Educational Media Reviews Online

All God's Children is a documentary short which encourages members of the Black Church to embrace lesbians and gays within their community. Produced and directed by Sylvia Rhue, an African-American lesbian and gay community leader and Bible scholar, and Academy Award nominees Dee Mosbacher and Frances Reid (Straight from the Heart, 1995) in association with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum, this video is intended to counter the distorted image of lesbians and gays promulgated by the right-wing video Gay Rights/Special Rights: Inside the Homosexual Agenda which was distributed widely among African-American churches.

All God's Children juxtaposes moving gospel renditions by Lavender Light: The Black and People of All Colors Lesbian and Gay Gospel Choir against the testimony of noted African-American clergy and theologians, such as the Rev. Dr. Cecil L. Murray, Senior Minister First A.M.E. Church in Los Angeles, the Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr., Senior Minister of the Riverside Church in New York; and Dr. Cornel West, Professor of Afro-American Studies and the Philosophy of Religion at the Harvard Divinity School, and political leaders such as Congresswoman Maxine Waters, (D-Calif. and Chair of the House Black Caucus), U.S Senator Carol Mosley-Braun (D-Ill.), and the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Notable African-American lesbian and gay leaders are also featured including, Bishop Carl Bean, founder of the Unity Fellowship Church for Black gays and lesbians, Mayor Kenneth E. Reeves, Cambridge, Mass., the nation's first black openly gay mayor, and Dr. Marjorie J. Hill, noted public health official and activist.

The interviews with African-American lesbians and gays and their families are the most compelling part of the video. Editor Linda Villarosa and her mother Clara discuss the article they jointly wrote for her magazine Essence in 1991 on coming out, while Phill Wilson, co-founder of the National Gay and Lesbian Leadership Forum, and his parents, Ina and Tebo, discuss the influence of the Church on his decision to come out and become an activist. Perhaps the most moving of all is the segment in which Dorothy Beam, speaks glowingly of her son, Joseph, editor of In the Life, the first anthology featuring work by black gay writers, who died of complications from AIDS in 1988.

Created by experienced filmmakers, this video features excellent production values: sharp video shots; good audio; and clearly identified speakers. While its intended audience is Black churchgoers, the video addresses the broader concerns of homosexuality and religion and is therefore appropriate for most public and academic library collections. All God's Children succeeds on many levels as demonstrated by the variety of awards it has won, including a Silver Apple Award from the National Educational Media Network; Best Documentary at the National Black Arts Festival; and a Lambda Liberty Award from the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund. Highly recommended.