|
|
|
|
|
The Mississippi Delta wasn’t exactly
the best place for a young African-American boy to grow up during the early twentieth
century. As a boy, Clarence LaVaughn (C.L.) Franklin worked in the fields to help his
family get by, but he knew that God was calling him to more than a life working the land.
That calling took him to Memphis, to Buffalo, and finally to Detroit, where he built a
name for himself as a preacher, a singer, and a leader—not to mention a father (you may
know his daughter, Aretha).
As the book’s subtitle (“C.L. Franklin, the
Black Church, and the Transformation of America”) suggests, Singing in a Strange
Land isn’t just a story about C.L. Franklin. Salvatore explores not only the life of
the popular and often controversial pastor but also the world in which Franklin lived.
As a major figure in the church—as well as in the city of Detroit—Franklin lived a life
of contradictions. He was close to musicians, both secular and spiritual (like Smokey
Robinson and T-Bone Walker and Clara Ward), as well as other pastors (like Martin Luther
King and Jesse Jackson) and leaders (like Detroit’s mayor, Coleman Young). He moved
those who heard him—whether in his church, over the radio, on a recording, or at another
special appearance—to faith and to action, and he helped fight the segregation that
plagued much of the country. So Singing in a Strange Land isn’t just about
Franklin. It’s about the African-American climate of Franklin’s time. It’s about life
in the segregated South. It’s about religion and politics and music. And it’s about
refusing to be silenced.
Singing in a Strange Land is a powerful
and thoroughly-researched book, despite the occasional tendency toward speculation
(especially earlier in Franklin’s life). Salvatore makes Franklin come alive on the page
through the words of the pastor himself, as well as the words of those who knew him—in
both his public and private lives. Be aware, however, that this isn’t a quick, light
read. It reads more like a college history textbook than a novel you pick up from the
rack at the grocery store, and it’ll take you a while to take it all in and process all
the information. But if you’re willing to make the commitment, it’s worth reading.
|
|
|
|
