Throughout the 400 years since the first "20 and odd Negroes" were brought to the British colonies, American Descendants of Slavery have experienced a Black Holocaust: enslavement, black codes, sharecropping, Jim Crow, lynchings, convict leasing, redlin-ing, restrictive covenants, police brutality, subprime lending, mass incarceration, all of which have resulted in the ghettoization/impoverishment of black communities across America.
Contained within each daily prayer and reflection page is an excerpt from the documentary, The Underground Rail Road: A Record, by William Still. Each excerpt is a direct quote from Mr. Still; therefore, any wording that does not align with standard or contemporary English is reflective of that time.
The second reading on the daily prayer and reflection page is a collection of historical facts revealing the ongoing systemic oppression leveled against our black forebears who were first enslaved and that continued against American Descendants of Slavery.
The third writing on each daily prayer and reflection page is the "We Are the Voice of One" Prayer Declaration, which is adapted from Isaiah 40. We ask that you speak this prayer declaration aloud each day, and then close with your personal prayer.
Participants are encouraged to participate in the 40 Days of Prayer within circles of influence - with spiritual partners, church members, organization members, friends, and family members. During these 40 days, participants may want to join with others on a teleconference and read the daily reflections together. Be encouraged to join with those of other races or ethnicities. Everyone can pray aloud using the Prayer Declaration, with a designee closing the prayer time and paying homage to those formerly enslaved and their descendants.
At the close of the 40 days, participants are invited to host a commemoration ceremony. The ceremony guide is available as a separate resource.