Well, Howdy Do... and Welcome!

I'm so happy you're here.

I am Rev. Deloris Marie Foster, Founder, Writer and Storyteller of Black Stories of Faith.

For most of my adult life, I have searched for stories about Black men and women that told me something I deeply wanted to know:

How did their faith in God help them in times of adversity?

When trouble came, did they pray? When the way before them seemed impossible, where did they find the courage to keep going? Did Scripture guide them? Did they believe God had called them to something greater? What role did faith play in the decisions that changed their lives—and sometimes changed history?

I could find books about what remarkable Black men and women did. I could read about their accomplishments, their struggles, the opposition they faced and the history they made.

But far too often, I could not find the stories I was looking for—the stories about their faith.

And yet, every now and then, I would discover a little piece of information tucked away somewhere: a prayer they prayed, a Scripture they treasured, something they said about God, a moment when faith carried them through fear, or a belief that helped them stand when circumstances told them to sit down.

Those were the stories that stayed with me.

Today, through Black Stories of Faith, I am finally telling them.

The Faith Behind the Lives

Black Stories of Faith grew from my desire to look beyond the familiar history and ask a deeper question:

What was the faith behind the life?

We know Harriet Tubman as the great conductor of the Underground Railroad. But what did she believe about God as she walked into danger again and again?

We know Frederick Douglass as an abolitionist, writer and orator. But what happened between that young enslaved man and God before he determined that he would be free?

We know Mary McLeod Bethune as an educator and extraordinary leader. But what sustained her when fear and opposition came to her doorstep?

And Marcus Garvey is remembered throughout the world as a leader of Black people—but how many of us were taught about his deep faith in God, his study of the Bible, or what he taught Black people about believing in God and believing in the God-given power within themselves?

These are the stories I want to uncover.

Not to rewrite history.

Not to make these remarkable men and women into saints.

But to look more closely at their lives and recover something that has too often been left in the background:

their relationship with God, faith, prayer, Scripture, spiritual conviction and the belief that their lives had purpose.

Through research, storytelling and music, I want to bring those moments to life.

A Little Country Girl from West Virginia

I am a country girl from the hills of West Virginia.

Although my life carried me far beyond those mountains, the mountains never left me.

I grew up surrounded by the quiet faith of ordinary Black people who knew how to pray, persevere and trust God through hardship as well as blessing. I remember little country churches, mountain roads, coal country, front porches, family gatherings and the stories of people whose lives reflected a faith that was not merely spoken on Sunday morning—it was lived.

Those roots are still part of me.

Perhaps that is also why I have spent so many years looking for the faith inside other people's stories.

Faith Became Something I Knew

My own faith has been tested many times.

One of the great proving grounds of my life came when, as a young woman, I entered public service in Chicago and found myself serving on one of Illinois' largest governmental bodies.

I was in my twenties, surrounded by men decades older than I was, many of whom were seasoned in politics, government and power. There were times when I stood alone. There were times when I was afraid. Sometimes my voice shook.

But I spoke anyway.

Before I entered that boardroom, I entered what I called the Throne Room through prayer.

I prayed for wisdom. I prayed for courage. I prayed for God to guide my words and stand with me.

And through those experiences, something happened to my faith.

God ceased to be Someone I merely believed in.

I came to know the Power and Presence of God for myself.

That experience has never left me.

Perhaps that is another reason I am so interested in the spiritual lives of the people whose stories I tell. I know from my own life that behind a public moment of courage there can be a private moment of prayer that nobody ever sees.

And sometimes, that is where the real story begins.

A Lifetime of Preparation

Looking back, I can see that much of my life was preparing me for Black Stories of Faith.

I have always loved words, books, history, writing, music and storytelling. Through the years, I have written books, created and performed stories, received grants for my storytelling, and shared my work in churches, libraries, museums, schools, festivals and community gatherings.

I became an ordained Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in 2012, although my spiritual journey and ministry began long before my ordination.

For more than forty years, I have sought in one way or another to encourage people, strengthen faith and remind others of the Presence and Power of God.

Now my love of history, faith, storytelling, writing and music has come together in one place.

Black Stories of Faith.

Why I Tell These Stories

There are generations growing up who know the names of some of our great Black ancestors but may know very little about what sustained them spiritually.

I want to help preserve that part of our history.

I want the young person who feels powerless to discover someone who once felt powerless too—and learn what helped that person rise.

I want the person facing opposition to hear how someone before them stood through opposition.

I want us to remember that our history is not only a history of what was done to Black people.

It is also a history of what Black people believed, created, overcame, built, prayed, dreamed and became.

And I especially want us to rediscover the faith that so often traveled with us through it all.

If one of these stories causes you to search a little deeper, stand a little taller, trust God a little more, or recognize more fully the God-given possibilities within your own life, then Black Stories of Faith has accomplished something precious.

There are still so many stories waiting to be found.

And as long as the Good Lord gives me strength, I intend to keep looking for them—and telling them.

Thank you for joining me on the journey.

With love and every blessing,

Rev. Deloris Marie Foster
Founder, Writer & Storyteller
Black Stories of Faith