The Trinity by Sharron Wilkins Conrad

The Trinity by Sharron Wilkins Conrad

A striking triptych once displayed in countless African American households, the Trinity typically features Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King Jr., and John F. Kennedy. More than decoration, these portraits were deliberate acts of memory and quiet resistance, a medium through which African Americans asserted their own narratives of hope, leadership, and the fight for justice.

In this provocative history, Sharron Wilkins Conrad traces the Trinity across several decades, showing how African Americans didn’t merely remember the civil rights movement; they shaped its meaning. The Trinity reveals why Kennedy’s image hung beside King and Christ, while Lyndon B. Johnson, despite signing landmark legislation such as the 1964 Civil Rights Act, remained largely unheralded. Kennedy’s charisma, symbolic promise, and perceived martyrdom placed him among sacred icons, while Johnson—seen as transactional and confronted by the era’s growing impatience—never secured the same emotional legacy. In a gripping exploration of memory and meaning-making, Wilkins Conrad reveals how communities create historical truths by elevating some leaders, sidelining others, and preserving their own visions in defiance of the official record.

“A groundbreaking examination of Kennedy and Johnson through the eyes of African Americans, weaving grassroots voices, movement history, and media analysis into a vivid, multilayered narrativeConrad’s archival brilliance and fresh theoretical insights open new avenues for understanding the politics, culture, and civil rights struggles of the 1960s.”—Charles W. McKinney Jr., author of Greater Freedom: The Evolution of the Civil Rights Struggle in Wilson, North Carolina

“A superb, original, and urgently needed history that reshapes our understanding of the civil rights era and presidential leadership. Drawing on largely untapped sources and elevating voices too often unheard, Wilkins Conrad offers a nuanced, deeply engaging account that will captivate both scholars and general readers.”—Ellen Fitzpatrick, author of The Highest Glass Ceiling: Women’s Quest for the American Presidency

Sharron Wilkins Conrad is professor of history at Tarrant County College and senior fellow at Southern Methodist University's Center for Presidential History.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781469694436
ISBN 10	1469694433
Title	The Trinity
Author	Sharron Wilkins Conrad
Series	The John Hope Franklin Series In African American History And Culture
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	The University of North Carolina Press
Year published	2026-05-26
Number of pages	256
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.