Afro American Christian Living Black Religious Studies

Black Religious Studies

My name is John Haile from Houston. I am an Afro-American Christian living in the state for the past five years. My great grandfather had been an African slave, and my father lived in almost similar conditions. However, my father struggled to get me better education that led me to complete my degree and now work in one of the renowned newspaper firms in America. I have been given this opportunity to pen down my thoughts on African American slavery conditions in the past and their connection with the social movements, including the new religious movements of the 29th century. It would be reflected upon how the selected social movement has impacted the African American society until now and whether its prevalence is seen in the current religious landscape of Black people today.

Pan-Africanism

One social movement that has its roots in the history of Black slavery is Pan-Africanism. It has its foundation to believe that people of African descent share a common history and destiny (Pan Africanism). They believe that this unity is essential for social, economic, and political advancement for African races and cultural backgrounds. Even those who have been slaves in the past or whose ancestors have endured slavery are bonded in a single unison of the Black community. That shared historical destiny should help them combating European imperialism with African strength.

Pan Africanism has understood to be originated from the resistance to the transport of African slaves for slavery in America (Malisa and Nhengeze). The slaves wanted to return to their homeland and longed to find a way to make it happen. Those who managed to return wanted to shape their home country on similar patterns as they have witnessed the level of progress in Europe and America. They devised new ways for trading and business dealings in Africa that were close to Christianity. The transformation of Africa was observed based on the amalgamation of two roots: modernism and Christianity. Hence, the strong basis of Pan-Africanism was born, including African people who wanted their country to improve socially and economically along Christianity’s lines so that slavery was completely abolished.

Efforts from Europeans kept mounting to divide Africans and dismantle the movement and suppress its goals. Africans were not confident about the ideological orchestration since the Whites were trying to erase the Blacks by stopping them from consolidating their economic and political constancy and preventing them from forming any positivity towards Western systems’ knowledge. African people sensed the danger and wanted to remain persistent in their efforts. They were adamant that African descent civilization has all the right to progress on the same terms as Europeans. Pan Africanism Congresses started to take place in which; the first was held in 1900 in London, and the second took place in 1919 (Kuryla). The reason for organizing these congresses in Europe was to mark its place in the European society so that they know that Africans have their own identity and can work for their own independent political, economic and social individuality.

When it was ascertained that African political position had started its shape, the later congresses, particularly after the fifth congress, took place in Africa. Diaspora was seen as the most active region in Pan Africanism since it has been the major transport region for slave transportation to Europe. Blacks’ struggle for liberation from Whites dominance was during these days when political independence in Africa and Civil Rights Movement were witnessed (Malisa and Nhengeze). Mandela and Malcolm’s speeches played their significant part in reviving the African community’s spirit and its place in European ideologies. Malcolm believed that African history was destroyed as soon as the Blacks were brought as Slaves to Europe. The Afrocentric view was established by Malcolm that depicted the viewing of the world from the lens of Pan-Africanism. The critics of this belief opinionated that there is nothing more to Black past than just being slaves. Blacks do not have anything productive to contribute to the modern world, and they do not know the legitimate White ways of modernism to progress in a globalized world.

The struggles against slavery and colonialism were to be eradicated with Pan-Africanism roots. The African society can free itself from racism and be a part of self-adherence and self-containment by following capitalistic paths from the European community. It did not mean that Africans were trying to imitate those patterns; despite, they wanted to end oppression and promote their heritage values by modern Pan-Africanism during the early years of the 20th century.

Renaissance in terms of cultural and psychological grounds was vital for Pan-Africanism since it paved and guided Blacks to self-realization and active engagement in a global family’s materialization. The struggles were seen taking a solid form when some African states found independence like Ghana in 1957. The nonviolent changeover of power was observed from the colonial controllers to Africans.

A systematic struggle is seen by the African community while living in Whites society as there are organized lower employment rates of African American workers as compared to Whites (Weller). The barriers to getting employment, not including a “well-paid” occupation, mostly account for racial discrimination. African Americans still face job instability and economic challenges for maintaining satisfied living standards due to their slavery background inherited from their ancestors. Pan-Africanism still has to work hard to give these people equal progress opportunities and self-sufficiency for their economic wellbeing. Since the Africans wanted to follow the lines of economic progress, in current times, Pan-Africanism has taken the shape of the African Union (AU) for the sake of providing economic strength and inter-governmental support (“Pan-Africanism Today”). International cooperation has become a dire need for modern times since globalization requires every nation to reach far away and prosper. Such has been the terms of Pan-Africanism so that AU stands with Africans and tries to spread African core values to the rest of the world. Also, trade endeavors have been on the rise as well when African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) was formed. The Pan-African trade across the globe improved given a high GDP for the African community. All these reforms are for the sake of recent time’s economic and social progress for the African community to alleviate their systematic struggle within the White society.

Pan-Africanism in Current Religious Landscape of Black People Today

The struggles of African Americans, especially after 1968, have given them a massive improvement in their societal place in the White country. There was a continuous fight for equality from the African Americans, which is also known as the Kerner Commission Report on Civil Disorders; however, conditions have become better but not as better as Whites. Still, there is racial discrimination when comparisons are being made in education, even though Blacks are better educated in comparison with 1968. 90% of African Americans, aging 25 to 19, are in the position of getting a rewarding job after a qualified degree; however, job inequality is still prevalent due to ethnic disparity. Even religion is not free from this disparity since it has been observed that White Christianity has been kept distinct from Black Christianity. Churches are different and Black priests are rarely acceptable. It is evident that Church makes affirmation for progress but does not want to make progress for their reorientation about racial ignorance (Stewart).

By the 1990s, the situation was molded in Blacks’ favor when restructurings were made for racial inclusion, especially the Blacks. A formal settlement was made in 1995 for a racial reunion when an apology was made on behalf of political leaders who behaved negatively in the past and supported Black slavery (Luo). It was known that Pan-Africanism was working, and social acceptance for differentiated races was being embraced. Though this evangelical movement had its roots in religious and cultural strengthening for everyone who believed in Jesus and forgiveness for all who have erred, the movement was still not directing its energies towards annihilation of its shortcomings to recognize broader racial distinctness and cultural constrain that persisted. The White supremacy attitudes were predominant in Churches run by White priests and their preaching in the same language and manifestations.

The exhibitions of Pan-Africanism have been endorsed as the pervasiveness of organized religion and God’s ideological existence in the modern world that emphasizes equality (“Spirituality and Religion”). Religion was not isolated from the man’s efforts to become a higher self, where cultural and social phenomena play their part in helping in this attempt. This is the man’s ultimate aspiration which is no different from organized socialism.