Museum of the Bible Presents “A Balm in Gilead”
Washington D.C., February 10, 2020 – Museum of the Bible hosted the homegoing event of the Slave Bible as it returns to Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. This provocative artifact prompted several thousand organizations, churches and educational institutions to tackle the conversation of the role of the Bible and slavery in our country. This particular Bible stirred museum guests to leave more than 9,000 comment cards reflecting on their experience and interaction with the exhibit.
Along with the Fisk Jubilee Singers, the event included the Howard University Gospel Choir, museum tours and a roundtable discussion with academic and biblical scholars focusing on the Bible and its impact on the African American experience. Guests witnessed the resilience and fortitude of the African American community and its ability to rise above the “peculiar” institution of chattel slavery through the lens of Spirituals and Gospel music.
“It has been an honor to host the Slave Bible here at Museum of the Bible since our opening in 2017,” says Dr. Jeff Kloha, chief curatorial officer at Museum of the Bible. “We are so overwhelmed and appreciative of the support from Dr. Jessie Carney Smith and Fisk University as we hosted this very special Bible.”
It was an evening of song and celebration. The roundtable discussion, moderated by Dr. Ida E. Jones, included scholars, academics and theologians such as Dr. Eric Lewis Williams of the National Museum of African American Culture and History (NMAACH), Dr. Jessie Carney Smith of Fisk University and Dr. Yolanda Pierce, professor and dean of the Howard University School of Divinity.
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