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American Black Journal > Specials > Black Church in Detroit

American Black Journal’s “The Black Church in Detroit” series was inspired by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.’s 2021 PBS documentary series,“<a href="https://www.pbs.org/weta/black-church/">The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song</a>.” The local series examines key issues impacting African American religious leaders in Detroit and the communities they serve.

Specials

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A new book by historian and New York Times bestselling author Jemar Tisby tells the untold stories of Black activists in the fight against racism. Tisby’s latest book, “The Spirit of Justice: True Stories of Faith, Race and Resistance,” explores the link between Black activism and the Black church, highlighting how faith motivated some of the individuals who contributed to the racial justice movement.
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<li>The Black Church’s role in the Civil Rights Movement</li>
<li>Civil rights attorney Ben Crump discusses social and racial justice</li>
<li>Making Amends: The Quest for Reparations</li>
</ul>
Much like Tisby’s earlier work, “The Color of Compromise,” “The Spirit of Justice” offers a renewed call to action, emphasizing the ongoing role of faith in the quest for equality. Tisby also explores the intersection between faith and politics, using the variety of religious beliefs highlighted in the book as examples of how he believes faith and politics can work together.
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to One Detroit’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/OneDetroit/videos"> YouTube Channel</a> and don’t miss One Detroit on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 9 a.m. on Detroit PBS, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="http://onedetroitpbs.org/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/onedetroit/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/DPTVOneDetroit"> Twitter</a> @OneDetroit_PBS, and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/one.detroit/?hl=en"> Instagram</a> @One.Detroit
<h3><a href="https://www.detroitpbs.org/category/one-detroit/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch One Detroit Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. ET on Detroit PBS, WTVS-Channel 56.
Host Stephen Henderson talks with Tisby about the Black activists in his book and the impact their faith had on their fight for racial justice. Tisby also shares his thoughts about Black history being taught in schools.

Jemar Tisby’s ‘The Spirit of Justice’ explores Black activism and its link to the Black church

Detroit’s Black churches respond to gun violence in the community

After a mass shooting of 21 people at a block party on Detroit’s east side, Detroit’s Black churches are coming together with residents and other advocacy organizations to support the community and spearhead efforts for change. The <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2024/07/07/multiple-people-shot-killed-wounded-detroit-east-side/74320543007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">July 7 incident</a>, which killed two people and injured 19 others, goes down as one of the city&#8217;s worst mass shootings to date. From June to August 2022, Detroit was the site of at least five mass shootings.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}"> 
In light of the recent mass shootings, American Black Journal’s <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/">&#8220;Black Church in Detroit&#8221; series</a> examines the spiritual response to gun violence and how the church and community can work together to eradicate it. <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/contributors/">Host Stephen Henderson</a> talks with Rev. Barry Randolph of <a href="https://churchofthemessiahdetroit.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Church of the Messiah</a> and Rev. Ralph L. Godbee, Jr. from <a href="https://www.triumphch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Triumph Church.</a> 
<a href="https://churchofthemessiahdetroit.org/leadership/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Randolph</a> reflects upon his reaction to the block party shooting and how his church stepped up immediately to come up with a plan of action. He explains how his new &#8220;Orange Mile Project&#8221; works, bringing together churches, residents, police, politicians, schools, and other assets in a square mile radius to work in collaboration against violence.  <span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}"> 
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<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/hundreds-in-attendance-at-17th-annual-silence-the-violence-march-to-end-gun-violence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hundreds in attendance at 17th annual Silence the Violence March to end gun violence</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/the-black-churchs-role-in-reducing-gun-violence-in-the-communities-they-serve/">The Black church’s role in reducing gun violence in the communities they serve </a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/force-detroit-discusses-creative-solutions-to-gun-violence-in-communities-of-color/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FORCE Detroit discusses creative solutions to gun violence in communities of color</a></li>
</ul>
<a href="https://x.com/chiefgodbee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Godbee</a>, whose extensive law enforcement background includes a stint as Detroit Police Chief, discusses the need for stricter gun laws from a legal and moral standpoint. He also talks about the impact of community policing, the importance of addressing mental health challenges in the community and ensuring that people know who they elect to political office.  <span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}"> 
Plus, both ministers talk about how gun violence is affecting the city&#8217;s youth and how it is a uniquely American problem that has become the number one cause of death for young people. 
Then, to close the show, “American Black Journal” remembers Motown music legend <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/music/brian-mccollum/2024/07/22/duke-fakir-four-tops-obituary/74500485007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Duke Fakir who passed away recently</a> at the age of 88. Fakir was the last original member of <a href="https://www.motownmuseum.org/artist/the-four-tops/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Four Tops</a> and had just stopped touring with the group at the end of last year, capping a 70-year music career. Watch a clip from The Four Tops&#8217; appearance on Detroit Black Journal in 1987.
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit PBS’<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> and don’t miss &#8220;American Black Journal&#8221; on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit PBS, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit PBS, WTVS-Channel 56.

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This story was originally published on Feb. 28, 2024. It was republished and reaired on June 4, 2024.
The advent of new technology, like artificial intelligence, often poses a wide range of opportunistic possibilities, but it also has the potential to have a detrimental impact on racial wealth equity in the United States. According to a 2023 <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/bem/our-insights/the-impact-of-generative-ai-on-black-communities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility study</a>, generative AI has the potential to widen the racial wealth gap by nearly $43 billion a year. The study also found Black workers are at greater risk of losing their jobs to automation than white workers. <span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:0,&quot;335551620&quot;:0,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559685&quot;:-20,&quot;335559737&quot;:-20,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> 
The news isn’t all bad, however. Deployed thoughtfully, generative AI technology could remove barriers to Black economic mobility, the study shows. AI technology continues to pop up elsewhere too, outside of employment, <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/how-technology-has-transformed-detroits-black-churches-adapting-post-pandemic/">including at church</a>. Some of Detroit’s Black church ministers have begun to explore the impact of artificial intelligence on the African American community and the role of the church in addressing the rapidly evolving technology. <span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:0,&quot;335551620&quot;:0,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559685&quot;:-20,&quot;335559737&quot;:-20,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> 
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<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/how-technology-has-transformed-detroits-black-churches-adapting-post-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How technology has transformed Detroit&#8217;s Black churches: adapting post-pandemic</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/technology-meets-theology-3-local-pastors-talk-changes-to-church-worship-during-covid-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Technology meets theology: Three Detroit pastors talk changes to church worship during COVID</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/the-new-normal-how-oak-grove-ame-church-has-adapted-to-online-worship-outreach/">The new normal: How the Black church has adapted to online worship, outreach</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/the-new-normal-how-oak-grove-ame-church-has-adapted-to-online-worship-outreach/">Find more from our &#8220;Black Church in Detroit&#8221; series</a></li>
</ul>
Guest Host <a href="https://www.orlandopbailey.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Orlando Bailey</a> of <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/author/orlando-bailey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BridgeDetroit</a> discusses the challenges and potential benefits of AI with Rev. Cindy Rudolph of <a href="https://oakgroveame.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oak Grove AME Church</a> and Rev. Lawrence Rodgers of <a href="https://www.secondbaptistdetroit.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Second Baptist Church</a>. The ministers explained that while AI represents technological advancement, it can be detrimental to the Black labor force and young people&#8217;s emotional and social well-being. 
They discuss the economic threat AI poses to the Black community, especially in Detroit, and the importance of teaching youth how to use AI appropriately. The group also talks about the Black church&#8217;s role in addressing the moral and ethical concerns presented by AI, the need for lawmakers to come up with regulations governing this emerging technology, the importance of young African Americans being trained in the STEM fields, and how AI cannot replace the pulpit.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559685&quot;:-20,&quot;335559737&quot;:-20,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> 
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> and don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.

AI and the Black church: Local ministers discuss the benefits, challenges of artificial intelligence

Black church provides sanctuary

Mental health challenges have become more prevalent among African American teens and young adults. Alarming new federal data gathered by the <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2024/04/22/black-adolescent-suicide-rate-reveals-urgent-need-to-address-mental-health-care-barriers">Pew Charitable Trusts</a> reveals that the suicide rate among Black youth ages 10 to 19 increased 54% since 2018, surpassing that of their White peers for the first time in 2022. <span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559685&quot;:-20,&quot;335559737&quot;:-20,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}"> 
The data shows the need for improved mental health care within Black communities, where systemic inequities and stigma around mental health persist. Despite the overall youth suicide rate trending downwards, the increase among Black adolescents, who have seen a 144% rise in suicide rates from 2007 to 2020, underscores the urgent need for community-based solutions. <span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559685&quot;:-20,&quot;335559737&quot;:-20,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}"> 
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<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/stigma-shortage-of-psychiatrists-further-exacerbates-mental-health-disparities-in-the-black-community/">Stigma, shortage of psychiatrists further exacerbates mental health disparities in the Black community</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/communities-of-color-break-down-stigmas-prioritize-self-care-for-mental-health-awareness-month/">Communities of color break down stigmas, prioritize self-care for Mental Health Awareness Month</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/mental-health-awareness-month-highlights-disparities-and-stigma-in-the-black-community/">Mental Health Awareness Month highlights disparities and stigma in the Black community</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/calebs-kids-supports-the-mental-health-of-middle-high-schoolers-during-suicide-prevention-month/">Caleb’s Kids supports the mental health of middle, high schoolers during Suicide Prevention Month</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/ministers-and-mental-health/">Ministers’ mental health takes center stage during Mental Health Awareness Month</a></li>
</ul>
As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, the &#8220;<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/">Black Church in Detroit</a>&#8221; series explores the church’s role in providing safe spaces and promoting mental wellness. Host <a href="https://x.com/SHDetroit">Stephen Henderson</a> talks with Minister Mikiah Keener of <a href="https://www.triumphch.org/">Triumph Church</a> and Ashley Lewis, a student at the <a href="https://www.etseminary.edu/">Ecumenical Theological Seminary</a> and member of <a href="https://www.fellowshipchapel.org/">Fellowship Chapel</a>. They discuss the factors contributing to the rise in mental health issues among Black youth, including the impact of social media and artificial intelligence.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559685&quot;:-20,&quot;335559737&quot;:-20,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}"> 
Lewis also shares a personal account of her teenage son&#8217;s struggles with bullying and emphasizes the importance of the church in cultivating a positive identity for Black children. She also addresses the deep-seated hesitancy within the Black community to seek mental health care, rooted in cultural mistrust and stigma. <span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:0,&quot;335551620&quot;:0,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559738&quot;:300,&quot;335559739&quot;:300,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}"> 
Plus, Keener highlights the church&#8217;s role in intervening during mental health crises by offering a caring ear and necessary resources, and the possibility of churches creating religious apps and social media platforms that could cultivate young people’s growth.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:300,&quot;335559739&quot;:300,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}"> 
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit PBS’<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> and don’t miss &#8220;American Black Journal&#8221; on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit PBS, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit PBS, WTVS-Channel 56.

Black church provides sanctuary, support for youth facing mental health challenges

Detroit Family Caregivers’ Project creates caregiving ministries in local Black churches

April is National Minority Health Month, <a href="https://www.nimhd.nih.gov/programs/edu-training/nmhm/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an annual observance</a> aimed at shedding light on the persistent health disparities faced by racial and ethnic minority populations. <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/national-minority-health-month/index.html#:~:text=April%20is%20National%20Minority%20Health,action%20to%20end%20these%20inequities." target="_blank" rel="noopener">This year’s theme</a>, “Be the Source for Better Health: Improving Health Outcomes Through Our Cultures, Communities, and Connections,” focuses on understanding how social determinants of health impact minority health outcomes. 
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<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/national-minority-health-month-puts-spotlight-on-health-disparities-faced-by-people-of-color/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Minority Health Month puts spotlight on health disparities faced by people of color</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/detroit-symposium-aims-to-tackle-health-disparities-facing-black-men/">Detroit symposium aims to tackle health disparities facing Black men</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/mental-health-awareness-month-highlights-disparities-and-stigma-in-the-black-community/">Mental Health Awareness Month highlights disparities and stigma in the Black community</a></li>
</ul>
At some point in everyone&#8217;s life, they will serve as a caregiver or require caregiving. Family caregiving can be a stressful and challenging responsibility. American Black Journal’s “<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/">Black Church in Detroit</a>” series looks at the efforts of the Black church to provide resources, referrals and respite for family caregivers.
Host <a href="https://twitter.com/SHDetroit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen Henderson</a> speaks with Dr. Marilyn French Hubbard, project manager for the Detroit Family Caregivers&#8217; Project, and Rev. Dr. Georgia Hill, pastor of <a href="https://www.lifechurchriversidedetroit.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LifeChurch Riverside</a>, about their experiences as caregivers and how faith communities can develop cultures and communities of care. 
Dr. Hubbard discusses the mission of the Detroit Family Caregivers&#8217; Project — a three-year initiative funded by the <a href="https://www.ralphcwilsonjrfoundation.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation</a> — and how it is working to create caregiving ministries in Detroit churches. <a href="http://www.livingourlegacies.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The project</a> focuses on preparation, planning and preventing crisis, as well as the importance of self-care and encouraging families to have conversations about death and dying.   
Plus, Rev. Hill discusses the foundational connection between caregiving and Christianity and the church’s role in helping to provide resources and a network of professionals to aid caregivers.
<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.​

Women’s History Month: The role of women in the Black Church | The Black Church in Detroit

<h2>This Week on American Black Journal:</h2>
It&#8217;s Women&#8217;s History Month and our &#8220;Black Church in Detroit&#8221; series examines the role of women in the Black church. We&#8217;ll talk about their vital contributions to the church as well as the challenges that exist for women pastors and those in other leadership positions.
<a href="https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fshdetroit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Host Stephen Henderson</a> holds a frank conversation about the issues impacting Black women in the church with two Detroit women ministers: <a href="https://www.fellowshipchapel.org/staff/rev-dr-constance-simon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rev. Dr. Constance Simon of Fellowship Chapel</a> and Rev. Dr. Remonia Chapman of <a href="https://hmbcdetroit.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hartford Memorial Baptist Church</a>. They discuss the state of women in the Black church, gender inequality in the pulpit, and continued resistance to women in leadership roles in the church. They cite a recent example of how this resistance to women pastors played out on a national stage when the Rev. Gina Stewart became the first woman to preach at a joint Black Baptist session.
Rev. Simon and Rev. Chapman also reflect on their own personal and professional journeys that led them to become ministers. They talk about the importance of mentoring young Black women interested in the ministry and encouraging them to do what they are called to do. Additionally, they speak to how there are a lot of pulpits that are welcome to women, and they recount their own positive experiences at their respective churches.
<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.​

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Roughly one in five African Americans, 21%, say they’re not religiously affiliated, according to a recent <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/02/16/faith-among-black-americans/">Pew Research study</a>. For younger African Americans, the rate is even higher. Approximately 28% of Gen Z and 33% of millennials say they’re religiously unaffiliated, compared to 11% of baby boomers and 5% of the silent generation. <span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:0,&quot;335551620&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> 
Additionally, research shows an increase in young African Americans identifying as spiritual instead of religious.  Some say it is due to experiencing church hurt or because they prefer a more individualized approach to faith rather than following a set of organized beliefs and practices.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:0,&quot;335551620&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> 
“American Black Journal” host <a href="https://twitter.com/SHDetroit">Stephen Henderson</a> continues our <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/">&#8220;Black Church in Detroit&#8221; series</a> conversation on the changing faith practices of young African Americans. Henderson leads a thought-provoking conversation from a different generational perspective with three Detroit ministers: <a href="https://www.detroitchamber.com/bios/rev-larry-simmons/">Rev. Larry Simmons</a> of Baber Memorial AME Church, <a href="https://citycovenantchurch.org/staff/">Pastor Semmeal Thomas</a> from <a href="https://citycovenantchurch.org/">City Covernant Church</a>, and Rev. Torion Bridges of <a href="https://commonwealth313.org/">Commonwealth of Faith Church</a>.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> 
They talk about what has led young Blacks to accept God but reject religion, what they&#8217;re hearing from the younger generation, and how to bridge the generational divides in the Black Church. The group also talks about the church&#8217;s communication about Christ, the important role of trust in a young person&#8217;s life, and how the history of the Black church may impact the choice to move away from religion. <span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> 
As the youngest pastor on the panel, Rev. Bridges offers his thoughts on what his generation is thinking and feeling today and their desire to feel safe, loved and empowered by the church.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> 
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> and don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.

Some young African Americans are moving away from the church toward individualized faith | Black Church in Detroit

Black church leaders discuss their top 2024 priorities for their congregations and community | American Black Journal

<h2>This Week on American Black Journal:</h2>
Heading into 2024, the &#8220;<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Black Church in Detroit</a>&#8221; series examines the focus areas, issues and opportunities that lie ahead in the new year for leaders of Detroit&#8217;s Black churches.
Host <a href="https://twitter.com/SHDetroit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen Henderson</a> leads a thought-provoking conversation with three Detroit ministers: Pastor Ovella Davis of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aijpministries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Always in Jesus&#8217; Presence Ministries</a>, Rev. QuanTez Pressley from <a href="https://thirdnewhope.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Third New Hope Baptist Church</a>, and Pastor Barry Randolph of <a href="https://churchofthemessiahdetroit.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Church of the Messiah</a>. <span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> 
The discussion includes a focus on increasing outreach to those individuals who are unchurched to bring them back to the church, reinforcing the purpose of the church in order to change negative perceptions, and strengthening the church&#8217;s connection with young people.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> 
The group also talks about the importance of <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/the-black-churchs-role-in-black-politics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">getting out the vote</a> for the 2024 presidential election, informing congregants and the community about the power of their vote, and making sure people are registered and educated about the candidates. 
Additionally, the ministers offer their thoughts on the Black church stepping in to meet the real needs of the community, <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/a-community-conversation-on-gun-violence-prevention/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eradicating gun violence</a> and other crimes in the city, and the importance of collaboration between churches to bring about change.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> 
<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.​

Shifting faith: Growing trend of young Black Americans embracing spirituality over religion | Black Church in Detroit

<h2>This Week on American Black Journal:</h2>
A noticeable trend has been growing among Black Millennials and Gen Zers. Many younger African Americans are increasingly turning away from traditional organized religion and towards a more personalized approach to faith. This shift reflects broader patterns identified in a <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/02/16/faith-among-black-americans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2021 Pew Research survey</a>, which surveyed over 8,600 Black adults nationwide and found that young Black adults are not only less religious but also less engaged with predominantly Black churches compared to their older counterparts.  
Despite maintaining a higher level of religiosity compared to other racial/ethnic groups in their generation, young Black Americans are demonstrating a growing inclination towards individualized spirituality. The survey data reveals a significant decrease in reliance on prayer, lower attendance at religious services, and a diminished emphasis on the importance of religion in their lives. A striking 33% of Black Millennials and 28% of Gen Zers are religiously unaffiliated, contrasting sharply with the 5% of the Silent Generation. 
For American Black Journal’s “<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Black Church in Detroit</a>” series, guest host <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/author/orlando-bailey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Orlando Bailey of BridgeDetroit</a> engages in a thought-provoking discussion with three Detroit ministers — Rev. Kenita Harris of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dbtabernacle/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Detroit Bible Tabernacle</a>, Minister Mikiah Keener of <a href="https://www.triumphch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Triumph Church</a>, and Pastor Sonny Smith of <a href="https://detroitchurch.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Detroit Church</a> about the evolving faith practices of young African Americans and the importance of everyone living out their faith. 
They also explore the younger generation&#8217;s desire for leadership roles in the Black church, their commitment to racial and social justice, and their call for the church to actively address societal injustices, particularly in the wake of events like the <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/6-21-20-american-black-journal-roundtable-on-george-floyd-protests-police-brutality-systemic-racism/">deaths of George Floyd</a> and <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/patrick-lyoya-and-police-reform-a-roundtable-with-the-naacp-and-black-lives-matter/">other unarmed Black individuals</a> at the hands of the police. 
<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.​

Interfaith relationships and the impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict | American Black Journal

<h2>This Week on American Black Journal:</h2>
<h3>Interfaith relationships and the impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict</h3>
This week on American Black Journal: As the Israeli-Hamas conflict continues, the &#8220;<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/">Black Church in Detroit</a>&#8221; series examines the impact of the Middle East conflict on interfaith relationships here in Detroit and how the Black Church can better navigate the tensions arising from the Mideast conflict. 
Host <a href="https://twitter.com/SHDetroit">Stephen Henderson</a> talks with three Detroit religious leaders: Bishop Charles Ellis III of <a href="http://www.greatergrace.org/">Greater Grace Temple</a>, Rev. Dr. Constance Simon from <a href="https://www.fellowshipchapel.org/">Fellowship Chapel</a>, and Bishop Mbiyu Chui from the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BestSelfMovement/">Shrine of the Black Madonna #1</a>.  
The ministers discuss how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict impacts them as Black clergy, as well as all African Americans. They talk about the importance of the Black Church speaking to the issues of the world and how the Black Church can help make things better for interfaith relationships here in this community during these turbulent times.  
Additionally, the ministers offer their thoughts on the role humanity plays in conflicts like the one in the Middle East, understanding the dynamics of the situation and helping to provide clarity for their congregations, and the need for the world to come together to work on creative solutions for co-existing instead of waging war. 
<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.​

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Detroit’s Black churches are witnessing a digital revolution. Recent years have brought forth new technologies, like artificial intelligence, and new conversations about how the latest technology trends will shape the present and future of the city’s religious institutions. The COVID-19 pandemic acted as a catalyst, propelling many of these churches into the digital age to ensure the safety of their congregants. Now, even as the pandemic’s grip loosens, these new technologies have remained an integral part of their ministry to connect communities and solve critical issues.  
RELATED: <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/the-new-normal-how-oak-grove-ame-church-has-adapted-to-online-worship-outreach/">The new normal: How the Black church has adapted to online worship and outreach</a>
The impact of technology on ministry takes center stage during this installment of American Black Journal’s <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/">“Black Church in Detroit” series</a>. Host <a href="https://twitter.com/SHDetroit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen Henderson</a> talks with two Detroit pastors, Rev. Carnel Richardson of <a href="https://newnpmbcunity.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Prospect Missionary Baptist Church</a> and Pastor Aramis Hinds from <a href="https://breakerscc.tv/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Breakers Covenant Church International</a> about their churches’ journey adapting to the technologies brought forth by the pandemic. <span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> 
The pastors also delve into the thought-provoking realm of artificial intelligence. They emphasize the need for careful scrutiny of emerging AI technologies, reminding their congregations and communities to remain vigilant in understanding how tools intended for good can be potentially misused for manipulation and harm. In a world increasingly reliant on AI, the pastors underscore the importance of never placing any innovation above their steadfast faith and devotion to God.
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.

How Technology has transformed Detroit’s Black Churches: Adapting post-pandemic

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Sixty years ago this month, 250,000 people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference were pivotal in orchestrating the monumental March on Washington, which attracted widespread attention as a key event in the fight for civil rights and highlighting religious organizations’ role in the Civil Rights Movement.  
<figure id="attachment_32340" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-32340" style="width: 650px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-32340" src="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/March-on-Washington-2-1.png" alt="March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom" width="650" height="366" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-32340" class="wp-caption-text">More than a quarter million people joined the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on Aug. 28, 1963 to fight against racism, housing discrimination and police brutality.</figcaption></figure>
As we continue our “<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Black Church in Detroit</a>” series, &#8220;American Black Journal&#8221; delves into the contemporary significance of civil rights, the impact of the march, and the current state of civil rights. <a href="http://www.therevcw.com/senior-pastor-rev-charles-e-williams-ii" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rev. Charles Williams II</a>, senior pastor of <a href="http://www.kingsolomonchurch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Historic King Solomon Missionary Baptist Church</a> and a distinguished figure in the Black church and civil rights arenas, shares his perspectives with <a href="https://twitter.com/SHDetroit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">host Stephen Henderson</a> on the legacy of the 1963 March on Washington and the present-day state of civil rights advocacy. <span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> 
RELATED: <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/detroit-walk-to-freedom/">Explore American Black Journal’s coverage of the Detroit Walk to Freedom 60th anniversary events</a>
Plus, Rev. Williams underscores the role of the Black church in the ongoing struggle for democracy, social justice and equality, and talks about the issues that are still negatively impacting African Americans today, such as voting rights and police brutality. 
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Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="http://onedetroitpbs.org/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/onedetroit/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/DPTVOneDetroit"> Twitter</a> @DPTVOneDetroit, and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/one.detroit/?hl=en"> Instagram</a> @One.Detroit
<h3><a href="https://www.detroitpbs.org/category/one-detroit/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
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Paving the way for today: How the Black Church supported the Civil Rights Movement

The power of the prophetic voice in the Black Church and its importance to the community | American Black Journal

<h2>This Week on American Black Journal:</h2>
<h3>The power of the prophetic voice and its importance to the Black community</h3>
American Black Journal&#8217;s <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/">&#8220;Black Church in Detroit&#8221;</a> series examines the power of the prophetic voice of the Black Church and its importance today amid issues that are harming African Americans disproportionately, along with other marginalized groups.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:0,&quot;335551620&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> 
Host <a href="https://twitter.com/SHDetroit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen Henderson</a> holds a candid conversation with Rev. Cindy Rudolph of <a href="https://oakgroveame.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oak Grove AME Church</a> and Bishop Charles Ellis III of <a href="http://www.greatergrace.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Greater Grace Temple</a> about the church&#8217;s role and responsibility in the prophetic biblical tradition to speak out against racial and social injustice.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:0,&quot;335551620&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> 
They talk about preachers addressing issues that negatively impact African Americans today, such as the <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/breaking-down-the-supreme-courts-ruling-ending-affirmative-action-in-college-admissions#:~:text=Welcome%20to%20the%20%22NewsHour.%22,the%20University%20of%20North%20Carolina." target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Supreme Court&#8217;s ruling on affirmative action</a> and racial injustice, and taking the opportunity to advocate for change and give people a sense of hope.
The conversation also touches on the current topics being covered in the two ministers&#8217; sermons, the messages they have delivered from the pulpit regarding former President Donald Trump, and how the Black community&#8217;s narrative is often changed to have a negative meaning, such as what is happening now with the word &#8220;woke&#8221; from a political standpoint.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:0,&quot;335551620&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> 
<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.​

The Black Church in Detroit’s connection to the 1963 Walk to Freedom | American Black Journal

Featured photo provided by the Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs
<h2>This Week on American Black Journal:</h2>
<h3>Faith-fueled unity: The Black church’s role in the 1963 Detroit Walk to Freedom </h3>
The 1963 <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/detroit-walk-to-freedom/">Detroit Walk to Freedom</a> was a major milestone in the civil rights movement. Organized by prominent religious and civil rights leaders Rev. C.L. Franklin and Rev. Albert Cleage, Jr., and featuring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the march brought together more than 125,000 people on Woodward Avenue to peacefully advocate for racial equality and justice in what was the largest civil rights demonstration at the time. 
As the city commemorates the 60th anniversary of the Detroit Walk to Freedom, American Black Journal’s <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/">&#8220;Black Church in Detroit&#8221; series</a> examines the role of the city&#8217;s religious community in the historic march and rally that featured Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 
<a href="https://twitter.com/SHDetroit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Host Stephen Henderson</a> and guest, Bishop Mbiyu Chui of the <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/portrait-of-the-black-madonna-black-church-detroit-american-black-journal/">Shrine of the Black Madonna #1</a>, delve into the often-forgotten connection between the city&#8217;s Black churches and the massive march for civil rights. Bishop Chui relates the backstory about how racism and violence against Blacks in the South led to the organization of the walk by the Shrine&#8217;s founder, Rev. Albert Cleage, Jr. and Rev. C.L. Franklin of New Bethel Baptist Church.  
Plus, they talk about the many voices represented in the Detroit civil rights demonstration, the Black Church&#8217;s role as a moral compass for America, and the challenges that remain today — 60 years after the Walk to Freedom. 
<h3>From attendee to activist: Rev. Dr. JoAnn Watson’s life changed after the 1963 Detroit Walk to Freedom</h3>
Rev. Dr. JoAnn Watson, senior pastor of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2792809324181174/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">West Side Unity Church in Detroit</a>, was 12 years old when her grandparents picked her up on a summer afternoon in June 1963. Little did she know that day she would find her passion for activism and purpose in life. 
Her grandparents took her to the <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/the-60th-anniversary-of-detroits-1963-walk-to-freedom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1963 Detroit Walk to Freedom</a>, the largest civil rights demonstration up to that point with 125,000 people attending, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King gave an early version of his “I Have a Dream” speech there before his famous national address two months later in Washington, D.C. 
Reflecting on her experiences at the 1963 march and her career in public service, Rev. Watson shares her memories from that historic day and its impact on her life trajectory with One Detroit contributor <a href="https://www.wrcjfm.org/about/staff/cecelia-sharpe/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cecelia Sharpe of 90.9 WRCJ</a>. Plus, they talk about Rev. Watson’s influence on the <a href="https://www.americangirl.com/collections/melody" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Melody American Girl doll</a> and how people can commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Detroit Walk to Freedom.  
<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
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Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
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6/06/23: American Black Journal – The historical impact of Detroit’s Black churches

<h2>This Week on American Black Journal:</h2>
<h3>Black liberation &amp; empowerment: The historical impact of Detroit’s Black churches</h3>
From serving as stations on the Underground Railroad to establishing schools and hospitals for African Americans and hosting civil rights leaders, the <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/">Black Church in Detroit</a> is an important part of Black liberation and empowerment.  
Host Stephen Henderson sits down for an extremely interesting and educational conversation about the historical impact of Detroit’s Black churches with <a href="https://www.lawrencerodgers.com/">Rev. Lawrence Rodgers</a>, pastor of <a href="https://www.secondbaptistdetroit.org/">Second Baptist Church</a>, and Dr. Richard Smith, a retired VP at Henry Ford Hospital and longtime member of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SMSJDetroit">St. Matthew’s and St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church</a>. 
<figure id="attachment_29374" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 650px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29374"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-29374" src="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SECOND-BAPTIST-CHURCH-NL.png" sizes="(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px" srcset="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SECOND-BAPTIST-CHURCH-NL.png 1024w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SECOND-BAPTIST-CHURCH-NL.png 300w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SECOND-BAPTIST-CHURCH-NL.png 768w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SECOND-BAPTIST-CHURCH-NL.png 1536w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SECOND-BAPTIST-CHURCH-NL.png 1920w" alt="Second Baptist Church Michigan Historical Marker" width="650" height="366" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-29374" class="wp-caption-text">A Michigan Historical Marker for Second Baptist Church in Detroit.</figcaption></figure>
They talk about the two churches’ origins and important roles in Black history, including helping enslaved people escape to freedom by <a href="https://visitdetroit.com/detroits-underground-railroad-history-historical-sites/">serving as “stations” on the Underground Railroad</a>. They also discuss the many well-known abolitionists and civil rights leaders who visited the churches, the impact the churches had in the African American community, and the influence of church leaders and members not only in the city but across the country.   
Plus, Rev. Rodgers explains how Second Baptist’s history informs the work he and the church are doing today to help victims of human trafficking — another form of enslavement — and to promote education, financial literacy and in-demand careers to young African Americans. 
<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
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Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
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The historical impact of Detroit’s Black churches

4/25/23: American Black Journal – The Black Church in Detroit: Preachers’ kids

<h2>This Week on American Black Journal:</h2>
<h3>The &#8216;Black Church in Detroit&#8217; explores the lives of preachers&#8217; kids</h3>
We don&#8217;t often hear the perspective that preachers’ kids have about growing up with a pastor as a parent. This week, American Black Journal’s <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/">&#8220;Black Church in Detroit&#8221; series</a> examines the lives of preachers’ kids, or PKs for short.  
Host <a href="https://twitter.com/SHDetroit">Stephen Henderson</a> sits down for a conversation with three Detroit preachers&#8217; kids: Rev. Charles Christian Adams, senior pastor of <a href="https://hmbcdetroit.org/">Hartford Memorial Baptist Church</a> and son of Pastor Emeritus Dr. Charles G. Adams; Freda Sampson, daughter of the late <a href="https://www.fgsfoundation.org/">Rev. Dr. Frederick G. Sampson II</a> of Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church; and Kaletah Vancol, daughter of Rev. Kenneth Flowers of <a href="https://greaternewmtmoriah.org/">Greater New Mt. Moriah Baptist Church</a>. 
Henderson talks with the group about how, as children, they first became aware their fathers were ministers. They also discuss some of their memorable experiences as children and how their fathers’ ministries influenced the type of work they do today. 
Plus, the panel of preachers’ kids explains what they see as their fathers&#8217; legacies in the church and the community. And, they speak to the life lessons learned from having a pastor as a parent. 
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
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Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
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3/28/23: American Black Journal – Trailblazing African American women in ministry

<h2>This Week on American Black Journal:</h2>
<h3>The Black Church in Detroit: Trailblazing African American women in ministry</h3>
In recognition of Women’s History Month, American Black Journal’s <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/">“Black Church in Detroit” series</a> highlights two trailblazing African American women in ministry: <a href="https://oakgroveame.org/about-us/our-staff/member-detail/1627535/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oak Grove AME Church Pastor Rev. Cindy Rudolph</a> and the late <a href="https://detroithistorical.org/learn/encyclopedia-of-detroit/steinberg-martha-jean-queen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Martha Jean “The Queen” Steinberg</a>, a Detroit radio icon and founder of the Home of Love Church.  
<a href="https://twitter.com/SHDetroit">Host Stephen Henderson</a> sits down with Rev. Rudolph and <a href="https://wdet.org/shows/jays-place/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jay Butler of WDET-101.9 FM</a>, a longtime colleague and friend of Martha Jean Steinberg, to talk about the historic accomplishments of both women.  
Rev. Rudolph describes her journey to becoming the first female senior pastor at <a href="https://oakgroveame.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oak Grove AME Church</a> and talks with Henderson about the painful and cheerful times along the way. She shares how the church&#8217;s congregation has embraced her, the increase of women leaders in the AME Church, and the female mentors who inspired her. 
Plus, Henderson talks with Butler, who worked with Steinberg at <a href="https://wjlbdetroit.iheart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WJLB-97.9 FM</a>, about Steinberg&#8217;s rise to fame on the radio and her decision to transition from playing R&amp;B music to playing all gospel music on her show. He also talks with Henderson about how Steinberg bought WQBH-1400 AM and hired him as program director, her close ties to the community, how she lived her life according to what God told her to do, and her decision to start the Home of Love Church.
<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
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1/31/23: American Black Journal – Detroit’s Black churches champion education

<h2>This Week on American Black Journal:</h2>
<h3>Detroit’s Black churches partner with city schools, champion students’ education</h3>
What role do Detroit’s Black churches play in the success of Detroit Public Schools and their students? American Black Journal’s <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/">“Black Church in Detroit”</a> series examines the important role of the church as champions for the city&#8217;s schools and students, and how the church fills the gaps, helps solve issues, and supports Detroit schools to make sure students can reach their full potential.  
Host Stephen Henderson sits down with Rev. Larry Simmons of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=113256582030807&amp;paipv=0&amp;eav=AfZ19S2TlOBiG7OS6ch0-1EYvPc43u9Dsotgso85LQRoGSWMOKVzhPDYsON6pp_1DZc&amp;_rdr">Baber Memorial AME Church</a>, Rev. Carnel Richardson of <a href="https://www.newnpmbcunity.org/">New Prospect Missionary Baptist Church</a>, and Sharlonda Buckman, assistant superintendent of family and community engagement at <a href="https://www.detroitk12.org/">Detroit Public Schools Community District</a> (DPSCD) for a thought-provoking conversation.  
They discuss two programs, DPSCD&#8217;s <a href="https://www.detroitk12.org/Page/10328">Faith-Based Initiative</a> and <a href="https://www.everyschooldaycountsdetroit.org/">Every School Day Counts</a> program, and talk about some of the issues impacting education, such as chronic absenteeism, a lack of transportation, and health and safety concerns.  
RELATED: <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/education-2/covid-recovery-chronic-absenteeism-and-a-700-million-building-campaign-dpscd-supt-dr-nikolai-vitti-discusses-districts-future/">COVID recovery, chronic absenteeism, and a $700 million building campaign: DPSCD Supt. Dr. Nikolai Vitti discusses district’s future</a>
Plus, they look at how DPSCD&#8217;s Faith-Based Initiative matches churches with schools in order to provide mentoring, tutoring, clothing drives, and other support services that will allow students to concentrate on getting a good education. 
<h3>Church of the Messiah honors Detroit’s first responders for keeping residents safe during Islandview fires </h3>
Detroit’s first responders were honored at an awards ceremony recently for their heroic efforts battling two major fires in the Islandview community just before Christmas.  
<a href="https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2022/12/23/crews-battle-fire-on-detroits-east-side-during-dangerous-winter-storm/">A fire broke out around 5 a.m. Dec. 23</a> near E. Lafayette Street and E. Grand River Boulevard at a vacant storage warehouse on the city’s East side. More than 65 <a href="https://detroitmi.gov/departments/detroit-fire-department">Detroit Fire Department</a> firefighters and other first responders were at the scene working to extinguish the blaze as heavy winds and cold weather temperatures made the fires harder to control.  
Twenty-three residents from a neighboring apartment building were evacuated to safety to avoid potential health risks from the smoke. No injuries were reported. 
The awards ceremony was hosted by <a href="http://churchofthemessiahdetroit.org/">Church of the Messiah</a> Pastor Rev. Barry Randolph to thank the firefighters, homeland security and city officials involved in the efforts.
<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
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Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
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1/31/23: American Black Journal – Detroit’s Black churches champion education, Church of the Messiah honors first responders

12/27/22: American Black Journal – Detroit’s Black church leaders look ahead to 2023

<h2>This Week on American Black Journal:</h2>
From the continued <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/church-worship-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/">impact of COVID-19</a> to increased efforts to <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/the-black-church-in-detroit-roundtable-on-youth/">attract younger generations</a> to participate in the church to the advanced role that technology now plays in the church, and efforts to reduce violence in the community, the past year has held several challenges for some Black church leaders in Detroit&#8217;s smaller faith communities. Still, it has also brought new opportunities, like the ministers&#8217; ability to partner and push the needle forward.  
As Detroit&#8217;s Black church leaders look ahead to 2023, what are their goals, strategies and hopes for the new year?  
&#8220;American Black Journal&#8221; <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/contributors/">host Stephen Henderson</a> sat down for an in-depth conversation with three ministers who are part of a coalition of more than 100 Detroit churches working collectively to make a difference in the city: Pastor Barry Randolph of <a href="http://churchofthemessiahdetroit.org/">Church of the Messiah</a>, Rev. Anthony Estes of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SMSJDetroit/">St. Matthew&#8217;s &amp; St. Joseph&#8217;s Episcopal Church</a> and <a href="https://www.allsaintsdetroit.org/">All Saints Episcopal Church in Detroit</a>, and Rev. Cecile Massey of <a href="https://www.carrythewordministries.com/">Carry the Word Ministries</a>.  
As faith leaders of smaller churches in the community, the pastors talk about the challenges they are concerned about in 2023, both within their church walls and out in the community. They discuss how to engage both young people and older members of the church, the use of technology in ministry, reducing violence and <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/the-black-churchs-role-in-reducing-gun-violence-in-the-communities-they-serve/">gun violence in the community</a>, and the importance of partnering with other churches on issues impacting the community. 
Additionally, the guests talk with Henderson about the overall exhaustion being felt by members of the clergy and the congregation, and the ways they&#8217;re trying to deal with it. 
<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
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Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
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Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.

11/29/2022: American Black Journal – The Black Church’s role spreading hope and healing during the holidays

10/25/22: American Black Journal – The Black church’s role in Black politics

<h2>This Week on American Black Journal:</h2>
<h3>The pulpit and politics: the Black church&#8217;s role in Black politics, elections</h3>
With the midterm elections just around the corner, American Black Journal&#8217;s <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/">&#8220;Black Church in Detroit&#8221;</a> series examines the political power of the Black church. We&#8217;ll talk about the church&#8217;s role in getting people to the polls, its influence on key issues and races, and the political leaders who have come from the Black church. 
Host Stephen Henderson sits down for a robust conversation with <a href="https://www.detroitnaacp.org/">Detroit Branch NAACP</a> President Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony of <a href="https://www.fellowshipchapel.org/">Fellowship Chapel</a> and Rev. Charles E. Williams II, senior pastor at <a href="http://www.kingsolomonchurch.org/">Historic King Solomon Baptist Church</a> and president of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/National-Action-Network-Michigan-Chapter-563898557059591/">Michigan Chapter of the National Action Network</a>.  
They talk about the history of the Black church in Black politics, the efforts that are taking place to suppress the right to vote, white evangelical activism, and how democracy is at stake in the elections. Plus, they discuss the fact that Detroit will likely not have <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/one-detroit/voters-choose-from-crowded-pool-of-candidates-with-fewer-districts-for-michigan-congressional-election/">Black representation in Congress</a> for the first time in nearly 70 years.   
Additionally, the ministers and Henderson discuss the importance of the Black church in helping to get &#8220;souls to the polls&#8221; and encouraging those who have demonstrated against racial and social injustice to take the next step by getting out the vote for the people who will bring change. 
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<h2>Watch Now:</h2>
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.

A community conversation on gun violence prevention with Detroit’s Black church leaders | The Black Church in Detroit

Seminary-Education

9/27/22: American Black Journal – The Black Church in Detroit | Seminary education and the future of ministry

pexels-cottonbro-9577063-1

8/30/22: American Black Journal – The Black Church in Detroit Roundtable on Youth

Black-Church-Gospel-Music-min

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<h2>This Week on American Black Journal:</h2>
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/negro-spirituals-the-music-that-helped-free-enslaved-african-americans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Negro Spirituals: The Music That Helped Free Enslaved African Americans</a></h3>
One of the largest and most significant forms of American folksongs, the Negro spiritual, has a long history in America, but how do these religious songs relate to the music heard in the Black church today? &#8220;American Black Journal&#8221; continues its <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;Black Church in Detroit&#8221;</a> series with a look at the history of Negro spirituals and gospel music, and the influence these two genres have had on contemporary artists.
&#8220;Black gospel music is an offset of the Negro spiritual. One of the main differences between the two is that we are not exactly aware of the composers,&#8221; said <a href="https://brandonwaddles.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Brandon Waddles</a>, a composer, arranger, choir director and music instructor at <a href="https://music.wayne.edu/profile/hf8691" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wayne State University</a>. &#8220;However, there are known composers of famous gospel songs.&#8221;
Producer <a href="https://twitter.com/AJWalkerNews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AJ Walker</a> talks with Waddles about how Negro spirituals uplifted enslaved Africans brought to this country and how it served as a universal language that helped lead them to freedom. Plus, they discuss R&amp;B singers, past and present, whose musical roots stemmed from the Black Church.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/the-sacred-and-the-secular-how-gospel-music-grew-from-the-blues/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sacred and the Secular: How Gospel Music Grew from the Blues</a></h3>
It was around the 1930s when gospel music first formed, but how did spiritual music transform from hymns to the contemporary music genre we know today? &#8220;American Black Journal&#8221; continues its <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;Black Church in Detroit&#8221;</a> series with a look at the history of gospel music and its intersection with the blues.
&#8220;You had these, sort of, blues musicians, who were looking at how the vitality was slipping out of sacred music, and they combined the blues with the sacred, and that produced gospel,&#8221; Baptist pastor and blues musician <a href="https://www.revrobertjones.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rev. Robert Jones, Sr.</a> said.
Host <a href="https://twitter.com/SHDetroit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen Henderson</a> sits down with Rev. Jones to explore the connection between the blues and gospel music — the sacred and the secular, and their symbolic, symbiotic relationship. Plus, they discuss gospel music&#8217;s roots in the African American community then and today.
<h4><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHwrrQWRhUU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Want to See More Gospel Performances?</a></h4>
Closing out the show, <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;American Black Journal&#8221;</a> reaches into its archives for a look back at some of the past gospel music performances that have been featured on the show.
&nbsp;
<h2>Watch Now:</h2>
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

6/28/22: American Black Journal – Gospel Music in the Black Church

Black-Church-MentalHealth-Newsletter

5/31/22: American Black Journal – Mental Health Awareness in the Black Church

Black-Catholic-Priest-Newsletter

[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.0&#8243; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]
<h2>This Week on American Black Journal:</h2>
&#8220;American Black Journal&#8221; continues its series <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Black Church in Detroit</a> with an examination of the impacts and contributions Black Catholics and parishes have made in Detroit. Host Stephen Henderson and producer AJ Walker will explore the history of the Black Catholic Church, its support during the civil rights movements and its focus on equal rights and racial justice.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/detroits-black-catholic-population-continue-efforts-to-rebuild-community-after-population-decline/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Detroit&#8217;s Black Catholics Continue Efforts to Rebuild Community After Population Decline</a></h3>
Detroit&#8217;s Black Catholic population isn&#8217;t what it used to be. What was once a thriving religious community here has dwindled over the years. 
Host <a href="https://twitter.com/SHDetroit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen Henderson</a> sits down with <a href="https://www.udmercy.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Detroit Mercy</a> President Dr. Antoine Garibaldi and Vickie Figueroa, the associate director of cultural ministries at the <a href="https://www.aod.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Archdiocese of Detroit</a>, for a discussion about Black Catholic parishes in Detroit, including the dwindling population of Black Catholics and what efforts are being made to rebuild the community. Plus, they talk about the state of Catholic education in the city.  
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/st-charles-lwanga-parish-prepares-for-its-centennial-celebration/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">St. Charles Lwanga Parish Prepares for its Centennial Celebration</a></h3>
It had a name change, has dealt with racially charged controversy and is preparing to celebrate being around for a century. &#8220;American Black Journal&#8221; producer <a href="https://twitter.com/AJWalkerNews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AJ Walker</a> visits <a href="https://saintcharleslwanga.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">St. Charles Lwanga parish</a>, formerly known as St. Cecelia Church, for a wide-ranging discussion with its pastor, Fr. Theodore Parker, as the parish prepares for its 100th-anniversary celebration.  
The two talk about the history of Black Catholicism, the church&#8217;s name change and the controversy that ensued after the church revealed a painting of a Black Christ in the 1960s. 
&nbsp;
<h2>WATCH NOW:</h2>
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_video_slider controls_color=&#8221;light&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.0&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_video_slider_item admin_title=&#8221;Full Episode&#8221; src=&#8221;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slJzyE5DyPE&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.0&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; show_image_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221;][/et_pb_video_slider_item][et_pb_video_slider_item admin_title=&#8221;Seg 1&#8243; src=&#8221;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G41OFXPiX0U&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.0&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; show_image_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221;][/et_pb_video_slider_item][et_pb_video_slider_item admin_title=&#8221;Seg 2&#8243; src=&#8221;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwOdV4JjGwQ&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.0&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; show_image_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221;][/et_pb_video_slider_item][/et_pb_video_slider][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.0&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
<h3>Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.</h3>
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4/26/22: American Black Journal – The Black Catholic Church in Detroit

Screenshot-147

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Originally posted on December 28, 2021. Updated on April 12, 2022.
<h2>This Week on American Black Journal: </h2>
What role do pastors&#8217; spouses play in growing and supporting the church ministry?
Continuing the yearlong <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Black Church in Detroit series</a>, this week host Stephen Henderson looks into the lives of pastors and their spouses, traditionally called First Ladies and First Gentlemen in the African American church, to see how they each support the ministry individually and as a couple together.
Stephen connects with Bishop Edgar Vann and First Lady Elder Sheila Vann from <a href="https://secondebenezer.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Second Ebenezer Church</a> to hear what&#8217;s expected from pastors&#8217; spouses in the church and how they work together as a team to support their congregation. Plus, American Black Journal producer Marcus Green talks with <a href="https://detroitchurch.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Detroit Church</a> Pastor Sonny Smith and his wife, Sherita Smith, about how their ministry in Detroit started, how they feel about the term &#8216;First Lady,&#8217; and how they serve the church as a married couple.
&nbsp;
<h3>WATCH NOW:</h3>
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_video_slider controls_color=&#8221;light&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.0&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_video_slider_item admin_title=&#8221;Full Episode&#8221; src=&#8221;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kj6Ke9wZm38&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.0&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; show_image_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221;][/et_pb_video_slider_item][et_pb_video_slider_item admin_title=&#8221;Seg 2&#8243; src=&#8221;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZHuyU0u91A&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.14.1&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; show_image_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221;][/et_pb_video_slider_item][et_pb_video_slider_item admin_title=&#8221;Seg 1&#8243; src=&#8221;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxtS3cQwcNU&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.14.1&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; show_image_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221;][/et_pb_video_slider_item][/et_pb_video_slider][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

4/12/22: American Black Journal – The Role of Pastors’ Spouses in the Black Church

Black-Church-Worship-COVID

[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index_tablet=&#8221;500&#8243; text_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; text_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; text_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_3_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_4_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_4_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_4_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_5_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_5_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_5_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_6_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_6_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_6_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; box_shadow_vertical_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; box_shadow_blur_tablet=&#8221;40px&#8221; box_shadow_spread_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]
<h2>This Week on American Black Journal:</h2>
This week, &#8220;American Black Journal&#8221; continues its <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Black Church in Detroit</a> series, in partnership with the <a href="https://www.etseminary.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ecumenical Theological Seminary</a> and the <a href="https://www.thewright.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History</a>, with a look at how churches have adopted new ways to worship during the COVID-19 pandemic.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/technology-meets-theology-3-local-pastors-talk-changes-to-church-worship-during-covid-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Technology Meets Theology: 3 Local Pastors Talk Changes to Church Worship During COVID</a></h3>
From providing online and outdoor services to offering electronic giving methods and making food deliveries to those in need, Detroit&#8217;s Black churches have re-examined and re-imagined their ministries and outreach over the past two years of the pandemic. Although online worship has become the norm for many folks, and it may stay that way, a safe return to in-person services is on the horizon some local pastors say.
Host <a href="https://twitter.com/SHDetroit?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen Henderson</a> sits down with Bishop Charles Ellis III of <a href="http://www.greatergrace.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Greater Grace Temple</a>, Rev. Dr. Steve Bland, Jr. of <a href="https://www.libertytbc.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Liberty Temple Baptist Church</a>, and Pastor Semmeal Thomas of <a href="https://citycovenantchurch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">City Covenant Church</a> to talk about the changes to their worship during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pastors share their thoughts about the ability to reach more people through virtual sermons, a safe return to in-person services and the role of technology in church worship as they look to the future.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/the-new-normal-how-oak-grove-ame-church-has-adapted-to-online-worship-outreach/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New Normal: How the Black Church Has Adapted to Online Worship, Outreach</a></h3>
When several of Detroit&#8217;s Black churches shuttered their doors temporarily two years ago, many church leaders likely didn&#8217;t think the changes they&#8217;d make would become permanent. While some local churches have plans to return to their former operations, other churches say they&#8217;ll never return to the way they operated prior to the pandemic.
&#8220;American Black Journal&#8221; producer <a href="https://twitter.com/AJWalkerNews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AJ Walker</a> meets with Rev. Cindy Rudolph, of <a href="https://oakgroveame.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oak Grove AME Church</a> in Detroit, to learn more about how the church reacted and adapted new ways of worship during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rudolph talks about having to quickly adapt to remote services, online tithing and increased community outreach, all in the midst of her first few months as the church&#8217;s new senior pastor.
&nbsp;
<h2>Watch Now:</h2>
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_video_slider controls_color=&#8221;light&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_video_slider_item admin_title=&#8221;Double-click to add Full Episode&#8221; src=&#8221;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWxCEKuRVvw&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.14.9&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; show_image_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221;][/et_pb_video_slider_item][et_pb_video_slider_item admin_title=&#8221;Double-click to add Segment 1&#8243; src=&#8221;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikPudKbk05o&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.14.9&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; show_image_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221;][/et_pb_video_slider_item][et_pb_video_slider_item admin_title=&#8221;Double-click to add Segment 2&#8243; src=&#8221;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opyHsBBERmY&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.14.9&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; show_image_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221;][/et_pb_video_slider_item][/et_pb_video_slider][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; z_index_tablet=&#8221;500&#8243; text_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; text_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; text_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_3_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_4_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_4_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_4_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_5_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_5_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_5_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_6_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_6_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_6_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; box_shadow_vertical_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; box_shadow_blur_tablet=&#8221;40px&#8221; box_shadow_spread_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
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3/29/22: American Black Journal – The Black Church in Detroit: Black church worship during COVID-19

ABJ-TBCID-1200×628-1

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<h2>This Week on American Black Journal: </h2>
<h3>The Black Church in Detroit&#8217;s One-Year Anniversary Celebration </h3>
American Black Journal celebrates The Black Church in Detroit&#8217;s one-year anniversary in collaboration with the <a href="https://www.etseminary.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ecumenical Theological Seminary</a> and the <a href="https://www.thewright.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History</a> with a special hour-long episode.
American Black Journal host Stephen Henderson kicks off the episode with a look back at what inspired the collaborative series to begin one year ago, Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.&#8217;s PBS documentary &#8220;<a href="https://www.pbs.org/weta/black-church/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song,</a>&#8221; which explores the 400-year history of the Black Church. <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/black-church-documentary-director-discusses-impact-importance-of-pbs-series/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen sits down</a> with the documentary&#8217;s producer and director Stacey Holman to hear her perspectives on the series&#8217; impact and the importance of the church in the Black community.
Then, <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BridgeDetroit&#8217;s</a> Engagement Director <a href="https://twitter.com/orlandopbailey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Orlando Bailey</a> meets with Bishop J. Drew Sheard and his wife Karen Clark Sheard, of <a href="http://theclarksisters.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Clark Sisters</a>, at the Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ (<a href="https://www.geicogic.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">C.O.G.I.C.</a>) for an extensive never-before-seen interview. The three discuss Bishop Sheard&#8217;s leadership role and responsibilities at the helm of the C.O.G.I.C. denomination,  his wife&#8217;s role as First Lady of the Church and an award-winning Gospel artist and more.
RELATED: <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/bishop-j-drew-sheard-karen-clark-sheard-talk-black-church-leadership-the-clark-sisters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Watch Orlando Bailey&#8217;s Extended Interview with the Sheards</a>
Plus, Stephen pays tribute to The Black Church in Detroit&#8217;s one-year anniversary by revisiting some of the most captivating conversations and compelling guests featured on the show over the past year. We&#8217;ll revisit the <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-women-in-the-black-church/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">role of women</a> in the Black church, <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/7-23-21-american-black-journal-millennials-and-the-black-church/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how millennials view spirituality</a> today, the <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/covids-impact-on-black-church-congregations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">impact of COVID-19</a> on faith leaders since the pandemic began, and the Black church&#8217;s <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/2-14-21-american-black-journal-the-black-church-film-and-the-black-church-in-detroit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">focus on activism and change</a>.
<a href="http://www.greatergrace.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Greater Grace Temple&#8217;s</a> Bishop Charles Ellis III and gospel musician <a href="https://www.facebook.com/OfficialPaulPorter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paul Porter</a> round out The Black Church in Detroit&#8217;s one-year anniversary special with a rousing musical performance of &#8220;Done For Me,&#8221; an original gospel song written, produced and arranged by Bishop Ellis III.
Featured Religious Leaders: 
<ul>
<li>Rev. Dr. Kenneth Harris, <a href="https://www.etseminary.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ecumenical Theological Seminary</a></li>
<li>Rev. Dr. E.L. Branch, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/edwardlbranchministries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">E.L. Branch Ministires</a></li>
<li>Bishop Edgar Vann, <a href="https://secondebenezer.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Second Ebenezer Church</a></li>
<li>Rev. Dr. Constance Simon, <a href="https://www.fellowshipchapel.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fellowship Chapel</a></li>
<li>Bishop Charles Ellis III, <a href="http://www.greatergrace.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Greater Grace Temple</a></li>
<li>Rev. Kenita Harris, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dbtabernacle/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Detroit Bible Tabernacle</a></li>
<li>Rev. Charles Christian Adams, <a href="https://hartfordmemorial.thechurchonline.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hartford Memorial Baptist Church</a></li>
<li>Rev. Charles Williams II, <a href="http://www.kingsolomonchurch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Historic King Solomon Baptist Church</a></li>
<li>Rev. Barry Randolph, <a href="http://churchofthemessiahdetroit.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Church of the Messiah</a></li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<h3>WATCH NOW:</h3>
&nbsp;
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Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
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2/22/2022: American Black Journal – The Black Church in Detroit One-Year Anniversary Special

1/25/22: American Black Journal – Prison Ministries in the Black Church

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<h2>This Week on American Black Journal: </h2>
Host <a href="https://twitter.com/SHDetroit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen Henderson</a> continues American Black Journal&#8217;s &#8220;The Black Church in Detroit&#8221; <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">series</a> with the 12th installment exploring the role and services provided by Black churches in Detroit for incarcerated men and women, and their families, as well as exonerated former inmates re-entering society.
Stephen sits down with Bishop Mbiyu Chui of the <a href="https://www.shrineoftheblackmadonna1.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shrine of the Black Madonna #1</a> as well as Rev. Samuel Spruill of <a href="https://tmbcdetroit.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church</a>, and the CEO of the Helping Operations for People Empowerment (<a href="https://hopeindetroit.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">H.O.P.E.</a>) nonprofit about the jail and prison ministry services their churches provide to current and former inmates in the region.
Then, producer <a href="https://twitter.com/ajwalkernews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AJ Walker</a> takes viewers inside United Kingdom Church to watch a welcome home celebration being held for exonerated former inmates. Walker talks with Terrence Devezin, <a href="https://unitedkingdomchurch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United Kingdom Church</a> Pastor and Co-Founder of the <a href="https://www.theambassadorsgroup.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ambassadors Group</a>, and Ambassadors Group Co-founder Maxine Willis about their celebrations for the wrongfully convicted, and the other resources their organization provides to exonerated individuals re-adjusting to life outside of prison after spending decades behind bars.

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<h2>This Week on American Black Journal: </h2>
What role do pastors&#8217; spouses play in growing and supporting the church ministry?
Continuing the yearlong <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Black Church in Detroit series</a>, this week host Stephen Henderson looks into the lives of pastors and their spouses, traditionally called First Ladies and First Gentlemen in the African American church, to see how they each support the ministry individually and as a couple together.
Stephen connects with Bishop Edgar Vann and First Lady Elder Sheila Vann from <a href="https://secondebenezer.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Second Ebenezer Church</a> to hear what&#8217;s expected from each of their roles in the church and how they work together as a team to support their congregation. Plus, American Black Journal producer Marcus Green talks with <a href="https://detroitchurch.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Detroit Church</a> Pastor Sonny Smith and his wife, Sherita Smith, about how their ministry in Detroit started, how they feel about the term &#8216;First Lady,&#8217; and how they serve the church as a married couple.
&nbsp;
<h3>WATCH NOW:</h3>
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Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
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12/28/21: American Black Journal – The Role of Pastors’ Spouses in the Church

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<h2>This Week on American Black Journal:</h2>
Host Stephen Henderson will continue American Black Journal&#8217;s yearlong series on <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Black Church</a> in Detroit with a look at Womanist Theology. The term refers to an approach to the study of God that is centered on the experiences and perspectives of African-American women in the United Stated and throughout the diaspora. Henderson talks with three thought leaders in womanist theology: Rev. Dr. Constance Simon and Rev. Dr. Mayowa Lisa Reynolds, both from <a href="https://www.fellowshipchapel.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fellowship Chapel</a> in Detroit, and Ashley Lewis, a Master of Divinity student at the <a href="https://www.etseminary.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ecumenical Theological Seminary</a>. The four explore the important voice African American women bring to the Black Church and examine what it means to be a Black feminist. It&#8217;s a thought-provoking conversation you don&#8217;t want to miss.
&nbsp;
<h3>WATCH NOW:</h3>
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Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56">YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">website</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/">Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
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11/30/21: American Black Journal – Womanist Theology

10/26/21: American Black Journal – Leadership Succession in the Black Church

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Host Stephen Henderson continues American Black Journal&#8217;s yearlong series on <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Black Church</a> in Detroit with a look at Pastoral Succession in the Black Church.
Rev. Dr. Tony Henderson, associate professor of practical theology at the <a href="https://www.etseminary.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ecumenical Theological Seminary</a>, explains how succession planning and the process of selecting new church leadership varies according to the denomination. And, he speaks to the importance of churches having a plan in place.
Plus, Stephen talks with Rev. Dr. Jim Holley, senior pastor of <a href="https://www.historiclittlerockbc.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Historic Little Rock Baptist Church</a> in Detroit, about his decision to step down at the end of the year after 50 years leading the church. They talk about his reason for retiring now, how the succession process is going, the next generation of leadership, and his hopes for the future of the church.

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<h2>This Week on American Black Journal:</h2>
<div>As faith leaders, ministers are called upon to comfort their parishioners in times of sorrow and need, nut what happens when the grief touches them personally?</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Host Stephen Henderson continues American Black Journal&#8217;s yearlong series on <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Black Church</a> in Detroit with a look at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ministers and their congregations. In a special report, Rev. Dr. Kenneth Harris, <a href="https://www.etseminary.edu/">President of the Ecumenical Theological Seminary</a>, and his daughter Rev. Kenita Harris, Minister of Social Engagement at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dbtabernacle/">Detroit Bible Tabernacle</a>, talk about their personal experience with loss during the COVID pandemic.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Plus, Stephen talks with two Detroit-area pastors featured in a State of Michigan television and radio campaign focusing on the lonely goodbyes that have resulted from the coronavirus and the importance of getting vaccinated. Rev. Charles Williams II of <a href="http://www.kingsolomonchurch.org/">Historic King Solomon Baptist Church</a> and Rev. Dr. John Duckworth from <a href="https://www.gmbcwestland.org/">Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church</a> address the ongoing vaccine hesitancy in the African American community and talk about the impact of COVID-19 on their congregations.</div>
<h3> </h3>
<h3>WATCH NOW:</h3>
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Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56">YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">website</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/">Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
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9/28/21: American Black Journal – COVID’s Impact on Ministers and Congregations

Three Anglican priests attending a funeral

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On the next American Black Journal, we&#8217;ll continue our yearlong series on The Black Church in Detroit with a look a the diverse denominations in the African American Church and Detroit&#8217;s long history of pastors who have risen to international or national leadership roles in their religious communities.
Stephen Henderson talks with Rev. Cindy Rudolph, the first female senior pastor of <a href="https://oakgroveame.org/">Oak Grove AME Church</a>, and Rev. Dr. Tony Curtis Henderson, Associate Professor of Practical Theology at the <a href="https://www.etseminary.edu/">Ecumenical Theological Seminary.</a> They&#8217;ll examine the origins and history of the largest denominations, along with the differences and similarities in their beliefs.
Plus, Orlando Bailey of BridgeDetroit talks with Bishop Charles Ellis III of <a href="http://www.greatergrace.org/">Greater Grace Temple</a> about his former role as Presiding Bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World and about Detroit&#8217;s significant influence in numerous denominations.
Don&#8217;t miss American Black Journal on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
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<h3>WATCH NOW:</h3>
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Don&#8217;t miss American Black Journal on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and again on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
<h3><a href="http://www.pbs.org/show/american-black-journal/">View more from American Black Journal &gt;</a></h3>
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8/29/21: American Black Journal – Diversity of Denominations in the Black Church / Leadership Roles of Detroit Pastors

Millennials-and-the-Black-Church-image-low-res

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On the next American Black Journal, we&#8217;ll continue our yearlong series on The Black Church in Detroit with a look at Millennials and the Black Church. A study by the Pew Research Center found young African American adults are less religious and less engaged in predominantly Black churches than older generations.
Stephen Henderson has an intergenerational conversation with <a href="http://thirdnewhope.com/">Third New Hope Baptist Church</a> Pastor Emeritus, <a href="https://www.elbranchministries.com/">Dr. E.L. Branch</a>, and his successor, Pastor QuanTez Pressley. Dr. Branch spent 42 years leading the church, and Pastor Pressley is a millennial and longtime protege pf Dr. Branch.
Plus, Orlando Bailey of BridgeDetroit talks with 23-year-old minister <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mikiahk/">Mikiah Keener</a> of <a href="https://www.triumphch.org/">Triumph Church</a> about answering the call to the ministry as a teenager and how she uses social media to engage her more than 70,000 followers. Don&#8217;t miss American Black Journal on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
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<h3>WATCH NOW:</h3>
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Don&#8217;t miss American Black Journal on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and again on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
<h3><a href="http://www.pbs.org/show/american-black-journal/">View more from American Black Journal &gt;</a></h3>
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7/25/21: American Black Journal – Millennials and the Black Church

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On the next American Black Journal, we&#8217;ll continue our year-long series on The Black Church in Detroit with a special look at gospel music in honor of Black Music Month.
We take a look at the origin of gospel music and how it has evolved over time to include the contemporary sounds of today. And, we&#8217;ll examine gospel&#8217;s impact in Detroit and its rich history of producing great gospel artists. Host Stephen Henderson talks with Pastor Robert Smith, Jr. of <a href="https://www.nbbcdetroit.org/">New Bethel Baptist Church</a>, where the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin grew up singing in the choir. He talks about the church&#8217;s long connection to gospel music and how it is changing with the times.
Plus, Dr. E. LaQuint Weaver II shares his love of gospel music as the founder and director of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063495311087">The Hallelujah Singers,</a> a Detroit-based community choir that has performed with music greats and won gospel music competitions. And, WMXD-92.3 FM gospel radio show host and University of Michigan-Deaborn professor, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/debsmithpollard">Dr. Deborah Smith Pollard</a> traces the evolution of the gospel sound and explains why it still matters today.
Don&#8217;t miss American Black Journal on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
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Check out the extended interviews here:
Extended interview with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEng_GG7dMk">Pastor Robert Smith, Jr. of New Bethel Baptist Church.</a>
Extended interview with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jl9C8DvN4U8">Dr. E. LaQuint Weaver II with the Hallelujah Singers.</a>
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<h3>WATCH NOW:</h3>
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Don&#8217;t miss American Black Journal on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and again on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
<h3><a href="http://www.pbs.org/show/american-black-journal/">View more from American Black Journal &gt;</a></h3>
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6/27/21: American Black Journal – Gospel music in the Black Church

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On the next episode of American Black Journal, we take a historical look at the identity of the Black Church. From the important role that spirituality played in the lives of enslaved Africans to the early Black churches in Detroit, we explore the question, &#8220;How do you Define the Black Church?&#8221;
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ABJ host Stephen Henderson talks with the Rev. Dr. Kenneth Harris, president of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ETSeminary/">Ecumenical Theological Seminary</a>, and Rev. Kenita Harris, minister of social engagement at Detroit Bible Tabernacle, about the roots of spirituality in the Black Church. They examine the connection between theology and racist ideology during ancient times, the historical values of the Black Church, and the distinct religious culture of the Black Church.
Plus, we&#8217;ll visit the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CharlesHWrightMuseum/">Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History</a> for an up-close tour of an exhibition that shows how religion has always been a major force in African American culture and traces the history of some of Detroit&#8217;s most influential early Black Churches.
This fourth installment of our year-long series on <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/">The Black Church in Detroit</a> airs on Sunday, May 30 at 9:30 a.m. and again on Wednesday, June 2 at 7:30 p.m.
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<h3>WATCH NOW:</h3>
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5/30/21: American Black Journal – How Do You Define the Black Church?

2021-04-23_1058

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We&#8217;ll continue our yearlong series on <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/">The Black Church in Detroit</a> with a look at how the church ministers beyond the walls of the building. Historically, the Black Church has been the cornerstone of the African American community, providing an economic and social foundation for members and residents. Stephen Henderson talks with two prominent Detroit pastors, Bishop Charles Ellis III of <a href="http://www.greatergrace.org/">Greater Grace Temple</a> and Rev. Charles Christian Adams of <a href="https://hmbcdetroit.org/">Hartford Memorial Baptist Church</a>, about the role of the church in meeting more than just spiritual needs.  The two ministers talk about their faith-based initiatives in the surrounding neighborhoods. Plus, Orlando Bailey of <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/">BridgeDetroit</a> visits <a href="https://secondebenezer.org/">Second Ebenezer Church</a> to talk with its senior pastor, Bishop Edgar Vann, about the specific needs his church is addressing in 2021.
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Don&#8217;t miss American Black Journal on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and again on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal-episode-list/">View more from American Black Journal &gt;</a></h3>
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4/25/21: American Black Journal – The Black Church in the Community

2021-03-26_1048f

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American Black Journal’s series on the <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/">Black Church</a> in Detroit continues, produced in partnership with the <a href="https://www.etseminary.edu/">Ecumenical Theological Seminary</a> and <a href="https://www.thewright.org/">Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History</a>. In honor of Women’s History Month, the show takes a look at the history of women in the Black church.
Historically, the contributions of Black women have been extremely crucial to the church’s growth, operations and survival, yet many houses of worship remain male dominated with few women in leadership roles. Stephen Henderson has a candid conversation with three women ministers: Rev. Dr. JoAnn Watson of <a href="https://www.westsideunitychurch.com/">West Side Unity Church</a>, Rev. Cindy Rudolph of <a href="https://oakgroveame.org/">Oak Grove AME Church</a> and Rev. Kenita Harris of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dbtabernacle/">Detroit Bible Tabernacle</a>. They’ll talk about the importance of faith and religion in the lives of Black women, their roles in the church today, and the ongoing debate over gender equality in the ministry.  
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<h2>View More About The Black Church in Detroit</h2>
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Women in the Black Church

2021-03-26_1047

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From the <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/">Black Church in Detroit</a> series, produced in partnership with the <a href="https://www.etseminary.edu/">Ecumenical Theological Seminary</a> and <a href="https://www.thewright.org/">Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History</a>, American Black Journal explores the history of women in the Black church with a look at the portrait of the Black Madonna, which was unveiled at the Shrine of the Black Madonna in Detroit in 1967.
Erika “Nireti” Butler, general counsel and assistant secretary at the church, as well as Judge Cynthia Stephens, an executive committee member of the church, and Bishop Mbiyu Chui come together to talk about <a href="https://www.shrineoftheblackmadonna1.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the church’s</a> founding and the creation of Black liberation theology. Plus, the trio discusses the social and cultural impacts of the portrait, and the significance of showing diverse versions of the iconic image. Producer Marcus Green has the story.
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<h2>Watch Now: </h2>
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<h3>Full Transcript:</h3>
Erika &#8220;Nireti&#8221; Butler, General Counsel &amp; Assistant Secretary, Shrine of the Black Madonna  I call upon my brothers, I call upon my sisters, together, we can overcome evil and injustice in this world if we choose to act with courage and conviction.
Judge Cynthia Stephens, Executive Committee Member, Shrine of the Black Madonna  Women in the church have always been the backbone of the church, but the backbone in the background, and that&#8217;s not where we are here.
Bishop Mbiyu Chui, Shrine of the Black Madonna  The church started in 1953 after our founder, Rev. Albert B. Cleage Jr., left the Presbyterian Church, St. Mark&#8217;s Presbyterian, because he felt like he didn&#8217;t have the latitude to do the kind of social ministry that he wanted to do, and in 1962 they purchased this building, and it became The Central United Church of Christ. In 67 with the unveiling of the portrait of the Black Madonna, also came the launch of Black Christian Nationalism. That was the movement that gave birth to black liberation theology and everything we know about that struggle.
Judge Cynthia Stephens, Executive Committee Member, Shrine of the Black Madonna  I heard all sorts of pushback. I heard, &#8220;That&#8217;s ridiculous.&#8221;.  I heard, &#8220;Did you see? She&#8217;s so dark; she&#8217;s ugly.&#8221;.  I heard, &#8220;Well, what&#8217;s that light skinned man doing with that dark baby and child up in his church? Everybody knows, blah, blah, blah.&#8221;. There was a lot of pushback. But, from then to now, it is amazing to see how many brown angels, brown Madonna&#8217;s, Brown Jesus, are in churches from the storefront to the big cathedrals.
Barbara- Rose Collins, Member, Shrine of the Black Madonna  Some churches, the Baptist churches, some what you call holiness, the Sanctified churches, didn&#8217;t allow women in the pulpit. If a black woman was permitted to give the announcements to the church, she had to stand in front of the pulpit, not on the pulpit. And you didn&#8217;t hear of black women preachers.
Bishop Mbiyu Chui, Shrine of the Black Madonna  It inspired a whole revolution of iconography, black iconography, not just religious, but also cultural and social iconography. So it had a tremendous impact on the culture and the social force of black communities, white community all across the world. And also, he wanted to pay tribute to the role of black women in our historical struggle for freedom and justice and equality, and who better to represent that than the mother of Jesus, Mary.
Judge Cynthia Stephens, Executive Committee Member, Shrine of the Black Madonna  You know how they first started to talk about we as a community said, well, we needed representation, right? And so we wanted to see ourselves in various careers. Well, what better to see yourself as?
Bishop Mbiyu Chui, Shrine of the Black Madonna  The mother of Jesus represents motherhood and the important role that women play in the family, in the community, but also, I think she&#8217;s an example of our willingness to serve God. So she represents that highest level of servanthood to be used as an instrument to do the work of God here on Earth every single day.
Judge Cynthia Stephens, Executive Committee Member, Shrine of the Black Madonna  Amilcar Cabral said, &#8220;You can judge people by how they value their elders and their women.&#8221;. And people often think about that as, you know, value, put up on a pedestal, isn&#8217;t she pretty, let&#8217;s buy her something cute to wear, isn&#8217;t she lovely, I&#8217;ll open the door. I want a door opened, OK.  And I love it when my husband buys me something pretty, but respect and making use of the talents. If you don&#8217;t fully make use of the talents of women, the community is forever robbed.
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Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
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Portrait of Black Madonna Still Stands as Symbol of Black Liberation

2021-03-26_1047d

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We&#8217;ll continue our yearlong series on <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/">The Black Church in Detroit</a> with an up-close look at the role of women in the Black Church, as we mark Women&#8217;s History Month. Historically, the contributions of Black women have been extremely crucial to the church&#8217;s growth, operations and survival, yet many houses of worship remain male dominated with few women in leadership roles. Stephen has a candid conversation with three women ministers: Rev. Dr. JoAnn Watson of West Side Unity Church, Rev. Cindy Rudolph of Oak Grove AME Church and Rev. Kenita Harris of Detroit Bible Tabernacle. They&#8217;ll talk about the importance of faith and religion in the lives of Black women, their roles in the church today, and the ongoing debate over gender equality in the ministry.  Plus, we&#8217;ll visit the Shrine of the Black Madonna where a mural of a Black Madonna and Child was unveiled on Easter Sunday 1967. The painting not only served as a symbol of Black liberation, but it also depicted the strength and power of the Black woman in the struggle for freedom, justice and equality.
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Don&#8217;t miss American Black Journal on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and again on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
<h3><a href="http://www.pbs.org/show/american-black-journal/">View more from American Black Journal &gt;</a></h3>
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3/28/21: American Black Journal – Women in the Black Church

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On the next episode, we launch a monthly series focusing on &#8220;<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/">The Black Church in Detroit</a>,&#8221; and produced in collaboration with the <a href="https://www.etseminary.edu/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ecumenical Theological Seminary</a> and the <a href="https://www.thewright.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History</a>.
We preview the PBS documentary from Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr., &#8220;<a href="https://www.pbs.org/weta/black-church/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song</a>,&#8221; which traces the 400-year history of the Black Church in America.  And, Stephen leads a roundtable with three Detroit ministers on the Black Church&#8217;s involvement in the fight for racial and social justice, from the Jim Crow era and Civil Rights Movement to today&#8217;s Black Lives Matter Movement.  Guests include Rev. Dr. Constance Simon, Fellowship Chapel, Pastor Barry Randolph, Church of the Messiah and Rev. Charles Williams II, Historic King Solomon Baptist Church.
The group also talks about how the Black church meets the needs of the community, both historically and now, during the pandemic. Don&#8217;t miss American Black Journal on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
This week we also pay tribute to artist and icon, Mary Wilson. Watch the full episode from Detroit Black Journal with Mary Wilson along with the clip we put together below.
&nbsp;
<h3>WATCH NOW:</h3>
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Don&#8217;t miss American Black Journal on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and again on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal-episode-list/">View more from American Black Journal &gt;</a></h3>
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2/14/21: American Black Journal – The Black Church Film and The Black Church in Detroit

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<ul>
<li>Insurrection and Aftermath Former President Donald Trump&#8217;s second impeachment is underway in the wake of the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. One Detroit&#8217;s Will Glover talks to experts in social media research, right wing extremist groups, and a former senior national security director to get a better understanding of what was on the minds of insurrectionists as they laid siege to the Capitol.</li>
<li>The COVID Vaccine: Vaccine Hesitation and the Trust Gap &#8220;People just have more questions than they do answers. And now we have a new problem, which is a lot of those people who are ‘No’ or ‘No, for now’ have become a yes. And we have a waitlist in Genesee County of over 30,000 people and the list grows by about 2,000 people a day.&#8221; Christy talks with Dr. Debra Furr-Holden, an epidemiologist at MSU&#8217;s Division of Public Health and director of Flint Health Equity Solutions, about vaccine distribution and helping local groups get their questions answered when it comes to COVID vaccine safety.</li>
<li>American Black Journal: The Role of Activism in the Black Church This month, American Black Journal is kicking off a year-long initiative highlighting the historic importance and continuing influence of Black churches in Detroit. One Detroit has a preview of Stephen Henderson&#8217;s conversation with Pastor Barry Randolph of Church of the Messiah, Rev. Dr. Constance Simon of Fellowship Chapel and Reverend Charles Williams II of Historic King Solomon Church.</li>
<li>Motor Bella &amp; the Future of the Auto Show News that the North American International Auto Show is on hold again this year is causing speculation that we’ll never see a big auto show here again. Not so fast says NAIAS Chairman Doug North. He talks with Nolan Finley about their new event in Pontiac called Motor Bella next fall.</li>
<li>Remembering Detroit Legends Mary Wilson &amp; Charles McGee Detroit recently lost two iconic artists—Mary Wilson of The Supremes and Charles McGee. Wilson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, was an author, and fiercely loved Detroit. Charles McGee&#8217;s artwork can be seen all around the city. Wilson appeared on Detroit Black Journal in 1986, and McGee talked about his work in his own words in a Detroit Performs segment from 2017, where he talked about the unveiling of his mural titled “Unity.”
<ul>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/the-legacy-of-a-master/">Watch this story and find out where you can see more of McGee&#8217;s work around the area, click here&gt;</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/remembering-mary-wilson/">View the Detroit Black Journal episode with Mary Wilson</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
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<h2><a href="https://www.detroitpbs.org/category/one-detroit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h2>
Watch One Detroit every Monday and Thursday at 7:30pm ET on Detroit Public TV.
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2/11/21: One Detroit – Insurrection / Vaccine Hesitation / The Black Church in Detroit / Motor Bell

Black-Church

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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Watch Party for “The Black Church”</h2>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Hosted by Stephen Henderson of American Black Journal</h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"> February 1, 2021</h3>
At our virtual watch party event, we explored and honored the significance and history of the Black church in Detroit &#8211; in connection with the national premiere of the new PBS series <a href="https://www.pbs.org/weta/black-church/">The Black Church</a> by noted historian Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
We got a sneak preview of the series, along with highlights from an exclusive interview with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Following the viewings, we discussed local history and the importance of the Black Church to the Detroit community with a group of esteemed panelists, including:
<ul>
<li>Rev. Kenita Harris, Detroit Bible Tabernacle</li>
<li>Freda Sampson, President, Frederick G. Sampson Foundation</li>
<li>Dr. Terri Laws, Professor of African and African-American Studies and Religious Studies, U-M Dearborn</li>
</ul>
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Watch Party: Celebrating “The Black Church” series

Latest Episodes

acf/slideronedetroitposts

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As students return to the classroom, the faith-based community continues to play a supporting role in their education. The partnerships created <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/black-church-abj-clips/detroits-black-churches-partner-with-city-schools-champion-students-education/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">between school districts and churches</a> often bridge gaps in resources, provide emotional support, and address various challenges faced by the school system. <span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:0,&quot;335551620&quot;:0,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559685&quot;:-20,&quot;335559737&quot;:-20,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}"> 
American Black Journal’s <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/">“Black Church in Detroit” series</a> explores the contributions of local churches. Guest host Trudy Gallant-Stokes leads a discussion with Bishop Dr. Corletta Vaughn of <a href="https://www.gotellit.org/holy-ghost-cathedral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Holy Ghost Cathedral Church</a> and Pastor Velma Jean Overman of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/p/Christ-Temple-City-of-Refuge-CTCOR-100064276496158/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christ Temple City of Refuge</a>. <span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:0,&quot;335551620&quot;:0,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559685&quot;:-20,&quot;335559737&quot;:-20,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}"> 
Bishop Vaughn, <a href="https://www.detroitk12.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&amp;DomainID=4&amp;ModuleInstanceID=4585&amp;ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&amp;RenderLoc=0&amp;FlexDataID=25399&amp;PageID=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a board member</a> of the Detroit Public Schools Community District, talks about the spiritual support faith leaders provide to students, parents, and educators. She emphasizes the faith community’s role in addressing chronic absenteeism, which has been a major issue for the district. <span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:0,&quot;335551620&quot;:0,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559685&quot;:-20,&quot;335559737&quot;:-20,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}"> 
At Pastor Overman’s church, students are rewarded for consistent school attendance. Pastor Overman discusses those efforts and emphasizes the close collaboration between her church and local educators to enhance out-of-school time learning opportunities for children.
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit PBS’<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> and don’t miss &#8220;American Black Journal&#8221; on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit PBS, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit PBS, WTVS-Channel 56.

Local Black churches play a supporting role in students’ education

Hundreds in attendance at 17th annual Silence the Violence march to end gun violence

In August 2023, eight-year-old Shawntaze Cameron Moore was fatally shot after he and other children got ahold of an unsecured gun at his mom’s house on Detroit’s west side. In 2016, 15-year-old Jada Rankin was killed by gun violence in Detroit. Each year, families of victims like Shawntaze and Jada, along with supporters, come together to honor loved ones lost to gun violence at the <a href="https://churchofthemessiahdetroit.org/silence-the-violence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Silence the Violence march and rally</a>. 
The 17th annual event took place on June 15 at the <a href="https://churchofthemessiahdetroit.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Church of the Messiah</a>. Hundreds of people attended the event, which recognizes the innocent victims of gun violence and advances efforts to eradicate gun violence. Michigan <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/ltgov" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II</a>, Detroit <a href="https://detroitmi.gov/government/mayors-office/police-chief" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Police Chief James White</a>, and Detroit <a href="https://detroitmi.gov/government/city-council/city-council-president-district-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">City Council President Mary Sheffield</a> were also in attendance, offering their thoughts on reducing gun violence in the community.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}"> 
RELATED: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/16th-annual-silence-the-violence-march/">16th annual Silence the Violence march advocates for ending gun violence in communities of color</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/15th-annual-silence-the-violence-march-rallies-to-stop-gun-violence-in-detroit/">15th annual Silence the Violence march rallies to stop gun violence in Detroit</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/the-black-churchs-role-in-reducing-gun-violence-in-the-communities-they-serve/">The Black church’s role in reducing gun violence in the communities they serve </a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/force-detroit-discusses-creative-solutions-to-gun-violence-in-communities-of-color/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FORCE Detroit discusses creative solutions to gun violence in communities of color</a></li>
</ul>
The event began in 2008 in the church’s Islandview neighborhood with little more than 50 people in attendance. Within a few years, the march and rally became a citywide event, and <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/15th-annual-silence-the-violence-march-rallies-to-stop-gun-violence-in-detroit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in 2022</a> it was recognized statewide.
American Black Journal contributor Daijah Moss joined attendees at the march and rally to talk with family members who showed up in remembrance of loved ones who lost their lives to gun violence. The event’s founder, Church of the Messiah Pastor Barry Randolph, talked about the event’s growth over the years and its influence on similar marches being held in cities across Michigan. 
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit PBS’<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> and don’t miss &#8220;American Black Journal&#8221; on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit PBS, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit PBS, WTVS-Channel 56.

From spirituals to contemporary gospel: The history and influence of African American religious music

June marks Black Music Month, <a href="https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/celebrating-black-music-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a celebration</a> that traces its origins to 1979 when then-Jimmy Carter first proclaimed it to be African American Music Appreciation Month, as it&#8217;s formally called. The celebration acknowledges the contributions Black musicians have made to the nation’s cultural heritage, dating back to the <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/negro-spirituals-the-music-that-helped-free-enslaved-african-americans/">spirituals sung by enslaved Africans</a>.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559685&quot;:-20,&quot;335559737&quot;:-20,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}"> 
Several of the music genres today have transcended from religious roots, serving as a vital medium to express emotions, bridge cultural divides, and enhance mental well-being. <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/gospels-orgins-and-evolution-gospel-artist-darius-twyman-detroits-gospel-history-american-black-journal/">Gospel music</a> itself, which was born in the Black church, has evolved into a global phenomenon, blending traditional and contemporary elements while retaining its spiritual message.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:0,&quot;335551620&quot;:0,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559685&quot;:-20,&quot;335559737&quot;:-20,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}"> 
RELATED: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/negro-spirituals-the-music-that-helped-free-enslaved-african-americans/">Negro Spirituals: The Music That Helped Free Enslaved African Americans</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/gospel-radio-host-historian-dr-deborah-smith-pollards-gives-history-lesson-on-detroits-gospel-influence/">Gospel radio host, historian Deborah Smith Pollards gives history lesson on Detroit’s gospel influence</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/darius-twyman-discusses-detroits-major-influence-on-traditional-and-contemporary-gospel-music/">Darius Twyman discusses Detroit’s major influence on traditional and contemporary gospel music</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/henry-louis-gates-jr-examines-gospel-musics-rich-history-in-new-pbs-docuseries-gospel/">Henry Louis Gates, Jr. examines gospel music’s rich history in PBS docuseries ‘GOSPEL’</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/the-sacred-and-the-secular-how-gospel-music-grew-from-the-blues/">The sacred and the secular: How gospel music grew from the Blues</a></li>
</ul>
For Black Music Month, “American Black Journal” <a href="http://h/">host Stephen Henderson</a> talks with <a href="https://www.detroitchamber.com/bios/rev-larry-simmons/">Rev. Larry Simmons</a> of Baber Memorial AME Church and <a href="https://brandonwaddles.com/">Dr. Brandon Waddles</a>, assistant professor of choral conducting and music education at Wayne State University, about the power of music to evoke emotions, connect cultures, improve mental health, and serve as a universal language.
They also talk about the enduring influence of spirituals and gospel music on American culture, how white entertainers have been influenced by Black music, and the role of storytelling in music.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:0,&quot;335551620&quot;:0,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559685&quot;:-20,&quot;335559737&quot;:-20,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}"> 
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit PBS’<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> and don’t miss &#8220;American Black Journal&#8221; on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit PBS, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit PBS, WTVS-Channel 56.

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A new PBS docuseries from Henry Louis Gates, Jr. delves into the origins and influence of gospel music on Black spirituality. Premiering Feb. 12-13, “GOSPEL,” a <a href="https://www.pbs.org/show/gospel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">four-part documentary series</a>, explores the rich history of sermon and song in the Black church. The docuseries reunites Gates, an acclaimed Harvard scholar and documentarian, with directors Stacey L. Holman and Shayla Harris, who created “<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/henry-louis-gates-jr-s-making-black-america-documentary-tells-the-story-of-african-american-resilience-empowerment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Making Black America: Through the Grapevine</a>” and “<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/black-church-documentary-director-discusses-impact-importance-of-pbs-series/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Black Church: This Is Our Story. This Is Our Song</a>” in collaboration with Gates.
Throughout the “GOSPEL” docuseries, viewers will hear conversations with a number of gospel singers as well as clergymen and scholars. The series also explores how evolving preaching styles, cultural innovations and consumer technologies shaped the development of gospel music since its conception. 
RELATED: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/the-sacred-and-the-secular-how-gospel-music-grew-from-the-blues/">The sacred and the secular: How gospel music grew from the blues</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/gospel-music-in-the-black-church/">Gospel music in the Black church</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/negro-spirituals-the-music-that-helped-free-enslaved-african-americans/">Negro Spirituals: The music that helped free enslaved African Americans</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The &#8220;Black Church in Detroit&#8221; series</a></li>
</ul>
In anticipation of the “GOSPEL” series premiere, “American Black Journal” <a href="https://twitter.com/SHDetroit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">host Stephen Henderson</a> talks with Holman, the director and producer of the docuseries, about the music history it chronicles and the impact on the Black church. They also discuss <a href="https://www.dptv.org/gospel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Detroit’s connection to the genre</a> and how other music genres have been influenced by gospel. 
Plus, join “American Black Journal” for its “GOSPEL” Watch Party on Thursday, Feb. 15 on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1505211520045836" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://youtube.com/live/x0Rhpb5NeQM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YouTube.</a> Local gospel music experts, as well as performers, writers and producers in the genre, will discuss Detroit’s rich gospel music history and where gospel music in our city is headed today. 
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> and don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. examines gospel music’s rich history in new PBS docuseries ‘GOSPEL’

Detroit and the nation are mourning the loss of one of this country’s most influential African American ministers. <a href="https://hmbcdetroit.org/dr-charles-g-adams/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rev. Dr. Charles G. Adams</a>, pastor emeritus of Detroit’s <a href="https://hmbcdetroit.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hartford Memorial Baptist Church</a>, passed away last month at the age of 86. He left behind an enduring legacy as a prominent minister, civil rights activist, and community service leader.
RELATED: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/black-church-in-detroit-preachers-kids/">Rev. Charles Christian Adams talks about growing up with his father as a minister</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-58eKFII2E" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rev. Charles G. Adams of Detroit’s Hartford Memorial Baptist Church celebrates 50 years as pastor</a></li>
</ul>
“American Black Journal” host <a href="https://twitter.com/SHDetroit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen Henderson</a> sits down for a conversation with Rev. Adams’ son, <a href="https://hmbcdetroit.org/our-pastor/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rev. Charles Christian Adams</a>, who became the senior pastor at Hartford when his father retired in 2019 after more than 50 years in the pulpit. Pastor Adams reflects on his father’s many contributions and achievements, including serving as president of the <a href="https://www.detroitnaacp.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Detroit Branch NAACP</a>, being among the first to ordain women into the ministry, and traveling to the Mideast with then-President Bill Clinton for the signing of the Jordan-Israel peace treaty in 1994.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:0,&quot;335551620&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> 
Plus, Pastor Adams, who is a member of American Black Journal’s “<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/">Black Church in Detroit</a>” advisory committee, also talks about his relationship with his dad and the profound impact of the loss of his father on his life.
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.

Remembering the legacy of African American minister Rev. Dr. Charles G. Adams

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Featured photo provided by the Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs
The 1963 <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/detroit-walk-to-freedom/">Detroit Walk to Freedom</a> was a major milestone in the civil rights movement. Organized by prominent religious and civil rights leaders Rev. C.L. Franklin and Rev. Albert Cleage, Jr., and featuring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the march brought together more than 125,000 people on Woodward Avenue to peacefully advocate for racial equality and justice in what was the largest civil rights demonstration at the time. 
As the city commemorates the 60th anniversary of the Detroit Walk to Freedom, American Black Journal’s <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/">&#8220;Black Church in Detroit&#8221; series</a> examines the role of the city&#8217;s religious community in the historic march and rally that featured Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 
<a href="https://twitter.com/SHDetroit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Host Stephen Henderson</a> and guest, Bishop Mbiyu Chui of the Shrine of the Black Madonna #1, delve into the often-forgotten connection between the city&#8217;s Black churches and the massive march for civil rights. Bishop Chui relates the backstory about how racism and violence against Blacks in the South led to the organization of the walk by the Shrine&#8217;s founder, Rev. Albert Cleage, Jr. and Rev. C.L. Franklin of New Bethel Baptist Church.  
RELATED: <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/portrait-of-the-black-madonna-black-church-detroit-american-black-journal/">Portrait of Black Madonna Still Stands as Symbol of Black Liberation</a>
Plus, they talk about the many voices represented in the Detroit civil rights demonstration, the Black Church&#8217;s role as a moral compass for America, and the challenges that remain today — 60 years after the Walk to Freedom. 
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.

Faith-fueled unity: The Black church’s role in the 1963 Detroit Walk to Freedom

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In observance of <a href="https://www.nami.org/Get-Involved/Awareness-Events/Mental-Health-Awareness-Month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mental Health Awareness Month</a> in May, a growing spotlight is being placed on a sometimes-overlooked demographic: ministers. These spiritual leaders play pivotal roles in their communities, providing guidance, support and solace to their congregations. However, the demanding nature of their responsibilities coupled with the societal pressures they face can take a toll on their own mental well-being.  
With mental health awareness gaining momentum, discussions surrounding the unique challenges experienced by ministers in <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/">the Black church</a> shed light on the importance of prioritizing their mental health and fostering a supportive environment within religious communities.  
As Mental Health Awareness Month closes out, “American Black Journal” <a href="https://twitter.com/SHDetroit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">host Stephen Henderson</a> has a frank conversation with Rev. Dr. Carla Spight-Mackey, a clinical specialist at <a href="https://www.dwihn.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network</a> (DWIHN), about the need for clergy to practice self-care, take time off and know when it is time to seek help. They talk about resources and ways ministers can get support. Plus, Dr. Spight-Mackey offers ideas on how to <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/communities-of-color-break-down-stigmas-prioritize-self-care-for-mental-health-awareness-month/">reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness</a> in the African American community.
<h2>Full Transcript:</h2>
Stephen Henderson, American Black Journal, Host: We continue our series on the Black Church in Detroit, which is produced in partnership with the Ecumenical Theological Seminary and with the Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History. As we close out Mental Health Awareness Month, we want to talk about the mental health of ministers. Self-care and taking time off are just as important for pastors as they are for everyone else. But often ministers put their own health and problems aside to care for others. I spoke with Reverend Dr. Carla Spight-Mackey of Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network about the importance of ministers maintaining their mental health.
I&#8217;m really intrigued by this idea. The idea of care for caregivers is something that we talk about a lot right now in our culture, because more and more people find themselves in the role, I think, of caregiver than ever before. But in some ways, that means we&#8217;re not always thinking about people who have always been in the role of caregiver their entire careers or in some cases, their entire lives. And I think pastors fall into that category. They need care, too. And this is Mental Health Awareness Month. You&#8217;re trying to draw attention to the idea that they need mental health support sometimes as much as the rest of us do.
Rev. Dr. Carla Spight-Mackey, Clinical Specialist, Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network: Absolutely. I think quite often we as the community, even though I&#8217;m a minister and serve as a pastor, I think that quite often we forget that pastors are the number one human. Number two, we as pastors&#8230;. suffer twice.
Let&#8217;s say it that way. I can say it that way because of course, throughout COVID and moving into where we are now, we have funeralized so many of our members and family and friends. And it&#8217;s not just going to do a eulogy, but it&#8217;s eulogizing someone, you know, and you take on that you empathize and are entrenched in it. And if we don&#8217;t take care of ourselves, you know, we could be worse off than the people we&#8217;re trying to take care of.
Stephen Henderson: Yeah. You know, as you point out, the pandemic was just absolutely terrorizing for religious communities in particular, as they had to bury their own and pastors lead the congregations in that exercise. But now we&#8217;re past that. And I feel like there are a lot of people who are saying, okay, well, we&#8217;re done with that and we can go back to, quote-unquote, normal, whatever that is. But the lingering effects of it, I think, are the thing that especially for pastors, I think look really different than what people might expect. Can you talk just a little about what pastors are dealing with now in the wake of everything that they&#8217;ve had to do in the last three years?
Rev. Dr. Carla Spight-Mackey: Well, and I&#8217;m glad you asked this. That&#8217;s a very layered question, and I&#8217;ll put it that way, because there&#8217;s the first layer of us dealing with the situation, but the aftermath. And we don&#8217;t often think of the trauma that is there. The underlying causes. What is still not taken care of, so to speak, because all of this is a journey, just like life is a journey. Every situation, every emotional, I&#8217;ll call it an attack is another journey that has to be healed through. And it and it requires us. I remember one of my fellow clinicians also said, you know, we need to step back and we need to quote-unquote &#8220;detox&#8221; because what happens is that trauma that those things that we haven&#8217;t dealt with are still there.
And, you know, I don&#8217;t know how many people know, but within our society, pastors have a high rate of suicide because of the trauma that is there. Those things that are underlying. Those things that haven&#8217;t been dealt with. And so that&#8217;s some of the after-effects and that&#8217;s where we are there. What sometimes are called walking wounded that it&#8217;s kind of not that anything is lightweight but it is lighter than those deeper healing things. You know pastors have had losses, you know, and I&#8217;ll be just transparent. I just lost my husband in March. And so walking in that if we don&#8217;t know how to step back, you know, people will ask often and we try to be the hero with the, you know, great cape on and always say God will take care of it. But God expects us to take care of ourselves to you know.
And so that aftermath is dealing with grief. It&#8217;s dealing with the rise of domestic violence. It&#8217;s dealing with the number of suicides and attempted suicides. It&#8217;s all of those things. It&#8217;s dealing with people who are stressed out and burnout while you as the pastor, the minister, the layperson working in ministry are also dealing with those things yourself.
Stephen Henderson: Yeah. So let&#8217;s talk about ways and places that clergy members can find support. It seems like it might be a little harder again because people aren&#8217;t always thinking about them as needing it. They can&#8217;t always go to the places that their congregants go, which is to the church and to the pastor. So how do you fill those gaps? How do you find the support that they need?
Rev. Dr. Carla Spight-Mackey: So one of the things that I think is very amazing is that many of the ministers, many pastors, folks working on the front line in ministry that I know have formed circles. So calling on each other, you know, to support each other through that. But also there is when COVID first started, the church I was affiliated with started a group called Grief Share. Grief Share is a national organization. It&#8217;s Christian based, and even lay people can run it. And so one of the things that happened for me is that one of my one of the pastors I know and are very close to said what you need to do is you need to find a Grief Share group that&#8217;s away from where you would be ministering yourself.
And they&#8217;re all over the place. And you can find them online just by going to Grief Share. Griefshare.com and they&#8217;ll give you lists of Grief Share groups that run and they&#8217;re 13-week programs and they&#8217;re just really awesome people who are walking that walk. But building a network in advance. Letting, being transparent enough to say you know what, today is not a good day. Today, I shouldn&#8217;t be in the pulpit. Today I shouldn&#8217;t be seeing people and then having your ministry set up. Such that you have kind of perused your congregation. Can identify those who are therapists and counselors and support people, you know, chaplains all over the place and making sure that they are available for your congregation. We cannot, you know, in this era, try to meet the needs of everyone, particularly if we don&#8217;t have time to take care of ourselves now.
Stephen Henderson: Yeah, I want to spend a little bit of time talking also about because it is Mental Health Awareness Month, the desperate need in our community, the African-American community, to emphasize mental health. That&#8217;s another barrier that Black pastors, of course, probably face as well. Is the stigma or the dismissal, I guess, of the importance of mental health. But this is the time each year when we really try to focus on that. And it&#8217;s still a big problem for us.
Rev. Dr. Carla Spight-Mackey: Absolutely. One of the I think greatest problems within the African-American community is built on shame. Like we ought to be ashamed if we&#8217;re not okay, whatever that means. It is, it is due time from my perspective that we validate that we have members in our community who are differently abled. They have issues that sometimes we don&#8217;t understand as laypeople and we need to as ministers, pastors, normalize that. We ought to be transparent about it.
We need to link into organizations like Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network and get to know the provider network that is in the community near our church and get to know those people who run those organizations so that when our congregants show up, a lot of things are beyond our own abilities, our capabilities. And we need a clinician. We need someone licensed. And so it is a great thing for organizations to link into our network here in Wayne County. We actually have a faith-based committee. Many&#8230;. There are many ministers and pastors who belong to that committee and who do a lot of prevention work in their church. So it&#8217;s not voted null and void, but it needs to be more. We need to be more vocal about it because we have members in our congregation sitting in the pews, in the chairs who need to know that it&#8217;s okay to say you&#8217;re not okay.
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Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
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Ministers’ mental health takes center stage during Mental Health Awareness Month

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Detroit’s Black churches partner with city schools to champion students’ education

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Detroit’s first responders were honored at an awards ceremony recently for their heroic efforts battling two major fires in the Islandview community just before Christmas.  
<a href="https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2022/12/23/crews-battle-fire-on-detroits-east-side-during-dangerous-winter-storm/">A fire broke out around 5 a.m. Dec. 23</a> near E. Lafayette Street and E. Grand Boulevard at a vacant storage warehouse on the city’s East side. More than 65 <a href="https://detroitmi.gov/departments/detroit-fire-department">Detroit Fire Department</a> firefighters and other first responders were at the scene working to extinguish the blaze as heavy winds and cold weather temperatures made the fires harder to control.  
Twenty-three residents from a neighboring apartment building were evacuated to safety to avoid potential health risks from the smoke. No injuries were reported. 
The awards ceremony was hosted by <a href="http://churchofthemessiahdetroit.org/">Church of the Messiah</a> Pastor Rev. Barry Randolph to thank the firefighters, homeland security and city officials involved in the efforts.  
<h2>Full Transcript:</h2>
Pastor Barry Randolph, Church of The Messiah:  It is truly about a day of service. And we are here to honor our firefighters, homeland security, and some of our other officials. 
Sheree Watson, President, Mustard Tree Co-op: As a community person, as a citizen, we take the services that we get for the city for granted. We know that the work is important. But until you&#8217;re there and you&#8217;re up close and personal, you don&#8217;t see just how important. 
Pastor Barry Randolph: I watched the firefighters not only put that fire out but protect our property. They actually protected the property from catching fire. You have to remember, these winds were blowing 55 miles an hour and we watched the embers fly from the warehouses going over to the other property. They were in the alley protecting the property. They were in front of the buildings, protecting the property. And we were like, wow, they are going beyond the call of duty. Of course, when we spoke to them, they&#8217;re like, this is our job. We know this is your job, but we&#8217;ve never seen that in action. 
Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison, City of Detroit: In Detroit, we don&#8217;t have to get ready because we stay ready. We&#8217;re prepared. This is the service that Detroiters deserve. And to the firefighters, to Homeland Security, to Terra DeFoe out of the mayor&#8217;s office, who oversees Code Blue, to everybody involved, the mayor and I could not be more proud of you. 
Adam Hollier, Director, Michigan Veteran Affairs Agency: You take care of people. You take care of families, and you make sure that families have the thing that matters most to them, and that&#8217;s the people that they love. Because you take care of people, property is secondary. But people is first and you show that in this day you said, hey, people are our priority. Which is why you weren&#8217;t just fighting the fire, you were making sure the folks who had lost everything had a space to go. And once they went there, were safe and taken care of. 
Gregory Love, Senior Associate, Center For Public Safety Management: What happened that night took the three C&#8217;s, communication, collaboration, and you know what else? Cooperation. 
Terra DeFoe, Senior Advisor, Mayor&#8217;s Office, City of Detroit: The job itself is so rewarding. You know, we come in and we work for an administration that we care about people. And so, when we have incidents like this that happen, these four-alarm fires, which we know from October to April is a critical time because of, you know, how people heat their homes. Just anything can happen during those winter months. And so, we all work together as a team to get the job done. 
Hilton Kincaid Deputy Director, Homeland Security and Emergency Management: We enjoy doing what we do. So, we want to thank you all for recognizing us because we count the zero. How many lives we don&#8217;t have to say we lost. How many buildings didn&#8217;t get burned up because we&#8217;re responding properly. We&#8217;re one of the few departments that tracks our progress success by zero. It&#8217;s hard to track zero, but that&#8217;s how we do what we do. So, we want to thank you, pastor, very much, for recognizing and giving us a one instead of a zero today. 
Pastor Barry Randolph: A lot of times in the city of Detroit, you always hear the problems. People don&#8217;t take the time out to stop and say, &#8220;Thank you, job well done.&#8221; And even though I tried to do that and everybody kept saying, &#8220;No, you don&#8217;t need to do something.&#8221; The people in the neighborhoods say, &#8220;Yeah, we do.&#8221; 
James Harris, Chief Public Infomation Officer, Detroit Fire Department: It&#8217;s not a job, it&#8217;s not a career, it&#8217;s a culture. It&#8217;s a lifestyle and we love it. We wouldn&#8217;t do anything else. 
Stephen Henderson, Host, American Black Journal: Pastor Barry presented the first responders and city officials with awards, followed by a reception for their families and neighborhood residents. 
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Church of the Messiah honors Detroit’s first responders for keeping community safe during Islandview fires

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The Black Church’s Role in Reducing Gun Violence in the Communities They Serve 

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It was around the 1930s when gospel music first formed, but how did spiritual music transform from hymns to the contemporary music genre we know today? &#8220;American Black Journal&#8221; continues its <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;Black Church in Detroit&#8221;</a> series with a look at the history of gospel music and its intersection with the blues.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHwrrQWRhUU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">View American Black Journal&#8217;s gospel music performance archives!</a>
&#8220;You had these, sort of, blues musicians, who were looking at how the vitality was slipping out of sacred music, and they combined the blues with the sacred, and that produced gospel,&#8221; Baptist pastor and blues musician <a href="https://www.revrobertjones.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rev. Robert Jones, Sr.</a> said.
Host <a href="https://twitter.com/SHDetroit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen Henderson</a> sits down with Rev. Jones to explore the connection between the blues and gospel music — the sacred and the secular, and their symbiotic relationship. Plus, they discuss gospel music&#8217;s roots in the African American community then and today.
<h2>Full Transcripts:</h2>
Stephen Henderson: I&#8217;m one of the people who listens to popular music all the time and delights in the idea that, in so many songs written by so many artists, I can hear the church, right? I can hear gospel music in Prince. I could hear it, of course, in Aretha. I can hear it in Demi Lovato or Chance the Rapper. It really is part of American music, this history of gospel. But nowhere do you hear more, of course, than in the blues. And the connection between those two is really something special.
Rev. Robert Jones, Sr. Baptist Pastor &amp; Blues Musician: Right. Well, absolutely, Stephen. I mean, when you think about American music, if you were to come up with the metaphor of a tree, that all of these different styles that you just mentioned are the branches and the trunk is the blues. But even deeper in the ground would be the roots, and the roots, that&#8217;s the spiritual. So, not only do you— because you can hear, you know, you can hear it in Demi Lovato, you can hear it in, you know, just name whoever, because it&#8217;s all sort of rooted in the black spiritual and then comes up through the blues and branches out through everything else.
Stephen Henderson: So as a reverend and a musician, talk about how you navigate those connections and how they kind of spill over, I guess, from one line of work into the other.
Rev. Robert Jones, Sr.: Well, I was really blessed. I&#8217;m a native Detroiter, but I was blessed to have this grandmother from southern Alabama, from Conecuh County, Alabama, who loved many, many kinds of music. So, aside from going to and growing up in the black church, she had no problem with putting some Muddy Waters, and Lightnin&#8217; Hopkins, or B.B. King on the Magnavox and entertaining the entire block.
So, I grew up with like both of those influences and I really feel fortunate that if I had just been a church kid, I may not have been able to make the connection with the blues. And if I&#8217;d just been sort of a kid who listened to nothing but blues, I probably wouldn&#8217;t hear that. But being this hybrid kid allows me to view both of those kinds of music, in a sense, without prejudice, if that makes sense. So, I can see the connections, and I&#8217;ve really been blessed by the connections between both the sacred and the secular.
Stephen Henderson: Yeah. So, you know, the blues is about people expressing pain and sadness through music. And gospel is usually about healing and hope. Those two things would seem to be at odds in some ways. I&#8217;ve always felt like, though, there is a connection between the messages as well as the music itself.
Rev. Robert Jones, Sr.: Definitely. Something happens with the spiritual, which is the music that came out of slavery, which was heavy, which was about, you know, getting heaven when you die or suffering or, you know, being resilient and enduring. And then, the blues was kind of like about the idea of not suffering on the plantation but hopping the train and getting away from all of that stuff.
And then, in like around 1930, they melded into this music called gospel. You had these sorts of blues musicians who were looking at how the vitality was slipping out of sacred music, and they combined the blues with the sacred, and that produced gospel. Which you rightly identified as being joyous music, right, It&#8217;s the good news.
Rev. Robert Jones, Sr.: But there is no joy without some pain, right? Weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning. So, you have both of those elements mixed in and I think the sacred and the secular really grew up right next to each other. And if your socialization was too steady, you know, be steady, to raise a family, to endure the hardships that you were given, you know, folks pushed you toward the sacred.
But if your inclination was, I&#8217;m going to escape from this situation I&#8217;m in and I&#8217;m going enjoy some life while I&#8217;m here, your inclination was toward the blues. But strangely enough, they always have this symbiotic relationship. The greatest gospel singers tend to come out of the blues and the greatest instrumentalists come out; or was that the other way around? The greatest instrumentalists come out of the blues and the greatest singers come out of the church.
Stephen Henderson: Yeah. So, if you think about both gospel and blues, you know, they&#8217;ve had time periods where they were more popular than they are right now. And I guess some people might say that they are becoming more and more lost art forms, especially as people leave the church or don&#8217;t react or interact with the church the same way they used to. And blues is not as prevalent on the airwaves or anywhere as it used to be. How do you feel about that?
Rev. Robert Jones, Sr.: I think these are foundational forms and they keep reinventing themselves. They find a way to push through because they don&#8217;t go away. I mean, chances are if you&#8217;re a young singer, the first place that somebody told you that you could sing was in church, right? So, I was having a conversation with a young lady the other day at the Henry Ford Museum, and she was amazed that the new Elvis movie, which of course, has to feature a lot of blues, has a cover of a tune done by Big Mama Thornton called, “Ain&#8217;t Nothin But a Hound Dog&#8220;, but it is re-defined by Doja Cat. So, it just&#8211; It doesn&#8217;t go away, it just sort of morphs into something else. And the difficulty is sometimes finding the strand, you know, finding why Ludacris has Lead Belly&#8217;s, &#8220;Pick a Bale Cotton&#8221; in a song called, &#8220;Rosa Parks&#8220;.
Stephen Henderson: Right.
Rev. Robert Jones, Sr.: You know, how does that work?
Stephen Henderson: That&#8217;s right. I also want to talk about the fact that these are uniquely African American art forms. And they remind us, I think, just when you were talking about the modern influences that we see for them, they&#8217;re a reminder of how much, if not all, of American music really owes its existence and finds its roots in the African American experience, and therefore in the African American music.
Rev. Robert Jones, Sr.: Definitely. You know, one of the things that I think we don&#8217;t necessarily appreciate at first listening, is that this music went far beyond entertainment. It was music that allowed you to work in rhythm. It was music that conveyed life messages of just, you know, wisdom of how men and women interact with one another. It was poetry and, you know, it carried a technology of work.
I think that one of the reasons that African Americans were as resilient as they were in a system like slavery, was they learn how to make the music, and keep their bodies moving; how to put their mind somewhere else in spite of the backbreaking labor that they were dealing with. Those are functions that come from African music, translated through American experience. And we don&#8217;t really think about it very much until we find ourselves using it, so that when you have a time of crisis.
Rev. Robert Jones, Sr.: I remember during 911, folks were singing spirituals. They were singing, you know, they were singing, &#8220;We shall overcome&#8221;, &#8220;We are not afraid&#8221;, all those kinds of things because it&#8217;s useful. And when the use, you know, when you find that not only is it beautiful and is resilient, but it&#8217;s useful and it comes back when you need it. And then there is the idea too, I think of no matter what the era, when you hear that voice that carries the African American singing esthetic, when you hear Fantasia Barrino, you instantly know, that&#8217;s a church girl, I don&#8217;t care what she&#8217;s singing, right.
She&#8217;s got the sanctified church right there with her, she kicks off her shoes, she lets the spirit have its way. And there is an experience in the black church called Singing Yourself Happy, right? So, at a certain point, not only does the music serve as entertainment, but it also can serve to sing yourself happy when you need that technology.
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The sacred and the secular: How gospel music grew from the Blues

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Photo Caption: “The Old Plantation (Slaves Dancing on a South Carolina Plantation)” [ca. 1785-1795]. Attributed to John Rose, Beaufort County, SC. Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, Williamsburg, VA.
One of the largest and most significant forms of American folksongs, the Negro spiritual, has a long history in America, but how do these religious songs relate to the music heard in the Black church today? &#8220;American Black Journal&#8221; continues its <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;Black Church in Detroit&#8221;</a> series with a look at the history of Negro spirituals and gospel music, and the influence these two genres have had on contemporary artists.
&#8220;Black gospel music is an offset of the Negro spiritual. One of the main differences between the two is that we are not exactly aware of the composers,&#8221; said <a href="https://brandonwaddles.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Brandon Waddles</a>, a composer, arranger, choir director and music instructor at <a href="https://music.wayne.edu/profile/hf8691" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wayne State University</a>. &#8220;However, there are known composers of famous gospel songs.&#8221;
RELATED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHwrrQWRhUU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">View American Black Journal&#8217;s gospel music performance archives!</a>
Producer <a href="https://twitter.com/AJWalkerNews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AJ Walker</a> talks with Waddles about how Negro spirituals uplifted enslaved Africans brought to this country and how it served as a universal language that helped lead them to freedom. Plus, they discuss R&amp;B singers, past and present, whose musical roots stemmed from the Black Church.
<h2>Full Transcript:</h2>
[Music Lyrics]: I will open up my heart / to everyone I see. 
AJ Walker: Can you talk to me about the connection between gospel and the Negro spiritual?
Dr. Brandon Waddles, Composer, Arranger, Choir Director, &amp; Wayne State University Music Instructor: Yes, absolutely. Gospel music, Black gospel music is an offset of the Negro spiritual. One of the main differences between the two, is that we are not exactly aware of the composers of, &#8220;Wade in the Water&#8221; or &#8220;Joshua at the Battle of Jericho&#8221; or &#8220;Didn&#8217;t My Lord Deliver Daniel&#8220;. However, there are known composers of famous gospel songs like, &#8220;Oh Happy Day&#8220;, Edwin Hawkins or &#8220;Total Praise&#8220;, Richard Smallwood. And so, while there are certainly similarities between the two, there are certainly differences between. But both are certainly influential to the culture and the fabric of American music and America in general.
AJ Walker: I feel like another connection between gospel and the Negro spiritual is the way it uplifted people and kind of gave them hope, because I feel like a lot of people, you know, you feel hopeful when you hear gospel music and Negro spirituals.
Dr. Brandon Waddles: Absolutely. The Negro spiritual was so important to these enslaved Africans, who as scripture would foretell, were brought into the strange land, having been asked to sing a new song. We understand that many of these enslaved Africans came to the Americas with different dialects, different languages that they spoke.
Music has always been a universal language and coded therein, within these songs, were messages. Not only messages of hope, but messages that would lead these enslaved Africans to freedom. &#8220;Follow the Drinking Gourd&#8220;, they were following the constellation. &#8220;Deep River, My Home is Over Jordan&#8220;, Jordan River scripturally is, of course, referring to in their context, the Mississippi, it was their way to freedom.
If you think about jazz, and blues, and certainly Black gospel music, songs like &#8220;Precious Lord&#8220;, written by the father of gospel music, Thomas Dorsey, were written to express the despair and the tragedy of having lost not only his wife and his child in a car accident, but it certainly expressed the hope of a savior that would lead him through those troubling times.
[Music Lyrics]: Precious Lord / Take my hand / lead me on / Let me stand / I am tired. 
Dr. Brandon Waddles: And so, both of those genres, these truly Black American genres, speak to both the reality of the situation, but also the hope of a present future.
AJ Walker: I know I&#8217;ve heard people say in the past that, the music today is not the same and it just is not as emotional as it has been, you know, in times past. And when I think about a lot of the R&amp;B artists today, not all of them come from a gospel background. So, when you compare to rhythm and blues singers of past, most of them had their roots in the church. Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, those people, and then today, people are&#8211; they just saying it doesn&#8217;t feel the same.
Dr. Brandon Waddles: So many of the legendary R&amp;B and soul singers that you named like Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Ray Charles, Anita Baker and all of those, not only were they influenced by the sounds of gospel, but they were influenced by the preaching of the gospel, too. Aretha Franklin talks about how her father, the very legendary Reverend C.L. Franklin, influenced the way that she sang, by virtue of the way that he preached.
[Rev. C.L Franklin sermon]: &#8220;I believe that they have taken away my Lord. I believe the world is concerned about that.&#8221;. 
Dr. Brandon Waddles: And so, the cadence in his &#8220;hoop&#8221; influenced her soul efforts in her vocalism. James Brown talks about the way that he moved across the stage. We talk about James Brown as the Godfather of Soul and certainly influencing the dancing of Michael Jackson and Chris Brown, he learned those by just sitting around in church and watching the pastor move across the pulpit as they were getting to the height of their sermon.
And so, if there&#8217;s anything missing, it&#8217;s not even so much they&#8217;re missing the sounds of the gospel singing, they&#8217;re just missing the entire lived experience of the communion, the theatricality, sometimes, the performative aspects of the Black church. There&#8217;s nothing like Black church people getting together on a Sunday. All of these genres, from the blues, to gospel, to jazz, are still heavily, heavily utilizing elements of the Negro spiritual, which of course are connected to African culture and tradition.
Dr. Brandon Waddles: The idea of the storyteller, the griot in African American culture, this idea of community engagement within music, the idea that music is going to be part of almost every great life event. And that happens with gospel, it happens with jazz, it happens with rhythm and blues, it happens later with rock &#8216;n&#8217; roll, it happens, of course, with hip hop and rap.
And I know that we try and steer clear of trying to make a connection between the two, but there is no hip hop and rap without the Negro spiritual, without the storyteller, without the call and response. There are certainly elements of hip hop and R&amp;B that have, hip hop and rap and R&amp;B that have found their way into gospel.
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Negro Spirituals: The Music That Helped Free Enslaved African Americans

Screen-Shot-2022-07-06-at-4.24.10-PM

When several of Detroit’s Black churches shuttered their doors temporarily two years ago, many church leaders likely didn’t think the changes they’d make would become permanent. While some local churches have plans to return to their former operations, other churches say they’ll never return to the way they operated prior to the pandemic.
“American Black Journal” producer <a href="https://twitter.com/AJWalkerNews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AJ Walker</a> meets with Rev. Cindy Rudolph, of Oak Grove AME Church in Detroit, to learn more about how <a href="https://oakgroveame.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the church</a> reacted and adapted new ways of worship during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rudolph talks about having to quickly adapt to remote services, online tithing and increased community outreach, all in the midst of her first few months as the church’s new senior pastor.
<h2>Full Transcript:</h2>
AJ Walker, American Black Journal: She had only been in her role a short time before pastor Cindy Rudolph of Oak Grove AME Church had to rise to an unprecedented challenge.
Rev. Cindy Rudolph, Oak Grove AME Church: I am the first female pastor here at Oak Grove and we were very much in celebration mode when I arrived. And then four to five months into me pastoring, the pandemic hit. And so we had to pivot.
AJ Walker: The cozy, welcoming church had to close its doors and look at new ways to reach its members and the community.
Rev. Cindy Rudolph: And so we had to, of course, suspend in-person worship. We had to make sure that our worship experience was available on multiple platforms. And so they can watch our online worship and worship with us as we stream online, live on Sunday mornings, on YouTube, on Facebook, on our website, and on our app.
AJ Walker: To make that happen, the church had to start focusing more heavily on putting on not just a sermon, but a video production.
Rev. Cindy Rudolph: And so we did a complete overhaul. Cameras, lighting, sound system, microphones, because we wanted to make sure that everything we had was state of the art so that people could really feel the worship experience.
AJ Walker: Traditional ways of collecting offerings also had to change.
AJ Walker: And what about tithing? Because I feel like if people don&#8217;t have the collection plate right there getting passed, sometimes they may be less inclined to give. Has your tithing been affected in donations?
Rev. Cindy Rudolph: Thank God things have gone well for us because we again had to pivot in that area as well. We were already doing online giving and so we already had that as an opportunity or an option, but we wanted to make sure that people gave in ways that was comfortable for them. And so some people are comfortable texting. So we added text giving, some people are comfortable using an app. And so we have app giving.
AJ Walker: You&#8217;ve had to make so many changes in a very short amount of time and become experts at things you never even thought you would have to. Like the decision to offer the vaccine on-site here at the church. I know a lot had to go into you deciding that.
Rev. Cindy Rudolph: Yes, it took prayer. It took time with God. It took research. I firmly believe that the vaccine is safe. And the reason why I was willing to serve as a vaccination site is because I did that research first and concluded that the vaccine is, in fact safe. I&#8217;ve been vaccinated. I&#8217;ve been boosted. My daughter has been vaccinated. My husband has been vaccinated, my entire family, because we believe in it.
Rev. Cindy Rudolph: We just had to redefine ourselves and find new ways to still feel connected, even though we couldn&#8217;t physically be with one another. We started Oak Grove Connectors where we trained over 50 people to become leaders, and they would reach out to members of the church and make sure that they still felt connected socially as well as spiritually. And so every week or so, they would touch base with them to make sure that they were still feeling very much a part of the community.
Rev. Cindy Rudolph: We are always called to minister to the least of these. We are always called to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are always called to care for and extend the love of God to people. But we have to find new ways of doing that, and so we have to adapt with each passing moment. COVID has helped us in some ways because it forced many churches to adapt technologically.
AJ Walker: What is this space going to look like when you reopen?
Rev. Cindy Rudolph: I am very excited about our reopening and we are anticipating since we already have people who&#8217;ve registered, even though it&#8217;s only a couple of weeks away, we&#8217;re going to have a wonderful worship experience. I&#8217;m really excited about seeing members that I have not seen in months.
AJ Walker: While Pastor Rudolph is looking forward to holding traditional service starting in April. She also looks forward to continued growth in the digital space.
Rev. Cindy Rudolph: Now that most churches are streaming online. It is up to us to continue to engage not just with the people in the pews, but also with the people who are watching us online. Hybrid Church is the church of the future, and we cannot ignore that. It&#8217;s not enough for us to say it&#8217;s just about us and our community here. We need to always be mindful of that broader audience. That&#8217;s how we do the work of God.
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The New Normal: How the Black Church Has Adapted to Online Worship, Outreach

Technology meets theology: Three local pastors talk changes to church worship during COVID

Screen-Shot-2022-04-27-at-2.54.30-PM

It had a name change, has dealt with racially charged controversy and is preparing to celebrate being around for a century. &#8220;American Black Journal&#8221; producer <a href="https://twitter.com/AJWalkerNews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AJ Walker</a> visits <a href="https://saintcharleslwanga.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">St. Charles Lwanga parish</a>, formerly known as St. Cecelia Church, for a wide-ranging discussion with its pastor, Fr. Theodore Parker, as the parish prepares for its 100th-anniversary celebration.  
The two talk about the history of Black Catholicism, St. Charles Lwanga parish&#8217;s name change and the controversy that ensued after the church revealed a painting of a Black Christ in the 1960s. 
<h2>Full Transcript:</h2>
AJ Walker: St Charles Lwanga Parish has been a staple in Detroit for a long time, and inside of this beautiful church you will find Father Theodore Parker, who has been presiding over this holy place for over two decades. Originally from New York, Father Parker has seen a lot of changes in his new home, Detroit, and his parish.
Fr. Theodore Parker, St. Charles Lwanga Parish: The Parish, when I came here in 2001, probably had about 600 people here at the time. You know, during those years, we went through lots of things. First, the collapse of the economy in Detroit, you may recall that happening. Many of our people moved to Texas and other places. And so, our congregation really dwindled down during those years. We have maybe 225, 250 people here now at the most. And so, it&#8217;s difficult for 250 people to really make an impact.
AJ Walker: Father Parker says, it&#8217;s difficult to make the impact that this African American church once made with dwindling numbers, because it takes many people to do the work of the church and help it grow.
Fr. Theodore Parker: In our culture today, when it comes to real strong membership, there are few people who really provide that anchor so that the parish, in our case, this parish, keeps going.
AJ Walker: According to Pew Research, there are some 51 million Roman Catholics in the United States, but African Americans only make up about 4% of Catholic adults.
AJ Walker: What are some of the biggest challenges to recruiting African Americans to the Catholic Church?
Fr. Theodore Parker: One thing I would say is that the Catholic Church has to show African Americans that it&#8217;s interested in them. Our challenge is to show that a person can be African American and Catholic at the same time and can be truly both at the same time. And there&#8217;s nothing in our faith that discourages us except for those who are Catholic, who reject African Americans. And we do have Catholics in the country, some who reject African Americans. And so, I guess the word is hypocrisy. Hypocrisy would be the greatest challenge, the greatest difficulty.
AJ Walker: You said Rome was the center of Roman Catholics. I don&#8217;t, I feel like a lot of African American people may not connect with that. If the center of our religion is in Rome where people are white, we tend to, at least these days, be looking for images that we can connect with.
Fr. Theodore Parker: Right.
AJ Walker: So do you find that that is part of a challenge as well?
Fr. Theodore Parker: Oh, definitely is. It definitely is. There&#8217;s a black Christ that&#8217;s painted in the amps of our church that goes back to 1967-1968, I think. Mr. Davon Cunningham painted that picture here as a result of the parish making a real change. And the real change was, that this is becoming more and more an African American neighborhood. And as an African American neighborhood, you know, it should reflect, it should reflect the people.
AJ Walker:  However, not everyone feels this sentiment. Father Parker says this mural of a black Jesus on the ceiling of the parish caused serious controversy when it was displayed in the 1960s.
Fr. Theodore Parker: Well, people were saying Christ isn&#8217;t a Black. Why are you painting a black Christ there? Isn&#8217;t this against everything? And so, there were all kinds of death threats and all of that, would you believe. But true death threats and all of that, that came as a result of this painting.
AJ Walker:  As an African American Catholic Parish, Saint Charles Lwanga makes it part of their mission to make African Americans see themselves in the artwork.
Fr. Theodore Parker: Jesus was not Swedish, and Jesus was not German. Many of the pictures that we have of Jesus are painted by German artists, and people paint Jesus the way they are. This particular painting back here was given to me by an inmate, when I was at Fishkill Correctional Facility, and everywhere I&#8217;ve gone, I&#8217;ve had that picture with me. Jesus is for everyone, Christ is cosmic.
AJ Walker: It&#8217;s not only the art that reflects the black roots of St. Lwanga Parish, it&#8217;s the very name itself. Father Parker says, that was changed when it merged with other Parishes in 2013 to reflect the people of this Parish.
Fr. Theodore Parker: We are a combination of other Parishes, you know, from St. Luke and St. Leo and of course, St. Cecilia. That was a name change that we had to get used to. I would say that everyone was happy about that. But it&#8217;s one way to have a new beginning. And we came up with different names and one of the names chosen was St. Charles Lwanga.
AJ Walker: Now, Lwanga?
Fr. Theodore Parker: Lwanga, why Lwanga? it&#8217;s an African American Parish and I suspect the idea is that it reflects an African American situation. Charles Lwanga lived in the 1860s, you know, in Uganda, and he and I think 25 others were martyred there.
AJ Walker: In addition to the new name, Father Parker says they must find new ways to bolster membership and grow.
Fr. Theodore Parker: We really need to promote ourselves more. We have to, in some way, be able to get our young people to understand what the faith is again. That&#8217;s really difficult. And that&#8217;s what, I know a number of priests that I know, are constantly worrying about how do we do that and how do we really make an impact?
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St. Charles Lwanga Parish Prepares for its Centennial Celebration

Detroit’s Black Catholic population isn’t what it used to be. What was once a thriving religious community here has dwindled over the years. 
Host <a href="https://twitter.com/SHDetroit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen Henderson</a> sits down with <a href="https://www.udmercy.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Detroit Mercy</a> President Dr. Antoine Garibaldi and Vickie Figueroa, the associate director of cultural ministries at the <a href="https://www.aod.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Archdiocese of Detroit</a>, for a discussion about Detroit&#8217;s Black Catholic parishes, including the dwindling population of Black Catholics and what efforts are being made to rebuild the community. Plus, they talk about the state of Catholic education in the city.  
<h2>Full Transcript:</h2>
Stephen Henderson: So, Dr. Garibaldi, I&#8217;m going to start with you. Of course, you&#8217;re the president of U of D Mercy, the largest Catholic institution, really, of higher ed in our state. And it&#8217;s important, I think, that U of Mercy is in Detroit. It&#8217;s been in Detroit since the beginning, and that gives it a special role, I think, when it comes to the African American community that has grown up here in Detroit, that become the majority. It&#8217;s impossible to talk about, I think black Catholicism, it&#8217;s impossible to talk about Catholicism in the city of Detroit without talking about U of D.
Dr. Antoine Garibaldi, President, University of Detroit Mercy: Right, well, I certainly think so. And having come from New Orleans, where my hometown was, and some of the priests who actually educated me and I was a seminarian as well, came right here from Detroit. They worshiped at, they were pastors at St George&#8217;s, as a matter of fact.
And so earlier in the last year or later in last year, when I gave my talk about the role of Detroit in terms of black Catholic history, it was a delight to be able to do that, to know that there were five primarily black parishes here between the 1914 and really up until the present day, that really had a lot to do with the many black Catholics who came from the South, which is where the majority of the 3 million African-American Catholics are located. So, being here at the University of Detroit Mercy has really been a very, very special privilege because of the role that they played right here with the community.
Stephen Henderson: There&#8217;s also been times when the U of D community has played a key role in the struggles that African Americans have had linking arms with the African-American community to fight for equal rights and justice.
Dr. Antoine Garibaldi: That&#8217;s true. And, you know, so much of that history and, you know, I refer to my years in the seminary because I was in the seminary between 1964 and 1972. And though I was in Newburgh, New York and Washington, D.C., I often used to think that the seat of a lot of the African American Black Catholic movement was in Washington, D.C., but in fact, it was right here in Detroit. Because, as I say, often 12 days after the assassination of Dr. King in 1968, was the first meeting of the Black Catholic Clergy Caucus right here in Detroit.
And a year later, the Black Sisters Conference had its national meeting as well, too. And the fact that the black secretariat, the first black secretariat in the United States was here in Detroit makes it even more special. And the fact that the Jesuits and the Sisters of Mercy right here in this neighborhood, you know, really reminds us of about a lot of history that many people are not aware of here. And many of those people who experience it, unfortunately, have passed on. Because I have four sets of cousins who came here from New Orleans in 1944, and they&#8217;re in their late 80s right now and could tell me about a lot of that wonderful history.
Stephen Henderson: So, Vicki, I want to talk about the history of Black Catholicism in the city, but I kind of want to start off with a little bit of a amend. I grew up here in the 70s and 80s in Detroit, and was part of the Catholic community, mostly through schooling. And I feel like, just like much of the rest of Detroit, we just have less of what we used to have when it comes to Black Catholicism and Black Catholic parishes. You know, just as the city has kind of shrunk, this community has had its challenges sustaining itself.
Vickie Figueroa, Associate Director, Cultural Ministries Archdiocese of Detroit: Right, that is a very good observation, thank you for bringing it up. Especially, especially during the eighties when a lot of the city parishes closed, you know, a lot of Black Catholics left. Could not find a parish that they felt comfortable in or just decided to leave the Catholic Church altogether and go worship somewhere else. Or an even worse tragedy, not worship at all.
So, the closing of the parishes, especially in the year of 1989, did have a profound effect on the Black Catholic community. One of the things that we try to do with Black Catholic ministry is building relationships with the parishes, the black Catholics, who are still, you know, faithful to the Black Catholic community, and then do outreach to our brothers and sisters who have left and are joining us in the pews. And we try to do this through outreach, through evangelization, through conferences, through leadership development programs, through community events. So, whatever we can do to kind of rebuild our Catholic community, our Black Catholic community, is pretty much what my office has been charged with.
Stephen Henderson: And so, what does that look like? Rebuilding that community, and that is also happening alongside rebuilding the community more generally here in Detroit.
Vickie Figueroa: That&#8217;s correct. What this looks like is, especially in the past three years, since I&#8217;ve been part of the Black Catholic ministry in Detroit, what we&#8217;ve done is we&#8217;ve kind of like revamped and revived ourselves. Last year, we put together the kind of an advisory council of about 10 to 12 black Catholics, some who have only been with the church a little bit or for a few years, who are converts and others who have been with the church for many years and have generations of family and relatives who have been part of the Black Catholic experience in Detroit.
And we sat down and said, okay, considering the closing of the parishes back in the 80s, considering the great migrations of the 30s, 40s and 50s, considering the closing of a lot of Catholic schools, and considering where we are now in the, &#8220;Unleash the Gospel Movement&#8221;, that the Archdiocese is promoting out in our community, who are we as Black Catholics and where are we and what should our priorities be to rebuild ourselves? So, they came up with many priorities, but we narrowed it down to 6. And those include building community, it includes building faith, Catholic schools, you know, women&#8217;s initiatives and making sure that our black Catholics don&#8217;t get lost in, you know, the process of reorganizing some of our parishes called families of parishes.
So, we put together what our priorities are because, you know, along with the pandemic and then some of the social justice issues of a few years ago with, you know, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, it took a toll on the black community because one of the hallmarks of Black Catholic spirituality is communitarianism. It&#8217;s community. It is being together. And when you take that away from us because, you know, parishes had to close to keep people safe, you know, that takes a little bit of an impact.
Actually, it takes a pretty big impact on black Catholics and part of our spirituality, because it’s always to be together and to love upon each other. So, we took all of this into consideration and said, okay, these are the priorities that are going to help the Black Catholic community to heal again. And the number one priority is community building, which is that healing process. So that&#8217;s kind of what that&#8217;s gonna look like right now.
Stephen Henderson: I also want to give you a chance to look at a particular parish that I feel close to, Charles Lwanga, which, was St Cecilia&#8217;s. It&#8217;s around the corner from the house where my family lived when I was born over on the west side. And that parish is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. But I would be remiss if I didn&#8217;t mention the fact that the depiction on the wall of the altar of the Black Christ there, is and was this really pivotal moment in the celebration of Black Catholicism in the city. It was painted the year after the 67 uprisings as a way of demonstrating that the city was changing, becoming more diverse, and so was the black church.
Vickie Figueroa: Yes, definitely. One of the things that&#8217;s very important in Black Catholicism, in the Black Catholic community are images of black Catholics and black spiritual figures who look like us. It&#8217;s hard for us to be something that we cannot see. So when you have images like the one at Saint Charles Lwanga, which is one of my favorite places for prayer, because they have an absolutely wonderful pastor who&#8217;s an outstanding academic theologian and just a fabulous preacher.
His name is Father Ted Parker, one of my favorites ever. You know, when you have that imagery, it really brings your face alive. When you see the black Jesus, when you see the black Madonna, when you see our six saints or six men and women on their road to sainthood, such as, you know, Sister Thea Bowman, Mother Henriette Delille, Pierre Toussaint, when you see these folks, you say they are Catholic, they are black Catholic, I&#8217;m a black Catholic and I wanted to aspire to be like them and I can find comfort in that black image that&#8217;s before me.
Stephen Henderson: Dr. Garibaldi, I wonder if you can talk more about the role that the university is playing now in celebrating Black Catholicism, the presence of black Catholics in the city, and particularly in that neighborhood where the university resides.
Dr. Antoine Garibaldi: Yeah. Well, Stephen, two things. First of all, I need to mention my parish, my wife and I go to Gesu. So that&#8217;s obviously a place that is very special to many people for many years and people come from miles away in order to worship Gesu. But one of the things that we started this past year, was to have an annual lecture celebrating Black Catholic History Month, which is in the month of November. And, you know, there are many places around the country that have been celebrating this for a very long time. And I was fortunate to be able to kick it off this past November.
By doing it, I shouldn&#8217;t say I was fortunate enough, I was forced to do it. We do have some people in mind, but they thought it would be a great idea if I did it, but it is one of the ways in which we need to highlight and celebrate the role that Black Catholic history has played here in the city of Detroit. So, by doing this lecture series, it&#8217;s been a, it&#8217;s a way to kind of bring people together. There are lots of young people and people who are of our age who would not have known about that history because they were not around. And when you mentioned people like Sister Thea Bowman, who was a dear friend of mine as a young seminarian, and even Bishop Moses Anderson, who was one of the early African American bishops in this country, he was only the seventh black bishops in the United States in the mid-70s.
There are a lot of people who have been here and who played such an important role. And we really want to spend more time talking about that history and also talking about what we&#8217;re doing now. And Vicki&#8217;s been doing a great job throughout the archdiocese, but we cannot let that history pass. You know, when I read that Pew Research Center study talking about the fact that black Catholics, for the most part in this country, do not go to parishes where they are the majority. Well, before the 1970s, they had no other choice than to go in the south, in particular, to parishes that were primarily African American because segregation existed.
Segregation existed in New Orleans when I was in school. Before 1965 I couldn&#8217;t go to high school where the student body was primarily white. But those things have changed, and it&#8217;s important to really remind people about that because it shows the strength of African American history and the African American faith. My mother was raised Catholic, my father was AME, and my father was married to my mother for 20 years before he converted.
So, but all 8 of my siblings plus me, were educated in Catholic schools, in the high schools and fortunately, most of us were able to go to college at Xavier in New Orleans, for example. But that&#8217;s important history because it shows the strength of African American Catholicism. And Cardinal Gregory&#8217;s elevation last year at a Cardinal, we all said it&#8217;s about time. There were lots of great candidates, but he&#8217;s a wonderful man, a convert to the faith as well, and a great example of just showing how, you know, that faith has been so secure and so strong for so many years.
Stephen Henderson: Vicki, I want to give you a chance to talk a little about schools as well. Like I said, the 70s and 80s, that was a real option for black parents and an alternative, I suppose. It&#8217;s less so now. Is that, is restoring more of that, I guess, one of the focuses that the archdiocese is really embracing as we try to regrow the city?
Vickie Figueroa: I believe they are. They are looking at special initiatives to make Catholic education available to all families who want access to it. So, that is one of the things they&#8217;re going to be working on. And you&#8217;ll hear more about that coming in the near future. Catholic schools are dear to my heart. I&#8217;m a transplant from Ohio, I&#8217;ve been here 25 plus years, so I&#8217;m almost a Detroiter. But I went to Catholic schools, and it transformed my life.
You know, it empowered me to believe in myself and change my life, you know, go to college, become part of the middle class. And this is something that Catholic schools do very, very well, is that, you know, they offer high-quality education, and they give children in the inner city, African American children, the chance to improve their lives, change classes so to speak, and then improve the lives of others. Because when black children go to college, they become lawyers, they become doctors, they become nurses, educators.
So, they have kind of this multiplying effect on the generations coming up after them. So one of the things that we&#8217;re going to do with the Black Catholic Advisory Board, one of the priorities we are looking at, of course, is youth, and how can we encourage more African American youth into our Catholic schools in lieu of there&#8217;s a lot of competition out there for those students between, you know, charter schools and public schools and other schools getting the attention of our kids.
How do we create a product or advertise or market a product that parents will see as superior in terms of faith education and academic education that will prepare their kids for college? So still a viable option, but we still have some work to do.
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Detroit’s Black Catholics Continue Efforts to Rebuild Community After Population Decline

Screen-Shot-2022-02-22-at-2.33.15-PM

As part of American Black Journal&#8217;s Black Church in Detroit one-year anniversary episode, BridgeDetroit&#8217;s <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BridgeDetroit’s</a> Engagement Director <a href="https://twitter.com/orlandopbailey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Orlando Bailey</a> meets with Bishop J. Drew Sheard and his wife Karen Clark Sheard at the Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ (<a href="https://www.geicogic.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">C.O.G.I.C.</a>) for an extensive never-before-seen interview ranging from their roles as leaders of the largest African American Pentecostal denomination in America to a look inside their personal journeys of growth in the Black church.
RELATED: <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/the-black-church-in-detroit-one-year-anniversary-special-episode/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Watch the Black Church in Detroit One-Year Anniversary Special Episode</a>
Bishop Sheard shares his early desires to be a leader in the church from a young age, the strong family foundation that helped pave the way, and how a kid from Detroit&#8217;s west side became the leader of the largest Black Pentecostal denomination. Plus, Bishop Sheard discusses the impact of COVID-19 on his church congregation and the increasing need for an online presence and accessibility as congregates tuned in virtually from across the nation.
Then, Orlando turns to Karen Clark Sheard for a closer look at her role as the First Lady of C.O.G.I.C. She talks about her evolution as the First Lady alongside her success as a Grammy award-winning gospel artist with <a href="http://theclarksisters.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Clark Sisters</a>. Finally, Bishop Sheard and First Lady Sheard take stock of where their denomination stands today and the importance of the Black church as an institution that works to uplift and progress the Black community and culture.
<h2>Abbreviated Transcript: </h2>
Stephen Henderson, American Black Journal: Orlando Bailey, great to see you here on &#8220;American Black Journal.&#8221; We&#8217;ve been at this for a year now, talking about the Black Church in Detroit and its importance to people in Detroit and to the culture in Detroit. I really wonder what your favorite moment, though, was in that last year?
Orlando Bailey, Engagement Director, BridgeDetroit: Oh man, it&#8217;s been a tremendous year, and the thing that stands out for me is the opportunity to sit across from, in a socially distanced way, the Bishop Edgar Vann of Second Ebenezer Church. An amazing Detroiter and one whom I will call, you know, Detroit&#8217;s pastor, right, with that, with that amazing voice. And we had the opportunity to talk about just how he sees the role of the black church in the progression and upliftment of black folks in the past, and, you know, in the present, and it was a really palpable, relevant, real and open and honest conversation. Talking to Bishop Edgar Vann, that was my mentor.
Stephen Henderson: And in so many ways, you&#8217;re right. He does symbolize not just the church in the congregation he leads here in Detroit, but he symbolizes the relationship between clergy and culture, clergy and politics, clergy and civic duty here in Detroit in a way that that that most other people don&#8217;t. And I think that was kind of a pivotal part of the series, was getting to the essence of somebody like that and the role, the role that they&#8217;re playing.
Orlando Bailey: Yeah, and how he has been able, for decades now, to navigate all of those roles. Pastor, dad, husband, one time, a Police Commissioner and Appointee to this board and that task force. I mean, he&#8217;s a he&#8217;s a polymath and he&#8217;s still at it, and it was an honor to be able to sit across from him. It wasn&#8217;t a Zoom interview; it was in person across from him and we had that conversation. My grandfather was one of his mentors, and so it was it was a full circle moment, yeah.
Stephen Henderson: Wow. So, we&#8217;re not done with the Black Church in Detroit. How could we ever be done with a subject like that, but certainly not after a year, and we&#8217;ve got lots of new material for viewers. Tell me about what you have coming up.
Orlando Bailey: I am so excited about this. I had the opportunity to interview Bishop J. Drew Sheard and Lady Karen Clark-Sheard. I say, Karen &#8220;The Clark&#8221; Sheard, I mean, she is a legend in her own right. And you know, Bishop Sheard, within the last year, ascended to the Chief Apostle leadership role of the Church of God in Christ, which is the largest African-American Pentecostal denomination in the world. And I wanted to ask him how significant it is for the leader of that denomination to be based in the largest majority black city in the United States of America.
And what that means for Black America and what that means for the City of Detroit. We had a really open and honest conversation, you know, about the journey, his ascent, the ups and downs. While he was coming to power, he lost both of his parents to COVID complications. And so there&#8217;s some, you know, exuberant moments there, but there&#8217;s also a pensive sadness that he still carries and that he&#8217;s working through. But it was an amazing conversation. And you know, his wife, Karen Clark-Sheard, First Lady, multi-platinum selling gospel artist, Legendary just in her own right, talking about the ever evolving role of First Lady; it was an amazing conversation.
Stephen Henderson: Yeah. All right, let&#8217;s take a look.
Orlando Bailey: So Bishop Sheard, I want to start with you. You are the leader of America&#8217;s, of the world&#8217;s largest African-American denomination, The Church of God in Christ, right? How does a J. Drew from Sorento on the west side of Detroit, rise to be the presiding bishop of the C.O.G.I.C Church?
Bishop J. Drew Sheard, Greater Emmanuel Institutional C.O.G.I.C: Well, I had great parents. I mean, they instilled in me this godliness form of godliness and I&#8217;ve always, from the time I was in the fifth grade, always aspired for leadership. And  I worked at it, to be an effective leader in my school while I was going through school. And, you know, God, had an encounter with God as a very young child. And I was always very sincere about God and the church. I love church. This is, I&#8217;m the kid that would gather everybody when we didn&#8217;t have nothing to do and make everybody have church.
Orlando Bailey: You would play church?
Bishop J. Drew Sheard: Yeah, oh yeah, oh man. Yeah, I love church. And so, just to be involved in church was my heart&#8217;s desire. And so, I&#8217;m excited about what God has done in my life, and my aspirations to be in leadership. And not only in secular leadership, but in the church leadership. And God favored me because he knows my heart.
Orlando Bailey: Yeah, talk about your journey to this position.
Bishop J. Drew Sheard: Well, it hasn&#8217;t been an easy journey, of course. We have had some setbacks, some major setbacks in our personal lives, and we&#8217;ve had some challenges as we, you know, fast forward it to in our church life, we&#8217;ve had some real heartbreakers and but nevertheless, we never lost our faith in God. And that is so critical when you&#8217;re doing the work of the Lord because, you know, the scripture says, &#8220;And we know that all things work together for the good of them that love the Lord and who are the called according to its purpose.&#8221;
So, the bad things, the ugly things, the good things, the sweet things, the bitter things, they all work for our ultimate good. And I don&#8217;t, you know, we&#8217;ve had some real challenges. You know, Orlando, we&#8217;ve had some faults, we had to fight some hard battles when the enemy thought he was destroying us. We&#8217;ve had some challenges when, you know, with my wife and, you know, her health and whatnot, but God saw us through.
Orlando Bailey: Lady Karen, I got to ask you, this man said since the fifth grade, he knew he wanted to be in leadership, and I heard you all grew up down the street from each other. Talk about, because I heard his story, I want to hear your version of the story, talk about where you guys met all the way to, &#8220;I do&#8221;, and what is now? Did you envision that it would be this?
Evangelist Karen Clark Sheard, Greater Emmanuel Institutional C.O.G.I.C: Well, first of all, the greatest decision I could have ever made in my life was saying, &#8220;yes,&#8221; and &#8220;I do”, to this man of God. Of course, the beginning of our journey, as he stated, he was friends with Twinkie, and of course, she was like a big sister to him. And so, to make a long story short, Twinkie came to me and said, &#8220;You have an admirer&#8221;, and I&#8217;m like, Oh Lord, who is this.
Orlando Bailey: Twinkie was your wingman?
Bishop J. Drew Sheard: That was my partner. Twinkie was my partner.
Evangelist Karen Clark Sheard: And when she told me who it was, when she said it was him, I said, &#8220;Oh no, no, no, no, not him!&#8221;, because I saw him being such a gentleman that loved God in the church, and I just saw those great attributes. And I said, &#8220;Wow&#8221;, I said, &#8220;Wow that&#8217;s&#8230;&#8221;, and I felt that, to be honest, I just felt I wasn&#8217;t there yet. I don&#8217;t feel that, you know, because of what I saw in him.
You know, I gave him that respect then, even when we were younger, you know, I just saw it in him and, you know, as we went on, and when he asked me to marry him, we had our ups and downs. When he asked me to marry him..
Bishop J. Drew Sheard: No, I saw your mind go right there. He wants to know some of those downs.
Orlando Bailey: I&#8217;ll leave you alone Bishop.
Evangelist Karen Clark Sheard: Well, we had those down moments of, you know, I realized, Wow. I, of course, was in the singing group, The Clark Sisters, and felt, Oh, I&#8217;m an artist then, and then when I found out he was doing his trial sermon to be a minister, I&#8217;m like, Oh, that&#8217;s a whole different hat that I&#8217;m gonna have to wear if he becomes pastor.
Then as we began to grow together and I said yes and he became a pastor and I&#8217;m like, wow, here&#8217;s another, I&#8217;m a pastor&#8217;s wife, you know. So, it&#8217;s just so many things that I had to, I want to put it right, because I don&#8217;t want anybody to misinterpret this, but a lot of things that I knew that as an artist you couldn&#8217;t do, which was nothing bad, but as a pastor&#8217;s wife, you had to, you know what I’m saying?
Orlando Bailey: There&#8217;s an added layer there.
Evangelist Karen Clark Sheard: It&#8217;s a whole nother thing. So, I&#8217;m glad I had a relationship with God to tell me, it&#8217;s not that hard, you know, just respect the anointing on his life, and I&#8217;ll bless you, you&#8217;ll be rewarded for it. And I&#8217;ve been rewarded every since I said yes to this gentleman I have. And as you, you know, you were asking, you know, how was this journey? It was a great journey, even during our moments of when I got sick. He still was there, you know? He was a pastor then, but he still honored me as his wife.
You know, he didn&#8217;t step away from being a pastor, but you know, the human side came in and he was there for me when doctors gave up on me, gave me 2% chance. We got closer, even after I was, you know, after I had, I went through my coma and when I was in my coma, I came out. When I found out all of what he began to explain to me what had actually happened, and I&#8217;m like, I took you through all of that and it&#8217;s just the human side of him being a great leader, but yet step out of that and become a great husband, oh my goodness, it just took our relationship, made it stronger, and it took our relationship to a whole nother level.
I mean, even dealing with our children, you know, I was glad that, you know, he was able to portray him being that godly man, even in front of my son, because sometimes that&#8217;s all they have to look at. And I hear them now saying, &#8220;Wow, when my mother was sick, it was amazing to watch my father, you know, not be so involved in the church and then taking away from what he&#8217;s supposed to do at home&#8221;, and he just portrayed a great, being a great man of God.
Orlando Bailey: Let&#8217;s talk about your leadership role with the largest African-American Pentecostal denomination in the world, the Church of God in Christ. How significant is it for the leadership of the C.O.G.I.C church to reside in America&#8217;s largest majority black city? How significant and historic is it for the leadership to be headquartered right here in the city of Detroit?
Bishop J. Drew Sheard: Well I&#8217;m gonna be honest with you, I never thought about that until you asked me that, but it is key because I&#8217;ve always said that Detroit is a church city.
Orlando Bailey: I&#8217;ve said the same thing!
Bishop J. Drew Sheard: OK, so me and you touching in agreeance?
Orlando Bailey: Yes, we are!
Bishop J. Drew Sheard: OK, so Detroit is a church city. There&#8217;s a couple of cities around the nation that you classify as church city, but Detroit is among the top, if not the top. OK, so..
Orlando Bailey: Preaching, signing, all of it.
Bishop J. Drew Sheard: You see what I&#8217;m saying? And so, you got, we&#8217;re church city, I&#8217;m a church man, I love church, you know? I had before this pandemic, and I&#8217;m looking forward to going back to it, we had Bible study Wednesday, Friday night service, I had two Sunday morning service, and a Sunday night service, so I&#8217;m looking forward to that.
Orlando Bailey: Lady Karen, you wanted to talk a little bit more about the role of the first lady. Say more about that.
Evangelist Karen Clark Sheard: Thank you, Orlando. I just want to make a point that, they see me singing as an artist all the time. And as you stated, I do, you know, teach and speak the word as well. But, our ministry, my husband as the leader of our ministry, is totally built off of the word of God. And my point I want to make is that, singing soothes the soul, but preaching frees the soul. That&#8217;s all I wanted to say.
&nbsp;
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Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
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Bishop J. Drew Sheard and Karen Clark Sheard talk C.O.G.I.C. leadership, The Clark Sisters

‘The Black Church’ Documentary Director Discusses Impact

American Black Journal host Stephen Henderson takes a look back at what inspired the Black Church in Detroit series, in collaboration with the <a href="https://www.etseminary.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ecumenical Theological Seminary</a> and the <a href="https://www.thewright.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History</a> to begin one year ago: Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.&#8217;s Black Church documentary, &#8220;<a href="https://www.pbs.org/weta/black-church/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song,</a>&#8221; which explores the 400-year history of the Black Church.
Stephen sits down with The Black Church documentary producer and director Stacey Holman to hear her perspectives on the series&#8217; impact and the importance of the church in the Black community.
<h2>Full Transcript: </h2>
Stephen Henderson: Start with how you came up with the idea for this series, &#8220;The Black Church&#8221;. In some ways, it&#8217;s a very obvious part of African-American life, but it’s something I think we kind of take for granted; it&#8217;s always there. It&#8217;s part of our lives from birth in our community. We don&#8217;t often stop to think about the history and why it&#8217;s important and how it&#8217;s become so important.
Stacey Holman, Series Producer &amp; Director, &#8220;The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song&#8221;: Well, this is the grandchild of Henry Louis Gates, who I will probably intermittently call Skip, I go between those two, and he had written a treatment and had this idea of doing a series on the black church. And I was, I had the privilege of being brought on as a series producer and as well as a director for the series. And it was my role to really help steer his vision into a 4-hour program, to really talk about the breadth and the width of the black church, particularly in the continent of America, specifically. Because we know that the religion and black church can kind of extend, you know, across the borders, but we really wanted to focus on what the institution was here, built by black people.
Stephen Henderson: I want to talk a little about the arc of the narrative here. With regard to the black church, of course, it plays a very pivotal role in early America, and for African Americans, it plays a very particular role. I think it changes over time, of course, because history changes over time. But talk about telling that story and making sure that, you know, that you can be faithful to the idea that, even though these things change, and even though it looks different today than it did 200 years ago or 400 years ago, that there&#8217;s this kind of continuity, I guess, in the role that it plays in the importance that it has for us as a community.
Stacey Holman: I mean, what you said at the top of the hour or top of the interview, is very true, like we all have a root in the black church. Whether we continue to have that grow in our life, that&#8217;s total over time. And I think that&#8217;s just the ongoing thread and the connective tissue of the story. Whether it was our grandmothers or our grandfathers forcing us to go to church, or whether it was just our friends whose parent was a pastor, and so, we knew we had to go to church or we could hang out that Sunday afternoon.
So, I think for us, and I hope I&#8217;m kind of answering your question, is that just really finding that, you know, that personal element and pulling on that so that we can then just really develop that story and show the emotional as well as some of the hard stuff. I mean, it&#8217;s not a complete all everything is rosy story; the black church is complicated. There&#8217;s still a lot of stuff that we&#8217;re still struggling with today that necessarily wasn&#8217;t at the forefront back then, but that also shows the evolution of it and just how it&#8217;s willing to grow and willing to just take on some of those conversations.
Stephen Henderson: I&#8217;m curious also about the reaction and feedback that you&#8217;ve gotten from people about this portrayal of such an important part of African-American life.
Stacey Holman: Overall, it&#8217;s been very positive, which we&#8217;re very thankful for. A lot of people have definitely, you know, had not been at the church, in the church, it really triggered them and just jogged some really pleasant memories. For other people, it was just like confirmation of just like, yeah, that was that was my experience, that&#8217;s what I knew, that’s what I understood. Then of course, there are, you know, not everything is perfect, as I said, and we did have one of the things, you know, we should have covered this, and that&#8217;s always a challenge that you have in telling a story. It&#8217;s 400 years, you know, essentially 400 years in four hours.
And we also too, got a little bit of pushback from a lot of Black Catholics because they felt, certain individuals, I won&#8217;t say they as a whole, but individuals felt that, you know, that was one story we didn&#8217;t tell. I joke with my colleague and the other directors, Shayla Harris, who&#8217;s actually from Detroit, she was our resident Black Catholic, cause she did grow up Catholic. So I was like, well, we didn&#8217;t really cover the story due to time, but also to due to the fact that we were focused on Black Churches and Institutions that were independent of whites.
Stephen Henderson: Well, it is amazing work, and I think we&#8217;re all really grateful that you did it. Stacey Holman, thanks so much for joining us on American Black Journal.
Stacey Holman: Thank you so much, Stephen. I just want to do a quick plug, If people still want to continue to watch it. It&#8217;s on-demand and it&#8217;s also streaming services on Amazon, and you can of course get the DVD. So, but thank you so much, It was a pleasure.
Stephen Henderson: We kicked off our &#8220;Black Church in Detroit&#8221; series with a show about the historic role of the church in the fight for racial and social justice. And later, we continue the conversation by focusing on the church as a center for change in the community; take a look.
Stephen Henderson: Reverend Williams, I&#8217;m going to start with you. Activism is, I think, for you hand-in-hand with the pastorship of your church and so much of what you do. So many of the reasons that people know you, not just here in Detroit, but around the country, are about activism. So I want to start with you talking about that marriage between the church, the black church in particular, and activism that&#8217;s focused on social and racial justice.
Rev. Charles Williams II, Pastor, Historic King Solomon Baptist Church: Yeah. You know, look, the black church birthed Black Lives Matter, birthed activism. It has been the mantra that we have held since we organized the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Further, since we organized our resources at the First Baptist Church of Savannah, Georgia, oldest institutions that blacks have ever owned, not only in the sense that we were protesting or picketing, but we, at that time, we were providing. At that time, we were opening up our churches for Underground Railroad. This is what the fabric of what we&#8217;ve been for black people since the inception of the Black Church, the historic black church, and it&#8217;s what we plan to continue to be.
Stephen Henderson: Pastor Barry, I know from your church that, that activism takes on a very specific role in your community. It takes on a very specific role with young people in your community. Talk about what that looks like.
Rev. Barry Randolph, Pastor, Church Of The Messiah: Well, one of the reasons why the church has been so successful, is because we combine your purpose and your activism with your spirituality. One of the things that have been quite successful is the fact that we let everybody know that on so many different levels, Jesus Christ and his disciples and a lot of people in the Bible were actually activists. They were standing up for what was right, they was standing up against the status quo, they were standing up in the face of evil, and they were letting people know that with God, all things are possible. And we, as the people of God, we have a role to play in manifesting that in this world. So, we have a particular role. So, our young people in particular, they look for their purpose in life, and part of that is to stand up for the right thing and we give them the opportunity to be able to do that.
Stephen Henderson: Yeah. Reverend Constance, what does this look like at fellowship?
Rev. Dr. Constance Simon, Associate Minister, Christian Education Fellowship Chapel: You know, when I thought about activism, I had to take it from an academic standpoint, of course. I am at Fellowship Chapel, which is a very active church, ETS is ecumenical but social justice oriented. So, when I looked at activism and when I teach it in my African American religious black religious studies course, I talk about it from a historical perspective. We came from Africa, and I mean we were enslaved, we come to America.
And even within that transition, we have held on to what has been activism. I see activism holistically, in that all, of our things that we do in terms of the black church. It&#8217;s not just the religion, it&#8217;s not just understanding the Bible, it&#8217;s dealing with every phase of every black person&#8217;s need. So even when the slaves would lead the master&#8217;s church and go to the Hush Harbor, and remember they did not take that black, there&#8217;s a black Bible, I don&#8217;t know if you&#8217;ve ever heard about it, the slave Bible, they&#8217;ve taken that, they didn&#8217;t take that.
They sat down and they talked about how they were going to be active in terms of helping everybody that was part of that slave group through songs, because they sang in the fields to let people know they were going to be actively leaving, you know, for for freedom. They preached, they talked about the things that people need, and historically that has been the activism in Black Church.
Stephen Henderson: What role are you called to play these days? Bishop Ellis, I&#8217;ll start with you.
Bishop Charles H. Ellis III, Greater Grace Temple: Well, you know, I&#8217;m carrying on of 25 years now, legacy from my father who pastor for 34 years, and he was the first to move beyond the walls of the church, in terms of a daycare center, Montessori daycare center, and then a Christian school that went from kindergarten to the 8th grade. And then, apartments and duplexes that allow people to live in affordable housing. And then, the Credit Union, Federal Credit Union, Federally Chartered Credit Union, and that was like, Wow, we&#8217;re a bank now, you know?
And so, you know, he was the one to see beyond the church and to see that people have more than spiritual needs, but they had natural needs. And it kind of was a transition because before he passed, I was one that wrote the grant that received $5.3 million from HUD, to Ellis Manor, which is here on the new site. So it was kind of like a transition, and two years after we moved the first residents in, in 94 my father passed; he made his transition.
And of course, five years later, in 2002, we moved into this facility, six years later, I should say. So, I&#8217;m just carrying on that legacy. I used to brag here, in a good way, that we did more ministry here. I had our present site outside of the church during the summer months than we did inside of the church. Now we&#8217;re pretty much doing almost everything outside of the church.
Stephen Henderson: Reverend Adams?
Rev. Charles Christian Adams, Hartford Memorial Baptist Church: Yes, and it&#8217;s really divine providence that we would be on the show together, Bishop Ellis and myself, because his father and my father were contemporaries and colleagues and very good friends, and they did a lot of the same work. Housing, he developed, Bishop Ellis was a forerunner to that in a lot of housing development, and we also continue that tradition, and we just completed a senior village, right, adjacent almost to the Northwestern Activity Center.
A 15.5-million-dollar project cooperatively, with Presbyterian Villages of Michigan, providing apartments style housing, and cottage style housing, right there for those who did not want to live in the suburbs, but wanted to have quality housing in the city of Detroit. Also, we have tried to ignite employment opportunities through economic development. Because of our forerunners, they laid the foundation; it&#8217;s an ethos that we are walking in. Almost like the scripture that says, &#8220;We live, move and have our being in God&#8221;, we live, move and have our being in this idea that church goes beyond Sunday morning.

‘The Black Church’ Documentary Director Discusses Impact, Importance of Series

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Orlando Bailey of <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/">BridgeDetroit</a> visits <a href="https://secondebenezer.org/">Second Ebenezer Church</a> to talk with its senior pastor, Bishop Edgar Vann, about the specific needs his church is addressing in 2021.
This is a part of a <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/">yearlong series on the black church in Detroit</a>, produced in partnership with the ecumenical theological seminary and Charles H. Wright Museum of African American history. Today, we’re looking at the important role of the black church in the community. Historically, churches have served as a foundation for African Americans by meeting their religious, economic, social, and cultural needs.
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<h2>View More About The Black Church in Detroit</h2>
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Bishop Edgar Vann on the Black Church

American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan

Detroit is known to the world as the Motor City, but the city also has been a cradle for the rich tapestry of gospel music. The city’s religious history is interwoven with the soul-stirring melodies and powerful messages that emanate from its Black churches, serving as the heartbeat for the evolution of gospel music.  
RELATED: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/henry-louis-gates-jr-examines-gospel-musics-rich-history-in-new-pbs-docuseries-gospel/">Henry Louis Gates, Jr. examines gospel music’s rich history in PBS docuseries ‘GOSPEL’</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/the-sacred-and-the-secular-how-gospel-music-grew-from-the-blues/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The sacred and the secular: How gospel music grew from the blues</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/gospel-music-in-the-black-church/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gospel music in the Black chuch</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/negro-spirituals-the-music-that-helped-free-enslaved-african-americans/">Negro spirituals: The music that helped free enslaved African Americans</a></li>
</ul>
One such beacon is Greater Grace Temple, a spiritual pillar that has played a pivotal role in shaping the gospel landscape, in Detroit and globally. Under the leadership of <a href="http://www.greatergrace.org/who-we-are/bishop-david-l-ellis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the late Bishop David L. Ellis, Sr.</a>, the church transformed from being on the brink of closure to becoming a symbol of hope for the city. Facing daunting financial challenges, Bishop Ellis Sr. embarked on a journey that would birth the “City of David” – a sanctuary for the broken, the hurting, and the lost. 
Following Bishop Ellis Sr.’s passing in 1996, his son, <a href="http://greatergrace.org/who-we-are/bishop-charles-h-ellis-iii/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Charles H. Ellis III</a>, took up the mantle. Since taking the helm, Bishop Ellis III has taken the church to new heights, witnessing an unprecedented surge in membership, and in 2002 <a href="http://www.greatergrace.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the church</a> celebrated the opening of its 20-acre complex known as the “City of David.”  
In conjunction with PBS’ <a href="https://www.pbs.org/show/gospel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“GOSPEL” docuseries</a>, Bishop Ellis III, a member of American Black Journal’s Black Church in Detroit Advisory Panel, talks with “Detroit Performs” <a href="https://www.detroitperforms.org/about/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">host Satori Shakoor</a> and BridgeDetroit <a href="https://www.orlandopbailey.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">journalist Orlando Bailey</a> about the <a href="http://www.greatergrace.org/who-we-are/our-history/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">history of Greater Grace Temple</a> and the legacy of his late father, as well as the whooping tradition among African American preachers and his hopes for the future of gospel music in Detroit. Plus, watch a music video of Bishop Ellis III performing his original song <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phlrdAaC1Ow" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“Done For Me,”</a> with gospel singer <a href="https://www.facebook.com/OfficialPaulPorter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paul Porter</a>. 
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Detroit’s gospel legacy: The Black church in Detroit’s enduring influence

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“The Black Church in Detroit” series is produced in partnership with the <a href="https://www.etseminary.edu/">Ecumenical Theological Seminary</a> and <a href="https://www.thewright.org/">The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History</a>. The topics for the monthly episodes are selected with guidance from several Detroit ministers and other members of the faith community who sit on American Black Journal’s Black Church in Detroit Advisory Panel.

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