Product Description
In First Baptist Church of Williamsburg: A History of Resilience, Determination, and Hope by Cassandra L. Newby-Alexander, PhD, readers will learn about one of the oldest Black churches in the United States.
The First Baptist Church of Williamsburg, Virginia, stands as a living monument to the enduring power and resilience of its congregation. Beginning in the hush harbors on plantations owned by Virginia's most powerful leadership, First Baptist emerged as a powerful force, inextricably linking religious salvation and education as tools of liberation and agency for Africans in America. The church was involved in the American Revolution and the Civil War, thus sealing its place as a key player in Williamsburg. Through the antebellum period, Reconstruction, and modern times, First Baptist and its congregation also resisted the growth of slavery, the dissipation of the rights of free Black people, and the removal of Black-owned homes and businesses.
A powerful icon for freedom, resilience, and hope, the church reflects the larger story of Black voices in Virginia and America.
Paperback. 192 pages. ISBN: 9781467172745. Published in September 2026 by Arcadia Publishing.
About the Author
Cassandra L. Newby-Alexander, Ph.D., is the Endowed Professor of Virginia Black History and Culture and the former Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Norfolk State University. She has authored numerous books and articles, including Daily Life Along the Underground Railroad (2026) and Virginia Waterways and the Underground Railroad (2017). She serves on numerous boards and commissions and has appeared on numerous national programs and documentaries, including NBC's Nightly News, BBC, PBS, C-SPAN, the History Channel, and Clay Jenkinson's Listening to America podcast.
Inspiration
The African Baptist Meeting House and Burial Ground at Colonial Williamsburg was the original permanent location of the First Baptist Church, one of the earliest African American congregations in the United States. A congregation of enslaved and free people of African descent worshipped, built a community, and buried family members at this Nassau Street site. After Colonial Williamsburg purchased and removed the church, the congregation relocated to Scotland Street, where its members have worshipped since 1956. In partnership with the First Baptist Church of Williamsburg and the Let Freedom Ring Foundation, Colonial Williamsburg has engaged in a multi-year project to excavate, study, and reconstruct this important historic site. Learn more and plan your visit today.
