Oldest Black Church Built By Slaves Before America Existed" First African Baptist Church in Savannah, Georgia was founded in 1777—making it older than the United States itself. Enslaved people built this sanctuary that predated white Baptist churches by five years. Pastor Andrew Bryan was whipped and imprisoned for preaching but refused to stop. The floor contains breathing holes disguised as African prayer symbols—part of the Underground Railroad where escaped slaves hid beneath the sanctuary.

Explore the 400-year-old story of the Black Church in America, the changing nature of worship spaces, and the men and women who shepherded them. #BlackChurchPBS premieres this Tue at 9/8c. | PBS