The Relevance of Religion in Contemporary African American Society
...s and sometimes states away. Slave masters raped Black women repeatedly and black men were whipped and humiliated in the presence of their families. Slaves who come from great tribes, practicing medicine and maintaing thriving societies, now had no identity. They were property, with no soul, no feelings and no future. Africans living as slaves on plantations all over the country found themselves without any of the practices familiar to them, however they managed to practice some of the beliefs from their homeland. Many Africans were able to continue the traditions after arriving in America. These traditions were passed on to their sons and daughters, changed and transformed to coincide with the life of a slave. The morale of the slave began to depend on their ability to worship frequently. Slowly, many Africans began to convert to Christianity, holding on to the belief of a savior. They clung to the idea of a God that would give them justice and freedom in a land that held them down. Slaves needed hope and spiritual fuel to allow them to endure a life in bondage. Slaves held prayer meetings and began to sing what is now known as Negro Spirituals. These songs told the stories of slave life and contained prayers to God asking him to strengthen and guide them through their dark journey. Slaves eventually fully adapted the religion of their oppressors and began to attend revivalist meetings in the name of Christianity. There, they were recognized as full human beings. They were encouraged to shout, sing, feel, and discuss their faith with their Christian brethren. (The faith group: 2003) Five themes in particular defined the character of black religious thought during slavery and its subsequent development: justice, liberation, hope, love, and suffering. (John H. Cone: 1986:7) Slaves believed in the idea of God bringing justice to all that participated in wrong doing against them. They believed that people that hurt others very simply went to hell while the oppressed would be rewarded for there suffering and sent to a beautiful, peaceful place in the sky called heaven. Liberation followed the concept of justice in that God would rain down his punishment on the unjust and liberate the just granting them freedom and happiness. Liberation was the main focus of the slave. Slaves wanted to be free every moment of every day. They dreamed of it, sang and prayed about it. The idea of a mighty God bigger then their opposser gave them hope. Religion gave slaves a hope that surpassed any amount of abuse they could ever endure. Day after day, slaves were beaten and disregarded, but hope and the idea that God loved them just as he loved his own son, allowed them to see the dawn of a new day. They believed that as their savior died and suffered for them, so they would continue to believe in him and wait for the day when he would right all the wrongs that had been done to them. Religion through the 1950s and 1960s President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of bloody civil war. (Exhibit Hall: 2004) Over the next one hundred years, blacks made immense progress, excelling in all areas of society. Blacks began to form their own clubs, schools and organizations. Minorities were being excepted into competitive sports and the Olympic games. Although blacks made progress and attempted to erase color lines, there was much progress to be made. During the 50s and 60s, African Americans found themselves fighting for the simplest of rights. Blacks were banded from restaurants, hotels and even water fountains. Blacks were not allowed to vote or attend school that whites attended. Although African Americans had remained faithful to their religion in the past, by the late 1960s, the injustice and violence that the civil rights movement brought had discouraged them. Black Christians had been following the teachings of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. who preached non-violence and justice through peaceful protest. However, by the end of the decade many African Americans grew tired of the riots, the beatings and the attack dogs during peaceful protest. Many were tired of fighting the good fight and no longer believed the promises and the hope of Christianity. During these times many African Americans abandoned the church or joined the Nation of Islam appealing to the teachings of Malcolm x, however some black Christians remained faithful to the church of their ancestors and held on to it’s promises. Much like in times of slavery, these devout Christians needed a sense of hope in a time of despair. Religion In the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s During the black power movement, of the 1970’s the idea of black theology began to appeal to many African Americans. Blacks began to reject what was referred to as an Europeanized Jesus for images of a Jesus with dark eyes and skin. (Jacqueline Trussell: 2004) At this point, black religion began to change. Once desegregation took effect, blacks began to take advantage of new opportunities that they had never been offered before. Better schools, jobs and housing drew blacks from their old run down n...