Acknowledgment of African Traditional & Diaspora Religions

 The cause of freedom is the cause of God.                
- Samuel Bowles

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During  transatlantic slavery, the millions of Africans transported across the Atlantic into the North American continent and its protectorates, were active African Traditionalists, who were denied their religious freedoms during and after their enslavement. 

The Diaspora were forced to suppress their  ancestral religious practices, customs, culture and spiritual values, in lieu of Christianity. Hollywood, sensationalists tabloids, baised academic journals, mainstream media and Christian evangelicals have all aided in creating an atmosphere of fear, ignorance, hostility and myth by perpetuating negative stereotypes and encouraging the marginalization of African Diaspora ancestral religious study and sacred ritual and practices.This system of repression, discrimination and cultural malignment has continued even after the ratification of the Bill of Rights in 1791.

 At  the turn of the century, African traditional religious houses responsible for maintaining law, social order, continuity of  family and cultural values, were routinely raided and shut down by law enforcement acting on behalf of  state authority. Until the present, although African Taditional & Diaspora religions are practiced by millions internationally, the North American Diaspora and all devotees of various ethnicities, continue to endure major obstacles in practicing African Traditional Religions without national recognition or federal protection.

Corrective actions taken to rectify acknowledgment of African Traditional & Diaspora Religions:

1. June 11, 1993:  U.S. Supreme Court decision in favor of Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye, Inc. v. City of Hialeah, (No. 91-948) 936 F.2d 586, (CA 11 1991) prohibiting the local government from creating laws against animal sacrifice or 201C, burdening religious practice. 201D 
   
   July 5, 2001:  the MWHS (Mami Wata Healers Society- formerly OATH) petitioned  the Library of Congress to change the classification of books written on African Traditional Religions, Theology and Spiritual Science from occult to African Religion. In doing so, it would allow educators to teach African religions along side other mainstream religious faiths.
    
   January 21, 2008:  the MWHS petitioned newly elected president, Barack Obama, to consider an Amendment Ending Religious Discrimination against African Traditionalists in the work place, home and communities.  Decriminalizing African Religious traditional practices by ending sporadic police raids into consecrated shrines, and the seizing of sacred religious objects; and by ending the unwarranted removal of children from homes by DFACS or other governmental agencies, for the "crime" of being raised within their own family-centered, ancestral, cultural, ritual and theological religious milieu. 

At airports, upon entry, sacred ceremonial items, traditional medicines and medicinal herbs that are not illegal in the United States, are routinely seized by U.S. Customs Agents, and disposed of without cause or explanation. African Traditional clergy are routinely denied Religious Visas  by the U.S. Embassy abroad, when invited to the U.S. to teach and/or participate in Ancestral religious ceremonies and transcultural conferences. Upon death, African Traditionalists are often provided Christian burial rites in direct contradiction to their African Traditional faith, because African Traditional clergy are seldom recognized. African traditionalists are also not accorded leave of absence from employment to observe religious holidays, festivities and other important ritual functions as other recognized faiths enjoy.


Argument For Freedom of Religious Expression:

Freedom of religion is a fundamental human right, governed by a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community to practice in public or private; and to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.  African religions are the birthright of the African people and the Diaspora. They are ancient spiritual systems in direct (and often parallel) historic continuums with the cultural origins and theological development of  Judaism, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam.  


Plea for Corrective Action:

In fact of the above, we humbly conclude that the United States government has an obligation to rectify this historic injustice by recognizing African Traditional and Diaspora Religions as legitimate theological systems protected by the Establishment and Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment in the continental United States and all of its protectorates.