The Morning Star Baptist Church in Boston was filled with hundreds of mourners, gathered to pay their last respects to a local parishioner. Suddenly, without warning, violence erupted. Thirteen young men in black hoods strode into the church, picked out someone in one of the pews -- and as he tried to escape from the back of the church -- stabbed him nine times on different parts of his body.
For the African-American clergy serving Boston's inner city community, and for the charismatic Rev. Eugene Rivers in particular, it was the final straw -- the moment they decided they had to do something about the escalating crisis of violence in the city. The result was the formation of the Boston Ten Point Coalition, an ecumenical group working to mobilize the community around issues affecting African-American and Latino youth -- and especially those at risk from violence, drug abuse and other destructive behavior.
The Coalition's goal wasn't to replace the local church -- but to make it more effective in the work of rebuilding community by getting out into the streets -- to 'walk the walk and talk the talk' with the city's growing numbers of alienated and disaffected young people.
"I've found that I've had the most profound theological discussions," explains the Rev. Jeffrey Brown, "not in the hallowed corners of some of the seminaries in this area -- but in the street corners, in a park, at midnight on a Friday night."
The producer of this program has collected extensive resources at www.tve.org/life/archive/life22main.html
The other titles in the series are:
1. Life: The Story So Far - How the globalized world economy affects ordinary people.
2. Geraldo Off-Line - Globalized economy affects Brazilian factory worker.
3. From Docklands to Dhaka - English MD travels to Bangladesh to improve community health.
4. An Act of Faith: The Phelophepa Health Train - A group of health professionals tours the most deprived regions of South Africa providing care.
5. The Philadelphia Story - Globalized economy affects American jobs.
6. The Boxer - Young male looks to escape Mexican poverty by becoming a boxer in the United States.
7. The Seattle Syndrome - Were the WTO protesters right in their effort to protect workers and the environment from exploitation?
8. The Right to Choose - Women are denied human rights in Ethiopia and northern Nigeria.
9. At the End of a Gun: Women and War - The devastating effect that the civil war in Sri Lanka is having on women.
10. The Summit - The UN General Assembly meets to review progress on social justice worldwide.
11. All Different, All Equal - Examines progress in women's rights globally.
12. India Inhales - Activists combat tobacco companies that target India.
13. The Silver Age - Growing population of elderly worldwide seeks purpose and care.
14. The Cost of Living - AIDS drugs unaffordable in developing countries.
15. The Posse - Rap group in Sao Paulo, Brazil, expresses social problems.
16. Credit Where Credit is Due - Micro-credit organization in Bangladesh provides loans to village poor.
17. Regopstaan's Dream - Bushmen fight to live on ancestral land in South Africa.
18. Untouchable? - The caste system and bonded labor are still alive and well in India.
19. Because They're Worth It - Micro-credit, education, health information, and hope provided to impoverished Chinese.
20. For a Few Pennies More - Iodine deficiency causes health problems in Indonesia.
21. In the Name of Honour - Kurdish women fight for their rights in Northern Iraq.
23. Without Rights - Palestinians are denied human rights.
24. Lost Generations - Poor health and poverty condemn people in India to sub-standard lives.
25. Educating Lucia - The odds are against girls getting an education in Zimbabwe and throughout much of Africa.
26. A-OK? - Examines prospects for Vitamin A distribution programs in Guatemala and Ghana necessary for children's health.
27. Bolivian Blues - Explores the success of new initiative to reduce widespread poverty.
28. The Outsiders - Explores the moral and economic dilemmas that adolescents face in the Ukraine today.
29. The Debt Police - Uganda seeks external debt relief and fights internal corruption.
30. The On-going Story - Final episode examines the international community's commitment to linking social and economic development with human rights.
NOTE: A second series called City Life is now available.
Grade Level: 7-12, College, Adult
US Release Date: 2000
Copyright Date: 2000
DVD ISBN: 1-59458-486-9
VHS ISBN: 1-56029-858-8
Reviews
"A compelling look at the religious community of Boston's response to overwhelming crime and violence in the inner city." Global Peace Film Festival
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