Backs Against the Wall: Screening and Discussion

In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Andrews University will host award-winning filmmaker Martin Doblmeier to discuss his documentary Backs Against the Wall: The Howard Thurman Story. Mr. Doblmeier will participate in a screening and panel discussion of the film at the Seminary Chapel on Thursday, January 16, from 7:00 to 8:45 p.m.

Winner of a regional Emmy award, Backs Against the Wall explores the extraordinary, yet often overlooked, life and legacy of one of the most important religious figures of the 20th century. Born the grandson of slaves, Thurman became a “spiritual foundation” for the Civil Rights Movement, inspiring many of its leaders including Martin Luther King, Jr., Jesse Jackson and Congressman John Lewis.

Thurman was a celebrated preacher and gifted writer who authored more than 20 books, including the influential Jesus and the Disinherited. In the mid-1930s, he was the first Black American invited to meet Mohandas Gandhi. When Thurman returned to America, his writings and speeches planted the early seeds for the non-violent Civil Rights Movement.

As founder and president of Journey Films, Mr. Doblmeier has produced and directed more than 30 films focused on religion, faith and spirituality. He combines a lifelong interest in religion with a passion for storytelling. His films explore how belief can lead individuals to extraordinary acts, how spirituality creates and sustains communities and how faith is lived in compelling ways.