded the SDM Foundation for Education and the Arts, through which he mentors and develops aspiring musicians and performing artists.

Whether preaching, writing music, mentoring artists or encouraging others through everyday conversations, Brooks has built his ministry around strengthening faith and helping people pursue their God-given purpose.

SAY, “SELF,” Volume I is the first installment in a planned series, with Volume II currently in development.

The book may be purchased at Grace Central Church’s website: New Book Release | Say, “Self” Volume I by Dr. Darius Brooks

Based on reporting by Gary Crusader.

In a neighborhood where conversations about food insecurity often center on scarcity, Philadelphia’s Tindley Tea Cafe offers a different narrative: abundance with purpose.

Located inside the educational building of historic Tindley Temple United Methodist Church in South Philadelphia — named after a pioneering Black minister, scholar, and theologian — the cafe is a popular brunch destination. Freshly prepared meals, live jazz, local artwork, and a welcoming atmosphere draw foodies from across the city.

But behind every reservation, every cup of tea and every plate served is a singular mission. The profits from Tindley Tea Cafe help fund a ministry that feeds neighbors experiencing hunger.

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Pioneering Namesake

Vicki Baker, business manager for Tindley Temple and a retired educator, says the cafe is the brainchild of Pastor John T. Bryce, the temple’s lead minister.

Two years ago, Bryce and church leaders realized two things about food in their community. First, they recognized that few quality, sit-down dining options existed in the neighborhood south of South Street — a majority-Black community that had suffered from underinvestment and been overlooked for decades. They also noted that hunger was a big problem in the community.

“We decided as a leadership team that we wanted to select people that we could bless in some way every month,” Baker told Word In Black in a recent interview. “So we chose those with food insecurity.”

Rather than simply opening a restaurant, Baker says, Tindley’s brain trust repurposed underused church space into a community gathering space with music, art, and food good enough to entice Philadelphia’s foodies. It then paired that enterprise with a mission to provide free, high-quality meals to the hungry—what could be called the church’s “food ministry.”

We decided as a leadership team that we wanted to select people that we could bless in some way every month. So we chose those with food insecurity.”

Vicki Baker, Business Manager, Tindley Temple

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“Tindley Temple’s soup kitchen actually started in the 1920s under Dr. Tindley and had run continuously until the pandemic,” Baker says, referring to the church’s program to feed the homeless and food-insecure. “We wanted to bring it back, and one of the ministries the cafe supports is that soup kitchen.”

Proceeds from Tindley Tea Cafe help support the church’s twice-weekly soup kitchen, which resumed full operations after the pandemic and now serves dozens of people each Tuesday and Thursday evening. The ministry has expanded through partnerships with local organizations, grants addressing food insecurity, and a growing network of volunteers who sign up online to prepare and serve meals.

Art, Jazz, Legacy

The cafe itself reflects the church’s commitment to community.

Artwork showcases Philadelphia artists, and tables feature musical scores honoring the legacy of Tindley, a formerly enslaved man who taught himself scripture and wrote hymns. Visitors often arrive because they’ve heard about the food, only to discover the history of one of America’s most remarkable pastors and influential Black churches.

That history continues to grow. Tindley Temple recently completed construction of the Charles Albert Tindley Legacy Preservation Center, an archive and exhibition space designed to preserve nearly two centuries of church history while introducing new generations to Tindley’s life and ministry.

Word In Black’s interview with Baker has been edited for length and clarity.

Word in Black: What’s your position with the cafe?

Vicki Baker: So I am the business administrator, business manager for the church. So I do a little bit of everything, in everything. I don’t run the cafe, but through the beauty of technology, the church’s phone rings on a special phone that I have, so we never have to miss a call. I do get a lot of calls for bookings at the cafe or even if people just want a reservation.

WIB: How did the idea for Tindley Tea Cafe come about?

Baker: About two years ago the cafe opened. When Pastor John [Bryce] looked at what was available in South Philadelphia as far as eating establishments, we found that when you got south of South, there weren’t a lot of places. We thought this is an area where we could provide service.

The building that it’s in is the educational building. It was built in 1964. The floor where the cafe is was the general meeting room. Pastor Bryce and First Lady Ebony [Brice] really had the vision. They painted, brought in artwork from Philadelphia artists, and created a very comfortable space. It’s become a place for jazz, poetry, community meetings, worship and so much more.

WIB: Who’s doing the cooking? My foodie friend said the food was fabulous.

Baker: We have a team that works. There are two or three chefs, depending on the day, and sous chefs that do the prep. Food is made to order. It’s not pre-done or reheated or bought. They fix the food there and serve it.

WIB: Tell me how the cafe funds are used for the community.

Baker: We decided as a leadership team that we wanted to select people that we could bless in some way every month. So we chose those with food insecurity. The soup kitchen actually started in the 1920s under Dr. Tindley and had run continuously until the pandemic. We wanted to bring it back and one of the ministries the cafe supports is that soup kitchen.

WIB: How did the church rebuild the soup kitchen ministry?

Baker: When the [city transit] strike was being threatened and SNAP benefits were changing, we decided to push up our timetable to reopen the soup kitchen because we knew there would be a need.

We partnered with Broad Street Love to learn best practices. Through them we connected with Carversville Farm, which delivers meat and vegetables every week. Then the chef figures out the menu based on what arrives. We also received a grant from the District Attorney’s Office for food insecurity, which has helped us augment the ministry.

WIB: What would visitors see today that reflects Bishop Tindley’s legacy?

Baker: The soup kitchen is still his legacy. During his time, there was a soup kitchen, a clothes closet and people even slept in the sanctuary during the Depression and the Great Migration while they got established.

We’ve also just completed construction on the Charles Albert Tindley Legacy Preservation Center. We received a grant to build an archive and exhibition center. We have nearly 100-year-old artifacts that are now being preserved in a temperature- and humidity-controlled archive. We hope to open it in the fall so people can learn about Tindley’s life and the church’s history.

WIB: Why is it important to keep telling Charles Tindley’s story?

Baker: “Our children need to hear these stories because many of them don’t know who they are or who they’ve come from. They hear about famous people who hit it big, but they don’t always hear about the work and grit.

Charles Tindley taught himself to read and write. He taught himself Greek and Hebrew. He was born free, but because his mother died and his father was enslaved, he lived as a slave. That’s an amazing story. There’s nothing God can’t do. We want to keep telling that story.

Based on reporting by Seattle Medium.