Truth’s Table: Black Women’s Musing on Life, Love and Liberation
by Ekemini Uwan, Christina Edmondson, and Michelle Higgins
Who should read this?
I don’t say this often, but I genuinely think anyone can get something from reading this book. The book centers on the experiences of Black women, which we don’t always or even often get, so I would highly encourage Black women to pick it up. And I am confident that anyone musing or wondering about the possibilities of the many layers that make up life will enjoy the commentary from the three authors of the book.
Why should you read this?
The gift of hearing from three Black women who differ on some things and overlap on others, is a powerful sight of perspective of engagement with different aspects of life. It’s clear that each of them has commitments to abundant life, deep love, and the fight for liberation – but what that looks like – especially there theological underpinnings – are quite diverse. In a world that often flattens Black women to particular tropes, the diversity of thought and engagement in this book reminds us of the robust spectrum that encompasses the many of Black women and invites the reader into their own thinking and conversation about the topics posed.
Why did I recommend this book to my friends? I am in a lot of circles of theologically trained people, activists, and mental health professionals. Uwan, Edmondson, Higgins bring particularity to the table by their unique perspectives. As they describe on the book flap “Once upon a time an activist, theologian and psychologist walked into a group chat.” I felt like this book was an invitation for others to walk into the group chat with them. I didn’t agree with everything and have my own theological commitments that differ from some in the book. Yet, what is most valuable is the candor of thought, openness to share their perspective that sparks more conversations than the ones they had with each other. A book that invites and sparks deeper and more robust dialogue in my group chats and otherwise community spaces it what I want the most and this certainly did that.
How could people use the book beyond reading it?
We are in a time where people need to be able to talk about the things coming up for them. The authors of this book have had a podcast together and realized that they wanted to engage another medium so that people could hear from them in a new way. Their writing has to the potential to spur where they started – open dialogue and rich conversation. I would invite readers to consider this book for a book club to spark great conversation. I also think that seekers looking for ways to wrestle with some of the world around us might find balm in this book and the authors willing to wrestle in front of us. Again, a book club or some community conversation around this feels like a powerful use of this tool.
This book calls people to listen to the musings of Black women as foundation for methodology and to consider the musings manna, something to heal, nourish, and fuel for the times ahead. It invites readers to consider their own commitments to life, love and liberation and to hear stories of how these topics have lived in the specificities of three women’s lives. Their connecting their stories to broader ideologies, scholars, and other schools of thought just adds to the richness of the book. Deep gratitude to the authors for their offering through Truth’s Table and the continued work of their podcast.
REVIEWER: Rev. Chelsea Brooke Yarborough, PhD
Rev. Dr. Chelsea Brooke Yarborough is the Associate Director of Leadership Programming at the Association of Theological Schools. She is an alumnus of Elon University (B.A.), Wake Forest University (MDiv) and Vanderbilt University (PhD). Her research reimagines preaching and worship by exploring the methodologies that emerge from the rhetorical and ritual practices of Black women throughout history. Dr. Yarborough’s work seeks to challenge normative power structures and traditional paradigms of proclamation, advocating for diverse platforms beyond the pulpit to amplify the voices of those that have not always been heard. At her core, she is dedicated to empowering individuals—regardless of their platform—to find, embrace, and use their voices to foster well-being, equity and the possibilities of flourishing. Dr. Yarborough is also a leadership coach, an Enneagram teacher, and a poet. Above all, she values her roles as a partner, daughter, friend, sister, and auntie.
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