Let The Church Say
- Jennifer Hyde
"This is a film that millennials should watch to give them a better perspective of how historically significant the black church is in the black community."
- Lynne Olius
"Watching the movie made me really feel it. It made me think about my upbringing and how involved in church I was. In my time, being a church kid was like a badge of honor. I wonder where in my life the disconnect happened. It makes me take personal responsibility."
- Walter Bennett
Feature Documentary Film
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Is The American Black Church Dead or Alive?
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Project Type: Documentary Feature Project Status: Completed Director: Rafiq J Nabali Producer: Joe Howell Producer: Nancy Howard
Email: contact@letthechurch.com |
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Synopsis In a large cathedral with stained glass windows and mahogany pews stands, Rafiq Jordan, a young, African American filmmaker and Christian. Here, in a Black Church, the oldest Black intstitution in the U.S., we encounter one of the foundations for the preservation of Black culture in America. Through the years of oppression and sacrifice one thing has remained: The Black church and its impact on Black culture today. Nevertheless, in the light of the current decline in church attendance amongst Blacks and the loss of its central role in African American communities, some would argue that the Black church is dead. Is it true? Rafiq, familiar with the arguments and conflicts within the church, now embarks on a journey to uncover the truth behind the external criticism. Rafiq unearths testimonies from Black brothers, Black sisters, and contributors to this current revolution, in order to see where the church is in all this pain. Through conversations with activists, progressive-thinking pastors, and the most knowledgeable of voices, he discovers where the church has and hasn’t been involved. Does the institution’s involvement or lack thereof give credit to its livelihood or point to its inevitable extinction? Rafiq navigates through captivating conversations on other significant topics such as church history, politics, race, church culture and the fight for Civil rights.
Where would the Black community be without the Black church? The perspectives of those interviewed will be the evidence of the investigation. This is the true story of the Black American church through the eyes of a Black American. Ultimately, Rafiq’s journey ends where it all started, in the heart of an empty church, walking amongst the pews. Is this the end of the Black church as we know it, or is it only the beginning.
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