140 - Colored People: A Memoir

Colored People: A Memoir
By Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 1994.216 pp. $22.00.

Distinguished scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. adds another volume to the genre of autobiography and in the process makes a significant contribution to the understanding of the influence of religion in Ameri-

142 - Colored People: A Memoir

can life. Gates' work is an articulate and sensitive tale of a young black (then "colored") growing up during the civil rights era.

Gates speaks of church, salvation, and prayer during the critical moments of coming of age. As with Mark Twain, Eudora Welty, Reynolds Price, Annie Dillard, and a host of other literary talents, religion is essential in understanding Henry Gates and his culture. He honors the role of the church in the life of Americans during the middle decades of this century. Segregation, alcoholism, public speech and music are all understood through the sieve of church.

Gates, initially. a Methodist, speaks with respect of the neighboring Pentecostals, "The truth is, I always avoided the Holiness church, because I was afraid of the power that I knew lived in there." Lives were changed and folks spoke with integrity of their fear and awe of God. He steered clear of the Pentecostals, however, to keep out of "harm's way." He explains, "I never wanted to believe that much, even at the best of times." One is reminded of Annie Dillard's observation that if churchgoers took their liturgy seriously, they would wear crash helmets to worship. Gates senses the power and obligation.

The book is an essential read for those who are influenced by and track religion’s impact on American culture. style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  Gates, still a young man, is already an important figure in current American intellectual thought. An English professor and chair of Afro-American studies at Harvard, Gates' impact will only increase in the years ahead. The positioning of religion in the civil rights era and in the development of this intellectual is a fascinating and important lesson.

A visiting Episcopal priest, poor in the pulpit but responsive to Gates' burgeoning adolescent mind and challenging questions, created a home in his denomination for young Henry who "wanted to have a spiritual life without being imprisoned by it." Just as important was Gates' response to God and the church. He explores issues like eternity, atonement for sin, joining the church, finding solace, and ritual. Like other personal revelations of literary artists, Gates discovered at an early age the power of prayer. Twain, who once succeeded at securing gingerbread through petition to God, had his faith dashed when subsequent attempts were foiled. Gates relates a similar tale with a different outcome, "One time I prayed for a fishing pole. I wrote out a prayer on a piece of paper, folded it up, and forgot it. Then, a few days later, my uncle ... drove up from Cumberland and gave me one. Mama found that prayer a few weeks later, read it out loud at the dinner table, then broke down and cried about bow sweet it was. I wanted to disappear through a hole in the floor." Despite his embarrassment, young Henry knew the dominion of "this prayer business."

The book is the reflective journey of an Afro-American's faith. It is more, of course. Gates explores other matters that occur with the coming of age: sexuality, socialization, and family. Through it all, the autobiography has a respect for church. But, Gates will ultimately engage the religious institution that reflects his whole person, his intelligence, and

144 - Colored People: A Memoir

race. In a day when churches feel the strong undertow to abandon thoughtful ritual for "seeker service" curiosities, it is good to know that there are young Henry Gateses searching for their spiritual home.

David Fleer
University of Washington
Seattle, WA