The Sound of the Genuine: 

A Gift I Didn't Know I Was Receiving

A Personal Reflection on My Encounter with Dr. Howard Thurman

By Rev. Dedra Herron-Slack

It was May 1980, and I was a 21-year-old graduating senior at Spelman College, the historically Black women's college in Atlanta, Georgia. My parents had arrived for graduation weekend, and I proudly handed them the schedule of events. Spelman was known for its rich traditions and distinguished speakers, and our Baccalaureate Service was among those treasured traditions.

When my mother saw that Dr. Howard Thurman would be our speaker, she could hardly contain her excitement.

"Do you know how special this is?" she asked.

I remembered seeing his books around our home, but honestly, I had no idea why she was so excited. She explained that Thurman was a mystic, a spiritual giant whose writings she had read and cherished.

Looking back, I realize my mother was a contemplative long before I knew the word. I remember watching her sit quietly, rocking in her favorite chair. When I asked what she was doing, she would simply say, "I'm listening. I'm in God's presence."

Listening to what? I wondered. I didn't see anybody!

Yet I respected those sacred moments. Now I recognize that sitting in God's presence was her spiritual practice, especially when life became overwhelming. Perhaps she planted the first seeds of contemplation in my soul.

Those seeds found fertile ground at Spelman. Every Friday afternoon, we had "Quiet Hour" in the chapel. Dr. Johnson would play the magnificent pipe organ while students were invited to simply sit. No sermon. No program. Just music and space to be.

I was often drawn there. It became a sanctuary where I wrestled with life's questions and discovered something of myself.

When Baccalaureate Sunday arrived, my mother had us up early to secure a good seat. I sometimes wonder whether she was more excited about hearing Thurman than seeing her daughter graduate!

Then came the moment.

Dr. Thurman approached the podium and stood there, saying nothing. To my young eyes, it seemed as though he was receiving a divine download from the Holy Spirit. My classmates grew restless. We had never experienced anything quite like this. Yet somehow, we sensed that something sacred was unfolding, and we settled into his presence.

When he finally spoke, his words were slow, deliberate, and profound. He invited us to listen for "the sound of the genuine" within ourselves.

Imagine hearing that at 21, when our minds were occupied with careers, graduate school, and the excitement of beginning adult life!

Yet something took root that morning.

Forty-six years later, my Spelman sisters and I still remember that address. At our reunions every five years, we return to the gift Thurman gave us.

Today, as a spiritual director and contemplative practice leader, I realize that my mother, Spelman's Quiet Hour, and Howard Thurman were all part of the same sacred invitation.

Listen deeply. Discover who you are. Honor the Divine within.

I am still listening, still discovering, still becoming.

And perhaps that is the greatest gift of all. The sound of the genuine is not something we hear once. It is a lifelong invitation to come home to ourselves.

Historical Note and Reference:

Dr. Thurman delivered The Sound of the Genuine at Spelman's Baccalaureate Service on May 4, 1980, and he died in 1981. The Howard Thurman Papers Project identifies this as his last out-of-town speaking trip. 

Emory University's Pitts Theology Library preserves a recording of the address, which readers can access through its digital archive:

Listen to Dr. Howard Thurman's 1980 Spelman Baccalaureate Address.

More about the author

Rev. Dedra Herron-Slack is an ordained minister, certified Spiritual Director, and spiritual practices leader with graduate degrees in theology and ministry from Bethel University and United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. She has served as a leader in our grant partnership for more than three years, partnering with Rev. Dr. Janet Johnson to facilitate spiritual practices with the congregation of Zion Baptist Church in Minneapolis. In spring 2026, she also co-facilitated the pilot discipleship discernment and support group. Rev. Herron-Slack is a member of Liberty Community Church (PCUSA) in Minneapolis, which is one of our newest grant partner congregations for 2026.