Synopses & Reviews
A sweeping epidemic of hate crime targeted over one hundred Southern Black Churches between 1995 and 1996, leaving them in charred ruins. St. John Baptist Church in Dixiana, South Carolina, was one of the first destroyed. This small, isolated church had faced dark times before. It had been viciously desecrated in 1985 and withstood more attacks until it was burned down in August 1995.
From the beginning, two friends--a white woman named Ammie Murray, and a black woman named Barbara Simmons--rallied volunteers to rebuild the historic St. John. Much to their amazement, hundreds of people from diverse racial and cultural backgrounds responded to their call for help. They refused to stop rebuilding the church-despite repeated attempts on Ammie and Barbara's lives and relentless attacks on the church. Soon, these two heroic women joined the leaders and congregations from two other burned, black churches-Macedonia Baptist and Mt. Zion AME-in leading the nation in a courageous battle against hate crime in the deep South.
Beautifully rendered with warmth and grace, this inspiring story of enduring friendship, reconciliation, spiritual strength, and hope shows us how we can triumph over racial hatred.
Synopsis
After a vicious hate crime destroyed St. John Baptist Church in Dixiana, South Carolina, in 1984, two courageous women risked their lives to organize the rebuilding effort. Ammie Murray, a white union leader, and her African American friend Barbara Simmons braved death threats to successfully lead an interracial group of volunteers to reconstruct the historic African American church. But their joy was short-lived. In 1995, St. John was the first of more than one hundred southern black churches plagued by a series of arsons during a two-year period. The obstacles to erecting the church once more seemed insurmountable but proved no match for the tenacity of those determined to see St. John rise again.
Standing on Holy Ground is an inspiring tale that proves friendship, reconciliation, spiritual strength, and enduring hope can transcend racial hatred. In a moving narrative, Sandra E. Johnson chronicles how the fearless duo of Murray and Simmons sparked a victory against hate crime in their community and became leaders in a national battle against violence and vandalism.
Synopsis
A harrowing tale of how faith and friendship can surmount hate and violence
After a vicious hate crime destroyed St. John Baptist Church in Dixiana, South Carolina, in 1984, two courageous women risked their lives to organize the rebuilding effort. Ammie Murray, a white union leader, and her African American friend Barbara Simmons braved death threats to successfully lead an interracial group of volunteers to reconstruct the historic African American church. But their joy was short-lived. In 1995, St. John was the first of more than one hundred southern black churches plagued by a series of arsons during a two-year period. The obstacles to erecting the church once more seemed insurmountable but proved no match for the tenacity of those determined to see St. John rise again.
Standing on Holy Ground is an inspiring tale that proves friendship, reconciliation, spiritual strength, and enduring hope can transcend racial hatred. In a moving narrative, Sandra E. Johnson chronicles how the fearless duo of Murray and Simmons sparked a victory against hate crime in their community and became leaders in a national battle against violence and vandalism.