There is a river. God is a negro. Guide my feet. Freedom faith. Inheritors of the faith. Rise up and call their names.
Notes:
Narrator, Lorraine Toussaint.
Contents:
[Disc 1]. Episode 1: There is a river -- Episode 2: God is a negro ; [Disc 2]. Episide 3: Guide my feet -- Episode 4: Freedom faith ; [Disc 3]. Episode 5: Inheritors of the faith -- Episode 6: Rise up and call their names.
Summary:
This series documents the African-American religious experience during the last three centuries from the early African slaves, through the Civil War, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the Great Depression, the Civil Rights Era, and into the 21st century. Episode one explores the evolution of African-American religious thought in America. Also, examines how religion and belief in God provided hope in the face of desperation by focusing on the examples of two 19th century black leaders, Sojourner Truth and Denmark Vesey. Written, produced, and directed by W. Noland Walker. Episode two focuses on the role of Henry McNeal Turner, whose philosophy and teachings encouraged his followers to find God from within, raising their opinions about themselves and all black people. Episode three traces African-Americans as they move from the rural South to the promised land of the industrial North. Two southern migrants, Rev. Cecil Williams and Thomas A. Dorsey, born a generation apart, both seek to bring the reality of the streets into the church. In Chicago, Dorsey, a pianist with blues singer Ma Rainey, invents gospel music; in San Francisco, Williams develops a "come as you are" church. Written, produced, and directed by Lulie Haddad. Episode four examines the connections between "freedom faith"--The belief that God intended all people to be equal and free -- and the civil rights movement. Faith gave black families a way of insulating themselves from the oppression of the 1940s and 1950s. Highlights the struggles of Prathia Hall (1940-2002), an eminent black preacher, but just one of the many ordinary people who during the protests of the 1960s, risked their lives to challenge America to live up to its promise "that all men are created equal." Episode five follows the journeys of African-Americans who practice the traditions of Islam and Yoruba. Yoruba, which originated in West Africa and predates Christianity, focuses on honoring ancestors and helping worshipers gain strength and spirituality from within. Also explores the Nation of Islam, led by Elijah Muhammad, whose son, Warith Deen, assumed leadership after his father's death and transformed the organization into one which follows the practice of orthodox Islam. Written, produced, and directed by Valerie Linson. Episode six tells the story of the Interfaith Pilgrimage of the Middle Passage -- a journey where 60 people walked from Massachusetts to Florida, then made their way to the Caribbean and ultimately to Africa. Along the way they prayed for their ancestors and sought to heal the country's wounds from slavery through prayer vigils at historic slave sites. After months of difficult travel and deep soul-searching, the pilgrims reached Africa with a stronger sense of identity and purpose.
OCLC:
(OCoLC)55719989
Locations:
OZAX845 -- Northwestern College - DeWitt Library (Orange City)
PQAX094 -- Wartburg College - Vogel Library (Waverly)
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.