ASHFIELD — The First Congregational Church of Ashfield will host a film series, “Black Voices: Listening to Our Brothers and Sisters,” starting this month and continuing through June.

“We want people to see the church as a place that is trying to be a leader in making our society more inclusive, understanding and just,” said Annie Cheatham, a trustee of the First Congregational Church. “We have been doing some learning within our church, such as workshops and study groups. We wanted to open it up to the larger community.”

Cheatham said the film series aims “to raise our consciousness in this mostly white church.”

“We are doing this because of what is going on in the world,” she said, mentioning the murder of 46-year-old George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in May 2020.

“We are offering this series because the Black voices in these films have a lot to teach us,” the Rev. David Jones, minister at the First Congregational Church, said in a statement. “We hope that our eyes will be opened to truths we might not have wanted to see. This process is not always an easy one, but it is easier when we do it with neighbors and friends.”

The first film of the series, “Backs Against the Wall: The Howard Thurman Story,” will air on Thursday, March 23, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thurman was a Black theologian and civil rights leader. His book “Jesus and the Disinherited” was one of the texts discussed as part of the “Sacred Ground” programs offered by the First Congregational Church and St. John’s Episcopal Church in 2022.

“Thurman was a theologian so there is a Christian connection there,” Cheatham said to explain why the series will start with this film.

Throughout the rest of the film series, the church will show the documentaries “I Am Not Your Negro” on April 20 and “Black Lives Matter” on June 15, as well as a pair of TED talks titled “Why White Supremacy is a Threat to America” and “Don’t Call People Out — Call Them In” on May 18. Each screening will be followed by time for discussion and reflection. All programs are held from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Cheatham explained the documentaries and TED talks were chosen because the church is interested in only showcasing Black voices to talk about the Black experience. Organizers also picked this selection to show a wide variety of historical and contemporary views, as well as men and women in the films.

“There are thousands of Black voices speaking, writing, acting and praying for justice in our country,” Jones said in a statement. “We have selected these few as examples of that vast inventory of wisdom and grace. We invite everyone in Ashfield and in neighboring communities to join us as we continue to learn about our nation’s history, and as we examine the way toward a more equitable and blessed community.”

Bella Levavi can be reached at 413-930-4579 or blevavi@recorder.com.

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