Today parts of the church, especially those parts with Black Church roots in the American South, remember a saint who helped to coordinate the 1822 slave revolt in Charleston, South Carolina: Gullah Jack, Community Organizer and Conjurer.

Gullah Jack’s early life is a bit of a mystery. He was born in Angola, kidnapped by slave traders and illegally purchased and sold (because you can never legally own humans) in 1806 to a mister Zephaniah Kingsley. Kingsley identified Gullah Jack as “priest in his own country,” which probably means that he was a tribal holy person in Angola.

Nevertheless, upon coming to the States he called himself a Methodist, though he merged his ancient practices with that of his new land, as so many have in this life. We never fully give up our mother tongue.

In 1822 enslaved leaders got together to organize a revolt in Charleston. Gullah Jack was seen as the spiritual leader of the group, offering them prayers and blessings of protection. It is said that over 9,000 slaves were willing to join in on the revolt, which gives you an idea of just how much of a scourge slavery and racism was (is!) on that land.

Eventually the plot was revealed, and over 130 people were arrested. Out of those, 36 were hanged on this day, including Gullah Jack.

Gullah Jack is a reminder for me, and should be for the whole church, that the blight of slavery still lingers on the land, and we need to remember the sins of the past so that we can figure out ways to work together to make sure they never happen again.

Louder in the back for those trying to amend school curriculum to whitewash, literally, this kind of thing…

-historical bits taken from Daily Magic by Judika Illes

-icon written by Najee Dorsey