Chester Higgins Jr.

Sacred Nile is the story of our collective spiritual imagination and practice. Chester Higgins celebrates the agency of people of African descent and their influence on the foundation of Western religion. His images illustrate how faith migrated up and down the River Nile from Ethiopia to Egypt leaving vestiges of ancient practice in today’s worship.

This visual portrayal of faith reexamines our spiritual beginnings.

"We are Africans not because we are born in Africa, but because Africa is born in us. Look around you and behold us in our greatness. Greatness is an African possibility; you can make it yours. " - Chester Higgins Jr.

In Feeling the Spirit, Chester Higgins Jr. tells the story of a people -- by capturing the fierce dignity, enduring traditions and empowering spirituality that live in all men and women of African descent throughout the world. Higgins' odyssey of discovery has spanned three decades and led him across boundaries of geography, nationality, and culture. In these pages, Higgins combines 220 tri-tone black-and-white images with his own evocative prose to share the findings of his journey.

From reclaiming a long-misrepresented history to providing a rare, intimate look at sacred rituals passed down through the centuries, to exploring the simple yet profound significance of water in daily life, Chester Higgins Jr. presents a glorious evocation of the African personality as it thrives not just in Africa, but in all parts of the world.