As Eva puts it, ‘we have this church where we gather to sing hymns and ring the bell and shout hallelujah and speak in tongues when the spirit come; and we carry the word to the downtrodden and forgotten and the lame and the beaten, and we touch black people soul.’ Through Eva, the church is presented as a powerful symbol. The church symbolizes hope, strength, camaraderie and black togetherness. Eva gives the reader a sense of belief, that the church is not only a meeting place, but it becomes a sanctuary where black people are able to reconnect with their heritage. However, Eva states, ‘All of a sudden they start to teach in their school and in the church that we uncivilized and barbarous.’ Eva also states, ‘They pass the law against us