
With Remnants: A Memoir of Spirit, Activism, and Mothering, Rosemarie Freeney Harding (1930-2004) leaves a legacy of spiritual wisdom and rich cultural history. Co-written with her daughter, Rachel Elizabeth Harding, an assistant professor of Indigenous Spiritual Traditions at the University of Colorado, the book recounts their family's lineage from enslavement in Georgia to a vibrant black community in Chicago, and back to the South again, where they were influential in the civil rights movement. After years as a social worker, Rosemarie became a lifelong activist, founding Mennonite House (one of Atlanta's first integrated community centers), traveling to Nicaragua to support nonviolent resistance to U.S. interference, and visiting Tibet, where she learned how the Dalai Lama embodied Buddhist teachings in the face of Chinese persecution. She was deeply interested in world religions, and attributed her work to her spiritual roots--a blend of Christianity and Southern folk mysticism, with traces of other indigenous beliefs.
Remnants can be read in many ways: as a discussion of spirituality through the lens of the African American experience; as a guidebook for aspiring activists; as a compelling argument for a more compassionate, community-minded world; as a tribute to mothering in all its forms; and, amid all of these, the story of one person's life. It is the sort of book one could return to in times of need, finding solace in the memories, poems, short fiction and dreams Rosemarie and Rachel use to tell their fascinating story. --Annie Atherton