By Darryl J. Brackeen Jr., 1st Episcopal District
In the quiet halls of the Library of Congress—the steward of the nation’s intellectual soul—a storm has passed. The dismissal of Dr. Carla Hayden, the first Black and first woman Librarian of Congress, sent tremors through institutions that claim to value history, justice, and equity. But make no mistake: this is not just a personnel decision. It is a theological moment.
Dr. Hayden was more than an archivist. She was a custodian of memory, truth, and story—a living embodiment of what it means to preserve the soul of a people through books, documents, and access to knowledge. That her dismissal comes amid a national wave of book bans, curriculum erasures, and ideological rollbacks is no coincidence. It is a warning. And for the African Methodist Episcopal Church—a church founded in resistance and rooted in study—it is a clarion call.
The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church reminds us that Christian education is not simply religious programming. It is the formation of a people through scripture, history, and moral imagination. What we teach, what we remember, and what we choose to forget directly impact who we become. Dr. Hayden understood this. So did Richard Allen. And so must we.
If books are being banned, we must become libraries. If scholars are silenced, our pulpits must thunder with clarity. If truth is unwelcome in high places, we must gather in our classrooms, fellowship halls, and sanctuaries to proclaim it anyway.
This is not just about Dr. Hayden. This is about us.
We are witnessing an intentional assault on communal memory and prophetic literacy—tools that have long been used to build movements and form faithful people. When study is framed as dangerous, it is the church’s responsibility to protect it as sacred.
What should we do now?
Teach with urgency. Preach with precision. Support Black authors. Launch church-based reading circles. Ensure our youth ministries do more than entertain. And never—ever—apologize for telling the truth about Black faith, Black struggle, and Black excellence.
Dr. Hayden’s legacy will endure not because institutions protected her, but because communities like ours recognize that libraries are sacred ground. And so are we.
Let this moment sharpen our mission. As resurrection people walking toward Pentecost, we carry not only fire, but memory.
And with that, we build.
About the Author:
Darryl J. Brackeen, Jr., MRE, MBA, is the Director of Christian Education at Bethel AME Church in Wilmington, Delaware, and author of The Almost Forgotten: America’s First Black Congressmen. Brackeen draws on his background as a former elected official, community organizer, church leader, and educator, having served as an adjunct professor at Sacred Heart University and Springfield College. A current PhD student in public theology and community engagement at Hampton University, Brackeen writes weekly devotionals that explore justice, faith, and spiritual formation through an African Methodist Episcopal lens. Follow his work at: https://bethelamewilmingtonchristianed.substack.com
