Book of The Week: Shauna Jamieson Carty's "Praying In The Moment"

In the hopeful wake of the recent presidential election it can be easy to forget that there are those present in our country who believed that they would never be alive to see the election of an African-American president. The stories of these citizens, whom President Obama himself referred to as “an important part of the American narrative”, have been captured by journalist Shauna Jamieson Carty in her first non-fiction effort entitled “Praying In The Moment: Reflections On The Election of President Barack Obama”.


Startling tales of experiencing discrimination and dealing with disadvantage are relayed earnestly in the interviews of members of the historical Second Baptist Church in Roselle, New Jersey. One interviewee vividly recounts viewing a horrific act of violence committed against her family as a small child in the south and admits to fervently praying for the then President-Elect’s safety prior to his inauguration.




Careful not leave out the younger generation Carty includes charming letters from small children addressed to the President (including one from her eight year old daughter Annie Alexis Carty ). The point of view showcased in these candidly youthful words highlights the revolutionary atmosphere that today’s African-American children grow up in, where they are able to see that anything is possible for them.

Scattered throughout the book are “prayer moments” exhibiting the fierce faith held by both the author and her subjects. No matter your religious or political affiliations you cannot deny that the United States of America has come a very long way and “Praying In The Moment” shows us just how far.




Note: All proceeds from this book benefit the ministries of The Second Baptist Church it can be purchased here.