Religious Influences Of African Americans

As an African-American in the United States, I participate in activities to help me identify with my race. Yes, there are many types of African-Americans, but we all share similar ideas, values, and traditions that bring everyone closer. As African-Americans, we strongly believe in religion. Since slavery, religion has played a tremendous role in contributing to our beliefs. We believe there is a greater divine who knows our purpose, and has the power to control it. In addition, we believe prayer changes things especially when times become rough and unbearable. It is common for Black children to “grow-up” in the church and attend with their families every Sunday. Although I am in college, this has not change. I attempt to at least go twice out the month.

Privilege and oppression provides a framework for understanding how institutional structures and ideologies shapes individual experiences. Privilege and oppression also explains “how power operates in society” which led to the formation of “a dominant group and a marginalized group” (Launius and Hassel, Threshold Concepts, 72-73). “Oppression can be defined as prejudice and discrimination directed toward a group and perpetuated by the ideologies and practices of multiple social institutions” (Launius and Hassel, Threshold Concepts, 73). While, privilege refers to the “benefits, advantages, and power that accrue to members of a dominant group as a result of the oppression of marginalized group”,

There are two definitions of power. Power could be to supply (a device) with mechanical or electrical energy or it could be the ability to direct or influence the behavior of others. Power provides fuel for our cars; fuel provides energy for our bodies. But, our bodies create ideas. One idea our bodies create that has power over us for hundreds of years is racial discrimination. Racism is antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior. The idea of racism has power over our choices, dreams, and identities.

What defines power in today’s society? Is it money? Privilege? Status? In Chapter 2 of Justice And The Politics of Difference, entitled “The Five Faces of Oppression,” Iris Marion Young offers a unique perspective on what power really is in modern day society and how oppression plays a role in it. According to Young, power is the result of having a concrete societal position that grants you respect and opportunities from people (A page would be nice right here.). However, Young argues that this “power” is so reliant upon your perceived status and worth from individuals, that if lacking these things, you then become vulnerable to oppression. Oppression

There are so many views on how the African American community joined a massive movement called, “Christianity”. This religion has been a key role in the lives of the African-American since being bought over to America from the motherland of Africa. It is said that the white British men who kidnapped our ancestors, made them slaves and forced them to believe in this religion. In research, it is found that there were several polytheistic religions in African and Christianity was one. It is believed that when Christians were brought over from Africa, along with most of their own religions, some of them brought Christianity along with them, but those who believed in other religions were soon forced to convert to Christianity which they looked to freedom. During my studies, I came across a book entitled “The Talking Book” by Allen Dwight Callahan. In this book, he speaks about how the African American race accepted Christianity. One interesting story he spoke about in his book was when slave masters use to sit and read their bibles as the slaves were working. He said that while they were reading, the slaves would ask “What is that master?” and the slave owner would reply “the book is talking to me.” So, when the slave owner would leave, the slave would go pick up the book and put it to his ear to hear the book speak. While in Africa, their Christian belief was not molded by the words of a book, but rather the words of their ancestors. In

Historians investigating African American religious history have labeled the secretive slave worship services the “Invisible Institution” because much of it was invisible to the eyes of their masters. They had secret places in which they met. Some of the places were: “In their cabins, woods, thickets, hollows, and brush arbors (shelter of cut branches also called ‘hush harbors’) throughout the South, slaves held their own religious meetings where they interpreted Christianity according to their experience, applying the stories and symbols of the Bible to make sense out of their lives.”

The quest for complex subjectivity allows us to look beyond the standard mappings of black religion in America, seen in Christianity and the Nation of Islam. Rather than an individual following the rules and doctrine provided by a religion, in this quest, they examine what within them has brought them to their religious beliefs; and how do those beliefs provide fulfillment to their life. This expansion on black religion in America is positive, since it allows blacks to change their perspective from one of objectification to individuality. It allows each individual to gain a better understanding of what they seek out in life, in the world, and how they can achieve “More” throughout their existence. This is a form of enlightened thinking developed

The history of religion in the United States comes a long way dating from the early 1600s when the first pilgrim settlers came to this country. It has been noted that these settlers were highly influenced by the Protestant faith which led to a community level of influence in this country as well. The faith of theses settlers were motivated from the New World of Europe where they practiced their religion in a peaceful environment. Later in history, it was noted that people of Spanish decent started the famous network of the Catholic missions in California. When California became a part of the United States, Catholic churches and institutes were formed. These churches and institutes were also formed in New Orleans and Louisiana.

However, there should be something constant about religion, especially when it touches a community and is so intrinsic in a community such as the African-American community as a standard for righteousness and purity in a world that doesn’t make sense.

Additionally, Long states Black religion emerged from what he refers to as “involuntary presence and orientation.” Customarily, when an individual transitions from one place to another, they have autonomy, within reason, to acclimate themselves to new cultural norms, and ultimately establish their function and worth in society. Africans, not being active participants in the transition, did not experience the traditional customs given to immigrants. Instead, they were consciously conflicted with the reality of inhabiting a land that simultaneously considered them fully human, and fully inhuman. Naturally, through that struggle, expressions of worship developed that could only originate from the subconscious of a people group stressed to find

African-American religion dealt with life as blacks lived it. It was about pain and sorrow, sin and shortcoming, pardon and joy, praise and thanksgiving, grace and hope. This version of Evangelicalism provided a wonderful benefit; it was able to accomplish great things in their lives that were frequently shouted about. Whether it be through a simple shout during church, or a song sung in the fields Evangelicalism took root among African-Americans. Large numbers underwent conversion, baptism, instruction, worship, and lived the life of a Christian even in face of oppression. Although, the development of their own religious institutions would await Emancipation and the war 's end, there were many thousands of Negro Baptists and Methodists by 1850, which represented what African-American religious culture had grown into.

Power is a term that has significant meaning. As a society, many forms of power have been seen before whether it be positive or negative. A common structure of power is shown in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. This form of power is seen as destructive towards the black community as they are treated significantly differently than others in society. In order to maintain power over everything, the black community is silenced through negative social perspectives, prejudicial views, and a lack of opportunities.

Today, a serious problem exists all over the world. Racial oppression takes place in the poorest and the richest countries, including America. Racial oppression is characterized by the majority, or the ruling race, imposing its beliefs, values, and laws on the minority, or the ruled race. In most areas, the ruling race is upper class whites that run the “system”, and have a disproportionate amount of power. In other areas, it may not be the white race, but it is still the race that is comprised of the majority, makes the laws, or has the most money. These are the keys to domination over the weaker minorities that don’t have the power to thrive under the majority’s system according to their own cultural beliefs,

A world of system designed to keep people in unjust and unequal positions is held in place by several interrelated expression of "power over": political power, economic power, physical force, and ideological power (Bishop, 1994: 36). So, we can say power is defined as a possession of control, authority or influence over others. In terms of power of dominant groups over subordinate groups, we define power as domination of one group of people over another in major important spheres of life. Power inequities have been in existence throughout the history of humanity and the ways of manifestation evolved from extreme overt oppression to subtle, covert oppression. Three major forms of power inequalities discussed in this paper are

The processes associated with power, and privilege have shaped my relationship and greatly impacted the development of my personal identity; these influences have shaped me to be strong, independent, resilient woman I am today playing a huge role in my personal development. Power is defined as the ability to control. Privilege, is invisible in the sense by looking at someone one can’t tell if they are privileged or not, you as the individuals are privileged, based on the advantage that you have. Personally, since I was twenty-one years old I realized how power plays a vital role in society. I can remember going out with my friends (myself included seven females and two male’s races of Hispanic and African American). As a group, we left the bar and going to get something to eat. A fight broke out in turn resulting in having to defend myself. Today, I have no idea how the fight started or who was involved. However, when the police came (white men) myself and my group were tear gassed, tasered, handcuffed and hit by the police. The other group involved were white individuals, and did not receive nearly of treatment/experiences of myself and my group. A few individuals in the other group we’re resisting arrest; one individual hit an officer, and some fled the scene. The following morning everyone was bailed out of jail, charged with a list of charges, and long days in the courtroom repeating the story repeatedly. Nevertheless, our charges were all dismissed. However, we never