Napa Valley church remembers arrival of first slaves with ringing bells – and stained glass

The stained-glass window was to be a Napa Valley church member’s gift to his congregation of more than two decades. But the day chosen for its dedication made the artwork something more – a fitting symbol for one of America’s most somber anniversaries.

“I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery,” proclaims the lettering of “Justice,” the glasswork created by Whitney J. LeBlanc. If the Biblical message from the Old Testament prophet Micah is not clear enough, a pair of black hands forms the window’s heart – tied by a chain with the center links broken away.