Using the life of one African American family, headed by the Reverend Jack Graham, as a point of departure, this book provides a historical-cultural examination of the blend of African and American traditions among Black People in the area surrounding Meridian in east central Mississippi. Beginning with a brief history of Meridian, its character and make-up, the work focuses on the religious and social development of African Americans from the period just prior to the Civil War up through the turbulent period of the 1960s, and reflects on the current religio-social climate.