Black Communities and Religious Discrimination

[WildBactrian]

I find in general that black communities have more respect for faith even if not professing any. We had our belief systems violently ripped from us during the process of enslavement in the diaspora, and strongly discouraged by missionaries on the African continent. Now many of us seek spiritual reconnection in a number of ways – some though Orisha, Santeria, Kumina, Vodou; others through Pentecostal, Baptist and other denominations; Jehovah Witness, Rastafari, Nation of Islam, Judaism, Islam, etc.

Religion has been the driving force of movements of emancipation and justice. Brazil’s famous Malê slave revolt was led by African Muslims. Paul Bogle of the pivotal Morant Bay Uprising in Jamaica, along with so-called ‘Native Baptists’ read the Bible not to remain subordinate in the way Anglicans had taught them. Rather, they read passages about the oppression of the Israelites and applied it to their situation, thus galvanizing momentum for the protest.

The NOI in the USA rose to prominence during the struggles for civil rights. Garveyism gained its early support from among local grassroots organisations which were often organized around the church. Many social reformers such as Mary Morris-Knibb and Dr. Harold Moody, had strong Christian faiths and/or or were supported in their endeavours by their church or missionary societies. The list is endless.

There is such a wide variety of beliefs found within black communities, but I don’t see us tearing each other down. In particular, Jehovah Witnesses and Muslims are routinely spoken of insultingly on MN threads, as if they are not people who enjoy this forum like everyone else. What I don’t see is religious people criticizing atheism, agnosticism, non-belief or being rude about the world minority of people who don’t profess adherence to a faith. Rather, a vocal white European minority makes the most noise, slings the most accusations, makes the most derogatory comments, and STILL manages to take the moral high ground and act enraged and defensive over perceived erosions to their ‘freedom of speech’. Truth is, they have so much freedom of speech they don’t know what to do with it. It’s a precious gift they waste in petty point scoring and bullying of the disempowered.

Apart from getting this off my chest, I’m calling on BMN to recognize the intersections between race and religion and call out discrimination when we see it. What do I mean when I say that race and religion intersect?

For example, during the slavery period in the Caribbean, African spiritual expression was denigrated as ‘dangerous superstition’. Drumming and the blowing of horns or shells were banned. Obeah was punishable by death or transportation. African cultural practices were deemed ‘lewd, riotous, exciting the passions, duping the credulous,’ to use some common phrases from the times. Gatherings at night were banned, so people were prevented from performing traditional funeral observations. Even when black West Indians formed and led their own churches, e.g. the 'Native Baptists' they were viewed with suspicion and distrust, because of course black people can't be trusted to do anything for themselves.

In the 1960s Christian West Indians entered English churches and were asked to leave! Some formed their own churches and some took other paths, both of which are laughed at and mocked (bemused reactions to Bishop Michael Curry’s sermon come to mind). Religion and race are not two separate things for black people, just as our race and sex are not separate in terms of our experiences and attitudes towards us.

Religion and religoius beliefs is one of the connerstones of society becuase it has the same purpose as politics, schools or trade. We may change what can be within it but the purpose remains the same, which is to organise and keep people from revulting against the system of oppresion. Everynow and then when these revults happen, there is a shift in the system which then beceomes the stastus quo. It's something that has been recycled throughout human history/herstory.

I like religion as part of society becuase peoole thrieve when they belive there is a power beyond them. Something to aspire to beyond death. Most people do not want to be just nothing in this universe. We all want and thrive to be somebody who means something to somone/world. Which is why we have funerals. Funerals are for thank yous and hope. Hope that you were are not nothing or forgotten.

Anyway, I digressed from OPs post. In the UK, churches/religious institutions offer communities for a lot of immigrant families and individuals. Within the immigrant community, religion is not just for the old. It's full of youg people. Both first and second generations. These churches keep people sane in times when they are away fro home or any family connections. (Studies have been done on this especially West African who are sent to the Uk to Study). They offer friendship and stability. Pentecostal and born again Christian churches has become a community that thrives within the black community with a lot of young people. The other large group is also young Australians who have imgirated to the Uk. They act as an outreach program for those who want to socialise but also, as form of hope and prosperity.

I think I am agnostic becuase after being indoctrinated from babyhood, relihion is not something you can just iradicate easily. I think people sometimes lie to themselves when they say they have no religious influence and they are an atheist, when the whole country has laws based on religious beliefs. Wether it's positive or not. The absorption of such information is by osmosis. Whether you read Harry Poter or the Bible, the belief in powers beyond us is all around us.

Going back to idea religion/ belief and the way it has shaped black people in the diaspora. The first successful slave revolution was led by a priestess in Hati. The power and courage that Cécile Fatiman had helped her people fight slavery and win. This was what snowballed and ended slavery. Not some white men. They were already losing power.

Christian and Muslim may have had great bases for revolutions within the black communities, eg black panther, Malcom x and the baptist churches/ Martin lurther King. I strugle to look at these two religions favourably when it was used to colonise us. It was used to colonise and eradicate any sense of african beliefs from our people. Those who practise religiuos beleifs outside of those from africa are looked at as evil and washiping the devil. The imagery has not changed at all. Not all has been used for good and I will refuse to accept religious doctrines I feel is harmful in mh view. If I see a religious leader acting stupid I will call them out on it.

I agree re-meghans wedding and how he was mocked and seen as joke. What Somepeople will not understand is how that moment shook the system of white supremacy.

In short. Curent Faith for black people is born out if pain. This is for black peolple in almost all of the diaspora. The same way black people are looked down upon. Religious groups which are meant to be inclusive still found ways to exclude black people and made it about race. We as people need religion to survive. I hope that those that do want it, are not taken advantage of. But most disadvantage are the most religious becuase sometimes, the only thing that will get you up the next day is the belief that you are not on earth for nothing. The belief you have a purpose and God will not abandoned you. The best and famous gospel songs are born from these pains. the Blues runs deep in this pain and black people live in hope.

Debbrianna I enjoyed reading your post. I don’t know much about Cecile Fatiman, so am looking forward to researching more. Men like Toussaint and Dessalines are more well known that the women, many of whom are not named.

I get what you’re saying about the dominance of Christianity and Islam in Africa to the detriment of other African beliefs. However, communities can practice in their own distinct ways. West African influences on Christian worship are well known. Maybe less known is the adaptation of African practices in Muslim worship, for example the Sufis of Sudan. The Ethiopian Church is purported to be the oldest church in the world, so predating any white missionary movements. I see more of a cultural influence over time than violent clashes (historically, that is).

I will refuse to accept religious doctrines I feel is harmful in my view. If I see a religious leader acting stupid I will call them out on it.

I agree. Religious leaders should be held to account by their congregations. They have to be able to justify the things they say and do according to the religious texts, and if they can’t do that and people choose to follow them anyway, then they are all at fault. That’s what I call ‘blind faith’ and it can lead to dangerous cultish behaviours. It’s important to read and study and question constantly.

What I have a problem with is when people from outside the faiths who don’t have even a rudimentary knowledge of the beliefs and think the followers are stupid and backward, weigh in and criticize them from a position of superiority. This only gets people’s backs up and leads to greater polarization. For example, there’s a thread about a new Covid vaccination centre for women only to address the low uptake of the vaccine among Black and Asian people in that particular region. Nowhere in the articles I read is it stated that the centre was established for Muslim women who don’t want to roll up their sleeves in public. Yet this has become the focus for discussions, and the reaction from some posters has been utter ridicule and scorn and the usual ‘what ifs’. Aside from the fact that the centre is for all women, they don’t understand why revealing one’s arms might be as problematic for some women as going topless would be for others. This touches on the discussion about ‘white feminism’ where there is a perceived inability to shift the paradigms of one’s thinking to comprehend that people from different backgrounds and cultural traditions think and feel in vastly different ways which are not lesser.