Written by: Daevion Markell Smith, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
From the beginning, black churches have been a part of America’s fabric. From the early days of slavery, black churches became centers of worship, education and cultural activities for African Americans. Black churches were also important hubs in community life as they provided spaces for political activism and social support. Churches provided a place where people could feel safe to discuss issues that may not have been openly discussed anywhere else.
“Black Church” Origin
The term ‘black church’ is commonly used by both scholars and the general public to describe African American Christian congregations or organizations irrespective of their actual religious beliefs or practices. The term has come to represent many things including religion, culture, gender identity and political organization. Although historically black churches have played an important role in shaping the history of African Americans in this country; most books on African American history tend to focus on specific denominations such as Methodists, Baptists and Pentecostals rather than examining all types within this category. It is necessary for historians interested in exploring how race shaped American Christianity during this period not to exclude other religions such as Islam or Buddhism.
Analysis
In recent years there has been a move away from strict denominations when describing religious groups by individuals who identify with a certain faith tradition. Therefore it becomes important for historians interested in studying the history of African Americans within US Christianity to widen their search beyond traditional denominational structures so that they can explore different aspects such as liturgy/sacred texts, forms of worship/service or family structures among others that may not be well represented within existing research into black Christianity. Using categories based on historical denominational structures alone between members could lead you down unproductive paths if you are only looking at one type exclusively, without taking into consideration other factors such as age, cohort membership, etc. This will help ensure more accurate depictions of what happened within these communities over time so that we can better understand why some outcomes occurred. Developing deeper insights into how individual experiences shape larger trends over time creates a more holistic understanding across various categories.
Daevion Markell Smith, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Daevion Markell Smith is an awarded mime artist, actor, writer, and mentor. Early in life, his mother quickly saw his accelerated growth and love for the arts. Daevion was born in Southern Virginia on September 28, 2001. At the age of four (4), this aspiration led him to mime ministry at his home church, City of Refuge Kingdom Church. Upon graduating high school, Daevion was accepted into the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York. He continues to mime for charities, non-profit organizations, conferences, workshops, and much more. Daevion has received an award for his mime presentation at the National Association for the Study and Performance of African American Music (NASPAAM). He has also appeared alongside the illustrious motivational speaker, Elijah Coles Brown, in the theatrical production of "Freedom Day", written and directed by Crystal Nolan; based on the Fredrick Douglas speech, "The Present and Future of the Colored People of America". In 2022, Daevion appeared in season 1 of the YouTube series, "The Bro Code'' ‒ alongside, Lance Everett, Ryan Williams, Tyrell Morris, and Adam Lee Henderson. The Bro Code Series, is a series highlighting Black christian men, engaging in relevant, relatable, and genuine conversations about real-life situations that men face everyday. Daevion has released the following official mime videos: "A Move of God is on the Way'', by Norman Hutchins and "Moving Forward", by Mali Music. These videos are available on his YouTube Channel. Soon after the mime videos were released, he was cast as Melvin Weathers on TV One's true crime series, "Payback", which aired August 08, 2022.
