Psalms from Prison | 3rd Edition (Chavis)

Praise for Psalms from Prison Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II (President, Repairers of the Breach): "When Ben Chavis was falsely accused and incarcerated, the Psalms set him free even in the midst of captivity. Anyone who cares about love and justice would do well to walk with Dr. Chavis through the pages of this book..." Ben Crump (Civil Rights Attorney): "Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. continues to be a respected freedom fighter and this book reveals Chavis' passion for equal justice for all people in America and throughout the world." Dr. James H. Cone (1938-2018): "The significance of this unique book cannot be overstated. ... Chavis' theological reflections reveal a penetrating analysis of both the socio-historical reality of Black America and other oppressed people and the liberating faith that sustains one in the struggle for freedom." The Prayers for Justice We Need Today On October 18, 1972, Benjamin Chavis and nine others (the famous Wilmington Ten) were wrongly convicted of having incited race riots. Chavis spent four years in jail—and it was in the flames of that injustice that these psalms were forged. The deep and abiding faith that sustains Chavis today can be found in these brilliant and powerful prayers. They spoke then to the issues of the African American struggle ... they speak to those same issues today ... and they speak to all of us. "The context is particular," says Chavis, "but the message is universal." Updated Edition Originally published in 1983 after the convictions of the Wilmington Ten were overturned, this third edition of Psalms from Prison includes autobiographical reflections from Benjamin Chavis about the experience of unjust imprisonment and the ongoing struggle for civil rights. About the Author Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., has traveled a long road in the work of civil rights, serving in executive leadership for the United Church of Christ's Commission of Racial Justice in the 1970s and '80s, for the NAACP and the Million Man March in the 1990s, and more recently for multi-media corporations. Currently Dr. Chavis is the president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association. Paperback: 322 pages ISBN 978-0-8298-0035-7 2024