
The Spirit of Justice
True Stories of Faith, Race, and Resistance
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Narrated by:
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Jemar Tisby
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By:
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Jemar Tisby
About this listen
Read by the author.
The Black History You Never Knew: Uncovering Unsung Heroes in the Struggle for Racial Justice.
The Spirit of Justice reveals the stories of the people who fought against racism and agitated for justice—and what we can learn from their example, their suffering, their methods, and their hope.
How is it that people still work for change after continuously seeing the worst of humanity and experiencing the most demoralizing setbacks? What keeps them going? It is that spirit of justice that rises up "like a war horse," as Myrlie Evers-Williams famously said. It is a sense in the hearts of people who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
In this book, award-winning author Jemar Tisby will open your eyes to the "pattern of endurance" in the centuries-long struggle for Black freedom in America. Through a historical survey of the nation from its founding to the present day, this book gives real-world examples of people who opposed racism, how they did it, what it cost, and what they gained for themselves and others.
For those who were galvanized by Tisby's call to action in his acclaimed The Color of Compromise, this book will inspire you to see past the complicity of the church and gain the determination to join the fight for racial justice, no matter the cost.
As Tisby writes, "The Spirit of justice is always at work to inspire followers of Christ to undertake acts of liberation and bear witness to the good news of their savior."
The photos can be found in the audiobook companion PDF download.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2024 Jemar Tisby (P)2024 ZondervanListeners also enjoyed...
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We live in a culture that wants it all. More is seen as better. For those chasing this way of life, “narrow” seems negative. Who wants to narrow their options . . . or be seen as narrow-minded? Which is why the most well-known talk in the history of the world—the Sermon on the Mount—is also the most paradoxical one. In it, Jesus holds up the narrow path as the most spacious . . . and the broader path as the more confining one. Rich Villodas, bestselling author of The Deeply Formed Life, explores what today’s broad and narrow paths look like so you can discern which one you’re on.
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Enlightened
- By toni jenschke on 05-19-25
By: Rich Villodas
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How to End Christian Nationalism
- By: Amanda Tyler
- Narrated by: Suzie Althens
- Length: 6 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Christian nationalism is a powerful and pervasive ideology, and it is becoming normalized. From Amanda Tyler, lead organizer of the Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign, comes How to End Christian Nationalism, your vital companion for countering this dangerous ideology. Tyler draws on her experiences, conversations with pastors and laypeople, research, Scripture, her Baptist convictions, and her work as a constitutional law expert to help us confront Christian nationalist fervor.
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A call to action
- By Arthur Kuehl on 11-16-24
By: Amanda Tyler
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Ghosted
- An American Story
- By: Nancy French
- Narrated by: Nancy French
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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A compelling, thought-provoking memoir about Nancy French's journey from her family's mountain roots to success as a ghostwriter, only to be rejected by her party, church, and community. Ghosted by New York Times bestselling author Nancy French is for all who were alienated by those closest to them and left spiritually and politically homeless.
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I Had No Idea This Book Would Be This Good
- By Brian A. on 05-06-24
By: Nancy French
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White Fear
- How the Browning of America Is Making White Folks Lose Their Minds
- By: Roland S. Martin
- Narrated by: Roland S. Martin
- Length: 3 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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For two centuries, the deep-seated fear that many White people feel—of losing power, of losing economic standing, of losing a particular “way of life”—has been the driving force behind American politics and culture. And as we approach a future where White people will become a racial minority in the US, something estimated to occur as early as 2043, that fear is only intensifying, festering, and becoming more visible. Are we destined for a violent clash? What can we do to step into our country’s inevitable future, without tearing ourselves apart in the process?
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an interesting and informative lesson
- By Mo Shaabazz on 09-14-22
By: Roland S. Martin
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Chasing Hope
- A Reporter's Life
- By: Nicholas D. Kristof
- Narrated by: Nicholas D. Kristof
- Length: 17 hrs
- Unabridged
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Since 1984, Nicholas Kristof has worked almost continuously for The New York Times as a reporter, foreign correspondent, bureau chief, and now columnist, becoming one of the foremost reporters of his generation. Here, he recounts his event-filled path from a small-town farm in Oregon to every corner of the world. This is a candid memoir of vulnerability and courage, humility and purpose, mistakes and learning—a singular tale of the trials, tribulations, and hope to be found in a life dedicated to the pursuit of truth.
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Ink Runs In My Veins
- By Lori Breit on 04-01-25
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor. He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, Luke 4:18
Inspiration to live out God's plan for justice/righteousness
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Jemar acknowledges early on in the book that those he profiles (like the characters we find in the Bible) are not perfect. Yet, the Spirit of Justice, the One he embraces as the Holy Spirit, speaks in and through each personality.
I study history as an undergrad at the University of Michigan, So, I especially appreciate Jemar's effort to go beyond a secular examination of events. He finds the faith that fuels each figure. His choice to include William J. Seymour illustrates. Dr. Tisby sees a biblical faith at the root of the racially and economically diverse Azuza Street Revival. He also acknowledges that a misunderstanding of that faith causes the backlash or "whitelash" that inevitably follows.
I meet in Dr. Tisby's book some familiar friends. He also introduces me to some folks I wouldn't get to meet without his help. He gathers a diverse cast of characters. Yet, he also highlights four themes which tie them together:
1) Faith of a Franciscan sister
2) Courage of a Fannie Lou Hamer ( the 20th of 20 children)
3) Imagination of the Harvard Law School trained Charles Hamilton Houston
4) Resilience of Myrlie Evers-Williams after the racially motivated murder of her husband Medgar Evers. (Note the source of the title of the book)
Dr. Tisby draws on examples from a couple of centuries of Unites States history, Then, he concludes with examples of contemporary "Creators" through whom he believes the Spirit of Justice speaks. It is a refreshing and generous kind of footnoting.
Dr. Tisby writes the book with this question in mind: "How do you keep going when it looks like you are not winning?" By book's end, I, and perhaps you will as well, have the beginning of some answers.
The Spirit of Justice Still Speaks
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The Spirit of Justice - An Inspiring Reminder that we are Not Alone in the Struggle
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I am fairly well-read in civil rights history and there were both well-known figures and people I did not know here. The balance between the known and the unknown (or lesser known) was good. You can’t ignore major figures like Martin Luther King Jr, but in some ways, those figures are less inspiring because they have become “saints” of the movement. The lesser-known figures I think are more inspiring because they worked toward justice without becoming well-known.
That isn’t to say those lesser-known people are less important. Part of what Tisby is doing is bringing balance to the story. There is a whole chapter on women of the civil rights movement, not because they were completely unknown but because the sexism of the time impacted how we tell stories today. And many behind-the-scenes figures were essential to the organizational and movement-building work that allowed the well-known people to become well-known.
Immediately after finishing The Spirit of Justice, I picked up a new biography of John Lewis. Lewis was well known by his death, but part of what the biography illustrated was the long arc of that fame. Lewis spoke at the 1963 March on Washington, but that was after having led the Nashville student movement and then SNCC. But when he left SNCC leadership, he was only 26. He had several completely separate careers after that. He headed the Voter Education Project for 7 years, and under his leadership VEP registered an estimated 4 million people. He also spent several years working for the federal government in the Carter administration, six years on the Atlanta city council, and 34 years in Congress.
I bring up John Lewis because as well known as he is today, had he done any one of the many things (Freedom Rider, Nashville sit-in movement, SNCC leadership, SCLS board member, voting rights advocate, Selma Marcher, and a main mover of the remembrance of the Selma March, he may not be well-known. But whether he was well-known or not, his contributions mattered.
And that is why The Spirit of Justice matters. This is a book of inspiration to know those who have done the work to bring about the progress toward justice that has been accomplished thus far. While not every person is primarily known as a Christian, the reality is that justice, especially around racial issues in the US has been historically rooted in the Black Church. Most of the figures in The Spirit of Justice were themselves shaped by and a member of the Black Church. There were a lot of complaints about the Color of Compromise not telling the stories of how the church worked toward justice. Those complaints missed the point of the book in highlighting how the church was compromised. The Spirit of Justice now highlights the stories of those who worked for justice. And I think contextually important, it records how often those stories of justice were opposed by other members of the church in the United States.
Stories of resistance.
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Powerful and thought-provikjng
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Tisby deliberately highlights and emphasizes the spiritual aspects of the people he chronicles as central to their motivation and actions—everyone may relax on that point as Tisby does not proselytize. The spiritual aspects of the persons and events presented may be considered objectively central to the theme of the book, the title of which implies "spiritual" in the religious (especially Christian) sense. This perspective provides a view into the Black church and its joining of faith and justice into an essential whole of life's meaning that those outside that tradition may not have encountered previously.
The "spirit" of justice as presented by Tisby is therefore a necessary precondition for the actual accomplishment of justice. This is not at all limited to a Black and white binary viewpoint. Tisby lists several organizations across racial and cultural boundaries that are working toward practical justice with a spiritual motivation—among those mentioned are Vote Common Good, Faithful America, and the Jude 3 Project. These are all active 21st Century efforts by people who are fully aware of the obstacles in front of them and the need to resist evil in its contemporary forms.
Tisby suggests that the four common traits of the persons described in this book are Faith, Courage, Imagination, and Resilience. These traits are essential to right the ship in our own era. The impetus for injustice has a long history, starting with the Doctrine of Discovery through the convoluted justifications for slavery through embedded echoes of the Roman Empire throughout Christendom today that have precious little to do with the Nazarene. As the world spirals deeper into Fascism and oligarchic dominance, the spirit of justice may be an essential foundation from which to counter the rampant disinformation that society is marinated in. Let us claim it for sustainment and action.
Essential for sustainment and action
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The biographical stories of faithful men and women who fought for freedom and the dignity and rights of black Americans is inspiring and challenging. I greatly appreciate the historical aspect of Dr. Tisby's book and how we can advance antiracist goals in our country today. As a lifelong Marylander, I was inspired by the story of Marylander Benjamin Banneker.
The rise of white supremacy in our country today demonstrates the need to be vigilant in our opposition to racism and advocacy for the dignity of all humanity. Jemar Tisby inspires and challenges with these inspirational biographical stories.
The audiobook is narrated by the author and the narration is excellent.
Inspiring and challenging stories of freedom.
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Great overview of history
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Inspiring stories of courage
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So many people I never heard of but wish I did.
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