A Yearlong Initiative of Detroit Public TV
The signature event in the PBS winter season is the eagerly awaited series by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., “The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song.” This landmark four-hour series traces the 400-year-old saga of the Black Church in America and its role as the bedrock institution of African American endurance, grace, freedom and solidarity through times of joy and times of turmoil.
It will air on Detroit Public TV and other PBS stations on Feb. 16 and 17, 2021 at 9pm ET.
But more than just showcasing this achievement in public broadcasting, DPTV will be bringing the story home through a series of reports on the historic importance and continuing influence of the Black Church in Detroit.
And what better place to showcase this content than on “American Black Journal,” the nation’s longest running news show devoted to the African American experience? Starting on Sunday, Feb. 14, the show will feature in-depth and heartfelt explorations of the dramatic and decisive role that the Black church has played in the history of the city.
These discussions will be led by the host of “American Black Journal,” Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Stephen Henderson.
The series is being produced in partnership with the Ecumenical Theological Seminary and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, and it is being informed with input and guidance from a range of church and civic leaders representing the diversity of theology and thought in the city.
“The Black Church in Detroit” is not intended to be a one-time, Black History Month special. Rather, it is a year-long commitment to telling a story of the religious institutions that served have serve the community well from the days of the underground railroad through the struggle for social justice and the ongoing quest for a better and more equitable future.
12/28/21: American Black Journal – The Role of Pastors’ Spouses in the Church
American Black Journal Host Stephen Henderson continues the Black Church in Detroit series with a look inside the lives of pastors and their spouses to see how they support the ministry individually and as a couple together. He talks with Bishop Edgar Vann and his wife Elder Sheila Vann from Second Ebenezer Church about their roles. Plus, producer Marcus Green talks with Detroit Church Pastor Sonny Smith and his wife Sherita about staring their ministry and serving the church congregation together.
11/30/21: American Black Journal – Womanist Theology
Host Stephen Henderson continues American Black Journal’s yearlong series on The Black Church in Detroit with a look at Womanist Theology, a term that refers to an approach to the study of God centered on the experiences and perspectives of African-American women in the United Stated and throughout the diaspora.
10/26/21: American Black Journal – Leadership Succession in the Black Church
Host Stephen Henderson continues American Black Journal's yearlong series on The Black Church in Detroit with a look at Pastoral Succession in the...
9/28/21: American Black Journal – COVID’s Impact on Ministers and Congregations
As faith leaders, ministers are called upon to comfort parishioners in times of sorrow and need, but what happens when the grief touches them personally? Continuing the yearlong Black Church series, host Stephen Henderson checks in with ministers and their congregations to see how COVID-19 has impacted them. Plus, Stephen speaks with two pastors about vaccinations and hesitancy to get them.
8/29/21: American Black Journal – Diversity of Denominations in the Black Church / Leadership Roles of Detroit Pastors
On the next American Black Journal, we’ll continue our yearlong series on The Black Church in Detroit
7/25/21: American Black Journal – Millennials and the Black Church
On the next American Black Journal, we’ll continue our yearlong series on The Black Church in Detroit with a look at Millennials and the Black Church.
6/27/21: American Black Journal – Gospel music in the Black Church
On the next American Black Journal, we'll continue our year-long series on The Black Church in Detroit with a special look at gospel music in honor...
5/30/21: American Black Journal – How Do You Define the Black Church?
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...
Bishop Edgar Vann on the Black Church
Orlando Bailey of BridgeDetroit visits Second Ebenezer Church to talk with its senior pastor.
4/25/21: American Black Journal – The Black Church in the Community
We’ll continue our yearlong series on The Black Church in Detroit with a look at how the church ministers beyond the walls of the building.
Women in the Black Church
Stephen Henderson has a candid conversation with three women ministers about their roles in the church today, and the ongoing debate over gender equality in the ministry.
Portrait of the Black Madonna
American Black Journal’s series on the Black Church in Detroit continues with a look at the history of women in the Black church.
