Reconstruction era removed civilian governments in the South, and placed the former Confederacy under the rule of the U.S. Army. The army conducted new elections in which the freed slaves could vote, while whites who had held leading positions under the Confederacy were temporarily denied the vote and were not permitted to run for office. In ten states, coalitions of freedmen, recent black and white arrivals from the North (carpetbaggers), and white Southerners who supported Reconstruction (scalawags) cooperated to form Republican biracial state governments. They introduced various reconstruction programs including: funding public schools, establishing charitable institutions, raising taxes, and funding public improvements
A Way to See in the Dark deep to be merely consumed or played in the background. It's a collection of songs to be experienced, contemplated, and shared. A hooky melody can beg to sing along, then a lyrical twist can move to tears." Hurst of "Christianity Today" noted "A Way to See in the Dark" "has a title that could almost double as the name of a self-help or spiritual how-to book. The music has all the solemnity and seriousness that might entail; Gray writes catchy pop songs, but they aren't breezy, summery jams so much as the soundtrack for introspection. These songs are encouraging reflections