The Presbyterian College Gospel Choir led Tuesday’s Black History Month worship service with several spirituals, including “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

Presbyterian College trustee, the Rev. Dr. Danny Murphy, shared a message of faith and resilience during a sermon for the college’s campuswide worship service honoring Black History Month on Feb. 27.

This year, the Black History Month campus worship service was sponsored jointly by PC’s Bluefish, the Office of Spiritual Life, and the college’s chapter of the NAACP. The program also featured performances by the PC Gospel Choir and an emotionally moving interpretive dance by Ja’Nya Austiin, a sophomore from Tampa, Fla. The service also inspired several pieces of art produced live by Lyle Jones, a sophomore from Mauldin, and Alana White, a sophomore from Lexington.

The Rev. Dr. Danny Murphy
PC Trustee
General Presbyter, Trinity Presbytery

Murphy, the general presbyter for Trinity Presbytery in South Carolina, drew inspiration from the New Testament letter to the Hebrews recounting Abraham’s faith that he would receive an inheritance from God – “the land of promise” – even though “he went out not knowing where he was going.”

“By faith, he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise,” Murphy recited.

Likewise, Murphy said, African Americans have walked a similar journey of faith and resilience from slavery, segregation, and discrimination toward freedom, equity, and justice.

“Our gathering this evening is a testament to the enduring spirit and resilience that courses through the veins of our community, a spirit that has been our guiding light through the darkest times,” he said. “As we take a look and explore the depths of today’s message, I want to invite you to join me in a journey that weaves together our spiritual path with the rich heritage of African-American history.”

Murphy said African-American’s faith during slavery was not merely a belief system but a “lifeline that provided them with the strength to endure the unimaginable hardships of their times.”

“It was a beacon of hope in the darkest moments, offering solace and a promise of better days,” he said.

Like Abraham dreaming of a land promised by God, enslaved African-Аmericans held onto the hope of freedom and dignity despite their mistreatment and abuse.

“This comparison highlights a shared belief rooted in something greater than oneself,” Murphy said. “A faith in the possibility of a future forged by hope and courage to dare dream of liberation even when it seemed out of reach.”

During the slavery era, the black church emerged as a place where hope for the future was nurtured and planned for, Murphy noted. The spirituals its members sang were not only songs of sorrow, hope, and faith but also coded messages for escape plans and directions.

“These spirituals were like quiet messages of faith shared secretly in the dark, filled with hope and courage and the power to continue to fight for what you believe in even when things felt really hopeless,” he said.

Murphy said the Civil Rights Movement during the mid-20th century emerged as a new chapter in the African-American struggle for equality. This movement also was deeply infused with faith, he said.

“Leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. epitomized this faith-driven activism advocating for social justice through the lens of love and nonviolence,” Murphy said. “Their faith was a shield empowering them to face formidable challenges, such as German shepherd dogs, the powerful sprays from fire hoses, bullets, and even death with a serene certainty in the righteousness of their cause.”

That same legacy of faith continues to fuel the fires of activism and social justice.

“Today, more than ever, faith-based initiatives and community organizations are joining forces driven by a collective mission to forge a path toward equality and justice for all,” Murphy said, citing the work of faith leaders in the Poor Peoples’ Campaign, Black Lives Matter, the Color of Change, and More Justice.

“They all highlight diverse ways in which organizations channel faith into a powerful cause for change in education and health care and economic empowerment,” he said. “I want you to know this evening, the African-American community, with its legacy of spiritual strength and social action, stands as a powerful testament to the enduring impact of faith on the journey toward justice and equality.”

Murphy also illustrated the African-American journey of resilience by sharing the stories of people like Madam C.J. Walker, one of the first female self-made millionaires, and researcher Dr. Percy Julian, whose discoveries in the field of chemistry led to groundbreaking medical treatments such as cortisol and birth control pills. He also pointed to the resilience of Ruby Bridges, who was only six years old when she became the first African-American child to desegregate a Southern, all-white elementary school in 1960, and former U.S. congressman John Lewis, who led the Bloody Sunday March across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala.

But Murphy said resilience is not just enduring hardship.

“It’s about transforming pain into power and obstacles into opportunities,” he said. “It’s about holding on to faith in the darkest times and using that faith as a source of strength to push forward to break barriers and to achieve the extraordinary.”

Murphy called upon audience members to embrace their own journeys of resilience and faith.

“Draw inspiration from the heroes and heroines who have gone on before you,” he said. “Walk in their footsteps. Let their stories fuel your commitment to persevere no matter what. In their footsteps, find the path to your liberation and the promise of a brighter tomorrow.”

PC chaplain and vice president for spiritual life, the Rev. Dr. Buz Wilcoxon with PC trustees, the Rev. Dr. Danny Murphy, and Lumus Byrd.