The arson attacks in early 2006 on a number of small Baptist
churches in rural Alabama recalled the rash of burnings at dozens
of predominantly black houses of worship in the South during the
mid-1990s. One of the churches struck by probable arson in 1996 was
Little Zion Baptist Church in Boligee, Alabama. This book draws on
the voices and memories of church members to share a previously
undocumented history of Little Zion, from its beginnings as a brush
arbor around the time of emancipation, to its key role in the civil
rights movement, to its burning and rebuilding with the help of
volunteers from around the world.
Folklorist Shelly O'Foran, a Quaker who went to Boligee as a
volunteer in the church rebuilding effort, describes Little Zion as
always having been much more than the building itself. She shows
how the spiritual and social traditions that the residents of
Boligee practice and teach their children have assured the
continued vitality of the church and community. Through thoughtful
fieldwork and presentation,
Little Zion also explores the
power of oral narrative to promote understanding between those
inside and outside the church community. Illustrated with
historical and contemporary photographs, this volume is both a
celebration of Little Zion's history and an invitation to share in
its long life story.