Atheism in the African diaspora
[10] Sometimes, atheism is seen as a whites-only club by black people and in the United States, African American history, slavery, and the civil rights movement are all closely tied to Christianity.
[13] During the Harlem Renaissance, several prominent black authors in America wrote or discussed their criticisms of the Christian church in various forms.
Anthony Pinn called Christianity a tool for keeping the status quo and historically, for supporting slavery.
[14] Michael Lackey sees African American atheism as a way to celebrate a "revolutionary victory" over what he perceives as an oppressive and violent god-concept.
[15] Many African American atheists see hope in a secular world view and find "religious culture a reason for melancholic mourning.
[17] As writer Cord Jefferson put it, "For a long time, black houses of worship doubled as war rooms to plan protest actions and galvanize people made weary by centuries of racist violence and legislation.
[20] Many atheist African Americans see it as important to work with religious leaders and organizations to solve various social justice issues facing the community.
"[24] However, when individuals stereotype African Americans as "religious" it ignores the "diversity of thought that actually exists within the black community.
[17] Sikivu Hutchinson has written that there is a "staggering lack of interest" about issues facing black people from the atheist community.
"[31] Christian apologist Ray Comfort, who is white, has controversially claimed that atheism is "an insult to black heritage.
[33] Anthony B. Pinn reminds readers of The Humanist that it's important to let black people set their own "racial justice agenda.
[34] Goddard has also experienced individuals who believed that it was racist to create special groups within atheism to appeal to African Americans.
Sikivu Hutchinson notes that black women are expected to adhere to paradigms of moral and social "respectability" that make them more predisposed to being religious.
[38] It is also thought that because women are the main parents in many households and play a large part in passing on culture and socializing children, they are expected to fulfill that role.
[47] In 2019, the first conference focusing on secular, humanist, agnostic, atheist and freethinking women of color was held in Chicago.
Some feel that strict church beliefs interfere with greater social issues affecting black communities.
African Americans for Humanism (AAH), founded in 1989, has grown to become a transnational organization reflecting black humanist concerns around the world.
"[32] Debbie Goddard said that the billboards were designed to help people see that there was a tradition of atheism and freethinking in the black community.
