The Role of the Black Church Today

CNN's Soledad O'Brien hosted a panel discussion on the role of the Black church while on-board a Tom Joyner Cruise as part of the promotion of her CNN Black in America: Churched documentary which will debut on October 14.

The CNN documentary series BIA is in its third year. The "Churched" installment focuses on the black church. In black America, it has always been the center of the community.

During segregation, the church served as an extended family that embraced and bolstered black America while supplying members with food, money and connections during hard times and providing leadership, vision and manpower for the movement that literally reshaped America.


Video of part of that panel discussion