PURCHASE
BUILDING A CITY ON A HILL
AND RECLAIM OUR
Heritage of
Abundance
Uncover the hidden stories of Black community builders
Understand how to apply God’s word to our people’s purpose
Take an active role in creating generational wealth and prosperity for Black Americans
PURCHASE
BUILDING A CITY ON A HILL
AND RECLAIM OUR
Heritage of
Abundance
Uncover the hidden stories of Black community builders
Understand how to apply God’s word to our people’s purpose
Take an active role in creating generational wealth and prosperity for Black Americans
Inspire Black Community Development
Re-engage Your Students
and Congregation
Refresh How You Teach Black History and the Wisdom of Jesus
“If you don’t know where you’ve come from,
you don’t know where you’re going.”
– Maya Angelou –
“If you don’t know where you’ve come from,
you don’t know where you’re going.”
– Maya Angelou –
THE BLACK COMMUNITY DESERVES
TO KNOW ALL ASPECTS OF
Black History
Our ignorance has caused a crisis.
Stories of slavery, oppression, and deprivation fill American history books, modern movies, and cultural narratives.
Black actors primarily win Oscars for roles where they play slaves or servants and the “Celebrating Black Voices” sections of popular streaming services wear on the soul.
Where are the tales of hope, perseverance, and attainment?
What can we take away besides a legacy of pain and suffering?
THE BLACK COMMUNITY DESERVES
TO KNOW ALL ASPECTS OF
Black History
Our ignorance has caused a crisis.
Stories of slavery, oppression, and deprivation fill American history books, modern movies, and cultural narratives.
Black actors primarily win Oscars for roles where they play slaves or servants and the “Celebrating Black Voices” sections of popular streaming services wear on the soul.
Where are the tales of hope, perseverance, and attainment?
What can we take away besides a legacy of pain and suffering?
“My people are destroyed for
lack of knowledge.”
– Hosea 4:6 (NASB) –
STOP TEACHING
THE SAME STORIES
There is more to our history than what is in the standard curriculum.
Use new information to reinvigorate possibility within your students, congregation, and community.
STOP TEACHING
THE SAME STORIES
There is more to our history than what is in the standard curriculum.
Use new information to reinvigorate possibility within your students, congregation, and community.
BUILDING A CITY ON A HILL GIVES YOU OUR
ANCESTORS’ BIBLICALLY-BASED ROAD MAP FOR
COMMUNITY RENEWAL AND REDEMPTION
Rediscover the Power of Faith and Self-Determination
It’s time to stop reliving generational trauma and start learning how to lean on the lessons in the Bible, just like the Black community builders before us, to strengthen our families and our nation.
No matter the obstacles the Black men and women, who constructed cities from nothing, became millionaires and attained status as world-renowned professionals.
They also exhibited bold devotion to their communities.
BUILDING A CITY ON A HILL GIVES YOU OUR
ANCESTORS’ BIBLICALLY-BASED ROAD MAP FOR
COMMUNITY RENEWAL AND REDEMPTION
Rediscover the Power of Faith and Self-Determination
It’s time to stop reliving generational trauma and start learning how to lean on the lessons in the Bible, just like the Black community builders before us, to strengthen our families and our nation.
No matter the obstacles the Black men and women, who constructed cities from nothing, became millionaires and attained status as world-renowned professionals.
They also exhibited bold devotion to their communities.
READ BUILDING A CITY ON A HILL
AND BECOME AN ARCHITECT OF A
Thriving Black Community
Educate yourself about the stories of ten affluent Black communities destroyed within the past century that have been edited out of our history books.
Impart a deeper understanding of economic empowerment to your
family, students, congregation,
and community.
Gain a new perspective on the biblical teachings that motivated Black community builders and
use those same lessons to leave
tangible resources for the next generation.
“A good person leaves an inheritance
to his children’s children.”
– Proverbs 13:22 (NASB) –
EACH CHAPTER TEACHES ABOUT
THE PAST SO YOU CAN CREATE A
Better Future
The historical accounts in Building a City on a Hill are rich in cautionary tales,
stories of the power of faith, and tales of redemption.
Mound Bayou
The Black community in Mound Bayou laid the groundwork for economic and social uplift. Rising from dense swamplands, the pioneering citizens built the city of their dreams.
Why didn’t it last?
Seneca Village
Much like how Abraham in the book of Genesis sought new beginnings, the slaves who escaped to the North settled in Seneca Village hoping for a better life. Motivated by the need to own $250 worth of land to vote, Black people grew Seneca Village in the heart of New York City.
Where is it today?
Sweet Home, Capote
Christian collaboration between the races in Guadalupe County provided hope and a way to mend families that slavery had torn apart.
What can we learn about the ties that connect us more strongly than blood?
Tulsa
Christian collaboration between the races in Guadalupe County provided hope and a way to mend families that slavery had torn apart.
What can we learn about the ties that connect us more strongly than blood?
Hayti: Durham
The church was pivotal in Hayti’s founding. Places of worship were the bedrock of the community and they were the first places that were built.
What role did worship and trust in God play in the lives of the formerly enslaved people?
Eatonville
Eatonville received the rare recognition from the state to elect its own government. Managing their livelihoods instilled in renowned writer Zora Neale Hurston and other residents the importance of Black independence and self-determination.
How can we shape those ideals and use them to reclaim our identity as community builders?
Jackson Ward
Political constructs provided a pathway for participation in government that led to social and economic prosperity.
What do the residents of Jackson Ward have in common with the Israelites?
Freedmen’s Village
Birthed from a military camp, Freedmen’s Village transcended its humble beginnings and formed a tight-knit community.
What can the injustices against the residents teach us about how to retain our achievements?
Tuskegee
Despite opposition from the Klu Klux Klan and other hate groups, Tuskegee sprang up around an educational institution that still lights the path for young scholars today.
To what can we attribute its endurance?
Freedmen’s Town
Freedmen Town battled former slave owners who didn’t adhere to the Emancipation Proclamation, poor infrastructure, and overcrowding to welcome the influx of Black people seeking to build a new life.
How did hope and faith help this district beat the odds?
BUILDING A CITY ON A HILL WAS INSPIRED BY
JESUS AND A PASSION FOR BLACK HISTORY
The late Carey Latimore, Ph.D., crafted his career around studying the progression of Black people and communities.
Co-director, African American Studies, Trinity University
Chair, History Department, Trinity University
Educator’s Hall of Fame – Phi Delta Kappa, Gamma Tau Chapter
Associate Minister – Antioch Baptist Church. Saluda, Virginia,
Growing up on a farm in rural Virginia, Dr. Latimore’s only access to knowledge about the history of our people was through the stories taught to him by his parents.
While his interest was piqued, he craved a more in-depth understanding.
In college, he found the resources that shaped his educational and professional career. The beloved Trinity University history professor passed away in 2022.
THE FALSEHOODS ABOUT BLACK
INFERIORITY AREN’T ACCIDENTAL
Systemic racism is intentionally designed to batter the minds of Black people into submission and thrust upon us the identity of the oppressed.
The stories of our ancestors’ Black excellence, unity, cooperation, and abundance have been conspicuously
omitted.
How they used their Christian faith to develop blueprints for thriving communities have been wiped from collective memory.
“For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough
to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”
– Amanda Gorman –
CREATE A COMMUNITY THAT IS
ENGAGED IN ITS OWN SUCCESS
Carey Latimore, Ph.D. wrote Building a City on a Hill because he believes a more fully-encompassing Black history has the power to catalyze the change our families deserve.
Purchase the book, share different facets of our history, and use the inspirational teachings of Jesus Christ to ignite action.
In the meantime, watch the free video about the rise and fall of Black Wall Street. Use it as a start for your next sermon, lesson plan, or group discussion.
CREATE A COMMUNITY ENGAGED IN ITS OWN SUCCESS
Carey Latimore, Ph.D. wrote Building a City on a Hill because he believes a more fully-encompassing Black history has the power to catalyze the change our families deserve.
Purchase the book and other resources, share different facets of our history, and use the inspirational teachings of Jesus Christ to ignite action.
In the meantime, watch the free video about the rise and fall of Black Wall Street. Use it as a start for your next sermon, lesson plan, or group discussion.
YOUR ACTIONS CAN CHANGE
THE LEGACY YOU LEAVE
for Your Children
Our rural and urban Black communities deserve better. Take the stories and biblical connections in Building a City on a Hill and use them to make a difference.
Click to purchase Building a City on a Hill.
YOUR ACTIONS CAN CHANGE
THE LEGACY YOU LEAVE
for Your Children
Our rural and urban Black communities deserve better. Take the stories and biblical connections in Building a City on a Hill and use them to make a difference.
Click to purchase Building a City on a Hill.
SUPPLEMENTAL VIDEO
The Black trailblazers of Mound Bayou laid the groundwork for economic and social uplift. Rising from dense swamplands, the pioneering citizens built the city of their dreams. Use their model to reinvigorate your community.
Use the 30-minute Mound Bayou video as a supplemental resource to your teaching.
