Black Christ of the Andes (Mary Lou Williams)

In 1962, jazz pianist virtuoso Mary Lou Williams composed Black Christ of the Andes. The choral work was written in honor of the newly canonized Peruvian brother of the Dominican Order, Martin de Porres. St. Martin de Porres was the son of a freed slave and a Spanish gentleman. A barber by trade, as a Dominican lay brother he was known for his nonjudgmental care for the sick in the infirmary. Today he is the patron saint of mixed-race people, barbers, innkeepers, public health workers, and all those seeking racial harmony.

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