John Jasper (July 4, 1812 – March 30, 1901) was an ex-slave who became a Baptist minister and noted public speaker for Christianity after the American Civil War.

[1] Born into slavery on July 4, 1812, in Fluvanna County, Virginia, to Philip and Tina Jasper, John was the youngest of their twenty-four children.

In 1840 he presented the evidence of his conversation and regeneration to the brethren of the First African Baptist Church, and thus began preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jasper's vivid oratory and dramatic speaking style brought renown and calls for him to preach throughout the Eastern United States.

Despite his views being contrary to modern scientific theory, he went on to preach this sermon 273 times throughout the U.S., often to thousands of people at once, as well as in London, Paris, and before the Virginia General Assembly.

John Jasper left a lasting legacy as one of the most respected figures in Richmond's history, especially among the African-American and Southern Baptist communities.

[3] The words of his most famous sermon, The Sun Do Move, have since been modernized into standard English from the original Patois.