Our Lady of Victory: The Saga Of An African-American Catholic Community

By Shirley Harris Slaughter

My review follows the book blurb found on Amazon

“One act set in motion a chain of events that threatened one Catholic community’s ability to thrive.

It happened between 1945 and 1946 at the headquarters of the Archdiocese of Detroit in the Chancellor’s office. Msgr. John C. Ryan called an emergency meeting with the cardinal…

And so the stage was set for the years of turmoil that followed and the subsequent demise of this once vibrant church. Here comes the author who gives the reader an intimate look at her church, the township she grew up in, and its historical significance to World War II, Henry Ford’s auto plant, migration from the south, and the housing crisis that was unfolding. 

The reader is introduced to the pioneers of this West Eight Mile Community who helped shape and establish this community that shaped her. But the book takes a different turn as the research uncovers forgotten secrets…

Today (2014) this little church is in danger of closing its physical doors forever!! Stay tuned as this story continues to unfold.”

I found Our Lady of Victory: The Saga of an African-American Catholic Community by Shirley Harris Slaughter an interesting historical book. The amount of racial prejudice is horrible and shocking! Slaughter compiled an enormous amount of historical content and this content comprises most of this novel. The pieces in which she wove in her own memories created a look at her humanity from a different perspective than most. This isn’t meant to degrade the author; rather, I simply want others to take notice of her struggles, those of her relatives, her community and her church. Slaughter is rich in her own humanity. I feel this book is more fitting as a historical piece rather than a memoir. I highly recommend this book.

M. Schmidt aka S. Jackson, Author, When Angels Fly