The Cross
Cone analyses the feminist theological argument that the symbol of the cross must be rejected. This is because it advocates suffering as the route to salvation, and encourages victims of abuse and oppression to accept their lot.
Blues
Cone discusses the meaning of blues music, stating it is a "black expression in song," removed from divine inspiration. Cone states that blues music uses a secularist way of coping with difficulty, saying that it is a way to "deal with the absurdity of existence without using Jesus Christ as their central focal point."
God
God is a key symbol in this text, representing many different ideas. For example, in one section of the text, Cone talks about the symbolism of God within blues music, saying that God is not used here as a "symbol of victory over suffering and pain."
Death's power
Cone states that the "most visible symbol of death's power was found in the everyday presence of white people who violated black dignity at every level of black existence." Here, he comments on the pervasive and systematic existence of racism in America, which impacted black people at work, on the streets, in public places, and in schools.
Church
Cone states that for many black people, struggling with the horrific realities of racism on a daily basis, Church offered a sense of comfort and escape. He tells us that:
"On Sunday morning, after spending six days of struggling to create meaning out of life, the people of Bearden would go to church, because they believed that Jesus was going to be there with an answer for their troubled minds."
