“Wolf” Exposes Sex Abuse in the Black Church

Despite high-profile sex abuse cases like that of Bishop Eddie Long, no one wants to talk about the taboo subject. But the director of “Wolf”, Ya’Ke Smith (“Katrina’s Son,”  ”Hope’s War”) believes it’s a story that should be told.

Smith’s film will explore the dark cloud of sex abuse in the black church with the hope of freeing victims who have suffered silently to acknowledge their ordeal and seek help for it. Smith also hopes to stop the cycle of abuse, which goes unchecked when hidden. He told Loop21:

“The title comes from the analogy ‘a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The preacher is hiding in this God-like clothing, coming off as a spiritual person who is helping everyone, but he’s lurking through the congregation, looking for the weaklings. From his actions, he is also turning other boys into wolves, promoting that cycle of abuse.”

Though the content is controversial to say the least, Smith says he’s enjoyed a positive response thus far. And creating his film  hasn’t tainted his love for the black church:

I’m still very much a part of the church. What I think happens to people is that they equate their pastor with God, that’s dangerous. If your pastor messes up, and it shatters your relationship with God, you probably didn’t have a real relationship with God to begin with. The black church does so much good in the community, we can’t deny that, but I’d be lying if I said there weren’t churches just out for your money and to play with your emotions. So that’s why movies like this need to exist, to snuff them out.

Read more about his film here.

Do you believe exposing sex abuse in the church will be healthy for our community? Will the airing our dirty laundry have a negative impact on the way people perceive the black church?

Source

WOLF Trailer from Exodus Filmworks (Ya’Ke) on Vimeo.