henry lewis gates jr.y ♪ >> reporter: they were the first praise houses that became today's black church. >> the black church's start in n america, what was its role? >> it was the main place of contact, it was ground zero. everything that was essential to our everyday living. it was many people's first introduction to entertainment. it was a stage, it was a theater. >> you know, entertainment shouldn't be in the church. what do you think the preacher does? >> the role of music in the black church is everything. >> reporter: the black church has been the driving force, shaping the history of the black experience and playing a crucial role in the fight for equality. >> did jn e ch? >> i j the age tha when when i feel like y got it. >> the black church has sustained the african-american people from the days of slavery to this day. >> reporter: now the black church is being chronicled in a pbs four-hour docuseries. >> who are the five greatest black preachers of all time? >> there's so many. >> reporter: narr

series airs next week, february 16th and 17th and is based on the new book of the same name by henry lewis gates reverend al still with us as well. professor, i want to start with you. you know, we are a family. we're from the south. we have been south for a long time. i was explaining to my daughter the other kay. you know, we lived all over the country, but the south is the soul of america. all the great musical forms started in the south. a lot of our greatest writers started in the south. that moral dilemma, that original sin, it all comes out of the south and specifically it all comes out of the church and it all comes out of the black church. talk about the rise of the black church in america out of this original sin and the glorious -- the glorious institution it has been for 400 years. >> well, first of all, it's good to see you guys again. nice to be on the program. what did your daughter say when you gave her this revelation? did she accept it? >> she did accept it. i mean, we have talked an awful lot about it. we have lived in new england. we have lived in new york. we lived in washin

. >> henry lewis gates jr., host of "finding your roots" has been telling the story.may be the most important of all. >> it was a laboratory for the formation both of the identity of a new world african people after all there were 50 ethnic groups represented in the slave trade from africa to north america and they had to forge and form into one new people. the first truly pan-african people. and secondly, it was a laboratory for the creation of black culture. it's where people learn to read and write, because it was illegal to read and write. through the king james bible people would memorize passages and repeat those passages >> there's a kind of tension in the begin of the story you're telling about about christianity being the religion of the enslavers and then becoming the religion of the slaves but also a means towards their liberation. >> absolutely. african-american created a form of christianity with a liberating god at it center who's original sin was slavery. what black people did is take the forms of christianity available to them and refashion them in the

. >> the new documentary that professor henry lewis gates came out on the black church explains a lotthe black community. people ought to fry to look at that. it was just on pbs last week and i think that if i were to recommend a book, i would recommend the last book of dr. king, "where do we go from here, chaos or community." it not only talks about the movement that change the social landscape of america but forecast where we need to go from there. even though it was written in 1968, you read it like it was written yesterday. >> that sounds compelling. thank you so must have. let's see you got 2:15 until you have to be on the air. get on in here at 30 rock. >> on my way. >>> we'll be right back. stay with us. way >>> we'll be right back. stay with us n? what if your clothes could stay fresh for weeks? now they can! this towel has already been used and it still smells fresh. pour a cap of downy unstopables into your washing machine before each load and enjoy fresher smelling laundry for up to 12-weeks. at t-mobile, we have a plan built just for customers 55 and up. saving 50% vs. oth

henry ieu lewis gates. he grew up in a predominantly black church, and this story was dear to him.came a part of the series, i came off directing hour three of reconstruction, and myself history of growing up in the black church seemed like a perfect fit. because this was a personal story, because both of us had a history in the black church, we felt that, you know, it was important for us to really share this experience, to really tell the story, which is not just about the black church. it's american history. and the timing is always perfect to talk about the black church. >> as i mentioned before, the church has always played a dual role, acting as a house of worship while at the same time organizing black communities politically. i don't think it's fully appreciated just how many of our leaders, men and women, have come out of the church from denmark veasey to dr. king to now senator rafael and today, people continue. bill gray, i mean, and our civil rights leaders from dr. king on to ministers that use the pulpit now, w. franklin richardson, i mean, the list goes on and on, an