A Love Letter to Black Women Preachers

Melanie R. Hill’s Colored Women Sittin’ on High is a tribute to Black women preachers—both within and beyond the pulpit—who create liberating, healing spaces through word, song, and presence. Drawing on womanist theology, literature, and music, Hill explores how these women embody freedom dreams passed down by their foremothers and preach messages of self-love, resistance, and transformation. From prophets in the church to artists, activists, and fictional heroines, Hill shows how Black women’s voices continue to sing our sighs and preach our possibilities.

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This article was published in Sojourners, August 2025, and was written by Deirdre Jonese Austin.