Faith and reverence from the perspective of Black church is a powerful force that has shaped the struggle of a people who defied all odds to live triumphantly. In The Wounds are the Witness, womanist theologian Dr. Yolanda Pierce draws upon the sordid history of Black enslavement, struggle for racial equality, and the persistent fight for justice. Rooted in her upbringing and lifelong service in the Pentecostal tradition, Pierce’s essays center memory of Black life in the United States, bearing witness to the survival of the Black spirit amid unspeakable dehumanization during the Jim and Jane Crow era to modern-day acts of violence on Black bodies. Pierce draws upon her own lived experiences, deep reading of scripture, the theological legacy of Howard Thurman and Pauli Murray, and allegories of Toni Morrison and Zora Neale Hurston, all of which underscore the role of faith in the fight for racial justice.
As a non-Black immigrant woman of color and an advocate for racial justice, I engaged with Pierce’s work from the perspective of my own people’s (Filipinos) struggle against colonization. Dr. Pierce’s uplifting testimony is a powerful reminder of the role of faith in restoration. She shares evidence of inequities rooted in anti-Blackness, from environmental injustice, wealth inequality, and police brutality. Yet, Dr. Pierce insists that abiding faith, regardless of the challenges, holds the promise of restoration from brokenness and woundedness.
Editor's Note: This review was originally published in Portland Book Review.
