"The Awakening"

There was a Christian soap opera called "The Awakening" which was syndicated to some local TV markets during the 1990's. In Chicago, it was shown on the local Christian station on Saturday nights. It was part of a program aired by the Liberty Temple, a huge church on the south side.

The main character was Marquita, who was played by a pretty young actress whose name escapes me at the moment. When the show began, Marquita was dating a drug dealer whom she had a child with. Her younger brother was also dealing drugs, and her mother was involved in some bad behavior. Her dad was absent. Her boyfriend and her brother were killed during a drug deal that went wrong. Marquita ended up having a falling out with her mom, and turned to prostitution. Things went from bad to worse, until Marquita hit rock bottom and accepted Christ as her Savior. However, as Marquita grew in her faith, her problems increased. While she was a hooker, she turned in her pimp, a guy named Q, who ended up being killed by the police. Marquita goes grocery shopping and is shocked to see who she thinks is Q, laughing at her. Turns out it was Q's twin brother, Antonio, a heartless drug kingpin, out for revenge.

Marquita's problems in trying to avoid Antonio's wrath was just one of the multiple storylines that featured her family, friends, and other characters. Topics covered included gangs, abortion, AIDS, pre-martial sex, and child abuse, all wrapped around a positive Christian message.

The characters were all played with sincerity by members of the Liberty Temple Church, which is headed by Apostle Clifford Turner. As far as I know, the church still has a show, but it only consists of the sermon that used to follow episodes of "The Awakening." The entire show can be brought on DVD via the church's store.