The oldest and the most BELOVED institution in the Black community is the Black Church. Tuesday, February 16, 2021, PBS aired a documentary called “The Black Church.” 

One personal take-away of this documentary is that “white acceptance is something that Black people long for.” These words are from my personal tweet, @WWJimmieDo. Fr. Jabriel, @Jah_Bread, responded, “There’s a topic...lol.” 

Any good documentary should provoke an honest conversation. White acceptance is something that is longed for in our BELOVED Black Church. Because of this, we celebrate our tradition while negating the trail that we are blazing for the next generation to come.

What has the Black Church become? Is the Black Church moving our beloved community forward? Or, are we just simply celebrating the traditional heritage of the Black Church? 

This is our exploration on this episode of Blacks With Power. After viewing this episode, share your thoughts and comments. What are your thoughts when it comes to the heritage of the Black Church? We invite you to watch and share.

To ensure a deeper understanding of the Black Church, we offer the following resources:

* Black Church and Black Radicalism by Gayraud S. Wilmore* The Negro Church in America / The Black Church Since Frazier by E. Franklin Frazier and C. Eric Lincoln* David Walker’s Appeal by David Walker

Some additional sources to consider:

* The Black Church in the African American Experience by C. Eric Lincoln and Lawrence H. Mamiya* The Talking Book: African Americans and The Bible by Allen Dwight Callahan* Slave Religion by Albert J. Raboteau * The Black Church: Relevant or Irrelevant in the 21st Century? by Reginald F. Davis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1EnpFLHzbk&sub_confirmation=1