Rev. Ike is featured in an Exhibition at the Smithsonian Institute’s

“Spirit in the Dark: Religion in Black Music, Activism, and Popular Culture”

November 18, 2022 – November 2023, NEWLY EXTENDED TO APRIL 2024, DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND!!

Level 2, Earl W. and Amanda Stafford Center for African American Media Arts (CAAMA) gallery

Spirit in the Dark examines Black religious life through a selection of photographs from the Johnson Publishing Company, publisher of Ebony, Jet, and Negro Digest. The images in the exhibition spotlight noteworthy individuals—including religious and political leaders, musicians, authors, athletes, activists, and educators—and uplift objects from the museum’s collection, many on display for the first time. Together, they reflect diverse aspects of the Black religious experience and testify to religion’s role in the struggle for human dignity and social equality.

Xavier and Annette Eikerenkoetter, Rev. Ike’s son and daughter-in-law, and Eula Eikerenkoetter, Rev. Ike’s wife, attended the opening. It was a deeply meaningful and moving experience for all. Please enjoy the photos from the event in our photo gallery.