White Middle Class Americans will never experience the oppression that African Americans have had. This country was built and founded by Europeans, predominantly Caucasians. Throughout American history, Caucasians have been the most important, most dominant race. The black community has felt frustration and aggravation ever since the appearance of the first slaves hundreds of years ago. Blacks have found the vent for their frustration through a deep belief in the Gospel. In a time when African Americans were fighting for equality, the church was their outlet, providing hope and liberation to all who entered its doors.
             It is through the movie, Long Walk Home (Long Walk Home Miramax Films; New Vision Picture: Howard W. Koch Jr., Dave Bell, 1991) that we see the importance of the black church as both a building and a congregation. The church itself was used for more than just sermons. Church was one of the few places where blacks could just be with no fear of bothering white people.
             A scene in Long Walk Home places the viewer in front of a packed church. Bodies are close and dressed in their Sunday best. A strong, clear voice is heard booming through the open windows and doors of the church. It is the voice of Martin Luther King, Jr. Hundreds are excited to hear his message about strength and liberation.
             This church service was a chance for the black community to be themselves when being themselves was not accepted. The hundreds of people there to hear Dr. King preach were just as important to the magnitude of the meeting as was King. They were not just there to hear a sermon of liberation. They were there to sustain one another.
             Their belief in Jesus Christ as Savior gave them hope for the future. However, as important as the immediate future was to them, and in turn, the dream of being respected, the thought of finally being home with their Savior was the ultimate goal. The Bible provided sustenance for the bonded.
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