Originally published in the Winter 2020 edition of the Virginia Defender, issue 61, printed February 17. Reproduced here in for accessibility and archival purposes. To find other stories in the Winter 2020 issue or to download the full PDF, see this post. For the full web catalog, see our Full Issues page.

It was a packed house Feb. 9 for a film showing of “Al Helm: Martin Luther King in Palestine” at the Masjid Bilal in Richmond’s East End.

The film, released in 2013, tells of the experiences of a U.S. Black gospel choir that provided the chorus for a Palestinian play on the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on tour in the West Bank.

The film showing was co-sponsored by Masjid Bilal, Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church, Richmonders for Peace in Israel and Palestine, the Arab American Association of Central Virginia and Voices from the Holy Land.

The film can be viewed online at: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/alhelm