Kingdom of Callaway - Fulton, Mo 65251 | Not a single book, but an author, and series of journals.
My wife (girlfriend at the time) did her thesis in college on Maya Angelou and various slave narratives.
I grudgingly agreed to read some of the material, but I admit I had a preconceived negative notion about black literature before I even picked up a book. That all changed when we attended a reading and book signing by Maya Angelou on a campus in Warrensburg, MO in 1992. She discussed her writing, and in the process talked about loving other people, because they are PEOPLE. I had never been exposed to the idea of Agape, or unconditional love before. I sat there listening and the hairs went up on the back of my neck when it all just clicked.
We waited in line to buy a book and have her sign it, and when she did, I told her what had happened to me when she discussed unconditional love. She dropped the book, and grabbed both my hands, and we just sat there and both cried for a hot minute. Jesus had a hand in that clasp as well.
Since then I have studied similar theology such as the Catholic teaching of Divine Filiation, and have really changed my thought processes towards others.
I would also recommend that everyone should read some of the slave journals recorded in the 1930s by the Federal Writers project. Hearing history from the mouths of those that experienced the worst stain on our country's past is unbelievably moving.
https://www.loc.gov/collections/slave-narratives-from-the-federal-wr...
|
Life changing books
