This Week on American Black Journal:

Black liberation & empowerment: The historical impact of Detroit’s Black churches

From serving as stations on the Underground Railroad to establishing schools and hospitals for African Americans and hosting civil rights leaders, the Black Church in Detroit is an important part of Black liberation and empowerment.  

Host Stephen Henderson sits down for an extremely interesting and educational conversation about the historical impact of Detroit’s Black churches with Rev. Lawrence Rodgers, pastor of Second Baptist Church, and Dr. Richard Smith, a retired VP at Henry Ford Hospital and longtime member of St. Matthew’s and St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church. 

They talk about the two churches’ origins and important roles in Black history, including helping enslaved people escape to freedom by serving as “stations” on the Underground Railroad. They also discuss the many well-known abolitionists and civil rights leaders who visited the churches, the impact the churches had in the African American community, and the influence of church leaders and members not only in the city but across the country.   

Plus, Rev. Rodgers explains how Second Baptist’s history informs the work he and the church are doing today to help victims of human trafficking — another form of enslavement — and to promote education, financial literacy and in-demand careers to young African Americans. 

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