A new exhibit honors the renowned evangelist, who ‘touched tens of thousands of lives.’
By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For Marshall Keeble, traveling all over the South — and beyond — to preach during the Jim Crow era of racial segregation brought challenges.
For one, the renowned evangelist needed to make sure he had food and water to sustain him at a time of Whites-only public fountains and restaurants.
Nearly six decades after Keeble’s 1968 death, hundreds of Christians lined up Sunday at Nashville’s Jackson Street Church of Christ — where the son of former slaves preached his first sermon in 1897 — to see a new exhibit honoring his legacy.
After exploring the extensive collection of photos, news clippings, sermon soundbites and other Keeble artifacts, each person received a tangible reminder of the Black preacher’s experience.
The reminder came in the form of a brown paper lunch sack.
Related: Remembering Marshall Keeble’s faith — and his humor
Each sack contained cheese and crackers, a banana, a cookie and a small bottle of water along with a note about Keeble’s favorite food: a fried pork chop nestled between two slices of soft white bread.
“These simple foods tell a powerful story,” the note explained. “They reflect the realities of travel during segregation, but they also reveal the quiet strength and preparation that made Brother Keeble’s ministry possible. With nothing more than a paper sack, the word of God, and unwavering faith, he crossed thousands of miles and touched tens of thousands of lives.”
This story appears in the January print edition of The Christian Chronicle.
Photo by Ted Parks
Faith. Family. Fastballs. 