History

The Black Church

An intimate four-hour series from Henry Louis Gates, Jr., The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song will explore the 400-year-old story of the black church in America, the changing nature of worship spaces, and the men and women who shepherded them from the pulpit, the choir loft, and church pews.

Cornerstones | The Hymnist

2m 40s

The Hymnist sang praises to celebrate the salvation of the soul and to save the body from slavery.

In this short animated series, Cornerstones: Found Voices of the Black Church, we look at just a few pivotal people who brought the reality of the right to gather, read, sing, worship and share these truths that should have always been self-evident.

Episodes

  • Cornerstones | The Servant: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Cornerstones | The Servant

    2m 37s

    The Servant learned and then taught others how to serve more deeply, not as a slave, but as a free man.

    In this short animated series, Cornerstones: Found Voices of the Black Church, we look at just a few pivotal people who brought the reality of the right to gather, read, sing, worship and share these truths that should have always been self-evident.

  • Cornerstones | The Hymnist: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Cornerstones | The Hymnist

    2m 40s

    The Hymnist sang praises to celebrate the salvation of the soul and to save the body from slavery.

    In this short animated series, Cornerstones: Found Voices of the Black Church, we look at just a few pivotal people who brought the reality of the right to gather, read, sing, worship and share these truths that should have always been self-evident.

  • Cornerstones | The Reader: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Cornerstones | The Reader

    2m 20s

    The Reader risked his life to bring to the whole Church what should have never been prohibited.

    In this short animated series, Cornerstones: Found Voices of the Black Church, we look at just a few pivotal people who brought the reality of the right to gather, read, sing, worship and share these truths that should have always been self-evident.

Extras + Features

  • The History Of Black Religion in America: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The History Of Black Religion in America

    S1 - 58s

    Off the coast of Georgia, you can find some of the deepest traces of Christianity, as well as Islam. Over time, the traditions of the separate religions slowly merged, fusing the two different worlds.

  • Fisk Minstrel Show: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Fisk Minstrel Show

    S1 - 1m 36s

    The spiritual arrangements of the 1870s, like the ones performed by the Fisk Jubilee Singers, were quite different from the simple folk songs that had a single melody.

  • First Black Run Institutions: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    First Black Run Institutions

    S1 - 2m 14s

    The First African Baptist Church in Savannah, Georgia, was founded in 1773 and is one of the first Black run institutions on record in the United States.

Schedule

Local Black Church Connections

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Learn More on Boundary Stones

From the pulpit to politics to building community, African American churches have played in integral role in shaping the history of the Washington, D.C. region. Learn more on our Boundary Stones local history blog.

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