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Looking for African-American Atheists to Stand UP!

I live in the MD/DC Area. For months now, I have been trying desperately to find African-American atheists/agnostics/freethinkers etc. in my area. I am the ONLY active young, black, atheist in my college group.

I am starting to believe Black atheists are afraid to come out, except for blogs and the internet. I KNOW I am not alone.

Blacks in the media, because of the same sex marriage debate, are being portrayed as bigoted as some Whites were during Civil Rights. If we are to really change the way our government, media, and religious portray us, we have to show our support.

I spent 24 years of my life, afraid to question religion and God. I have lost friends and family for just questioning my beliefs and standing up. I know is isn't easy, but if you believe like I believe, that we only have this life to live, then DO SOMETHING.

My email is gabriel8@umbc.edu
Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=92973687272

Please, stop hiding behind the computer.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Emekan A'dem on December 5, 2009 at 9:39pm

Well said. If I weren't attending university just a stone's throw away in Richmond, I'd help you with this.

Good luck.

Permalink Reply by Gabriel on December 6, 2009 at 9:48pm

find me on facebook. Hit up the website. We need Richmond to get on the ball too. Do you guys have a secular club there?

Permalink Reply by Emekan A'dem on December 14, 2009 at 7:42pm

Actually, we do not.

...Good reason to start one, though. I'm on it.

Permalink Reply by Gabriel on December 8, 2009 at 1:37pm

That's is awesome. I currently serve as the vice-President of the campus Secular Student Alliance (SSA). I am also a national SSA member, along with the AHA ans American Atheists. I don't know where I would fit in your organization (I'm in MD) but I am interested in hearing what you learned.

Permalink Reply by Gabriel on December 15, 2009 at 7:30pm

An emphatic 10! In fact, I have talked to some blacks who are planning to start a secular group on Howard University's campus. I personally want to find out if anyone from Morgan State or Coppin in Baltimore are interested. I go to UMBC currently, so I couldn't officially start an org on another campus. BUT, if I can at least get some people willing to come out locally, I will start a 501(c)3 in Baltimore. I may just do it anyway, and then fill the membership. Also, I have already been on TV briefly doing interviews for the billboard campaign (www.baltimorecor.org). I hopefully will be on WEAA 88.9 Morgan State University radio sometime in January! SO I will keep you posted on that.

As far as multi-racial goes, I don't mean JUST Blacks, I mean all races, cultures, sexual orientation, and age. However, I really want young people involved because we are lacking in that dept. Where are you in your progress?

Permalink Reply by Gabriel on December 15, 2009 at 9:15pm

I agree. What do you suggest I do first? I'm kinda trying to find my footing. I have built up a small network locally, just trying to spread my influence. I just need to find some more outspoken black freethinkers

Permalink Reply by Ralph Dumain on December 17, 2009 at 1:09am

If you can pull all this off, you are the man. A few years ago I met the most gorgeous atheist that ever walked the earth, who graduated from Morgan State. It was not a favorable environment from what I heard. Back in 1985 I used to listen to Kwasi Mfume's talk show from Morgan State--before he hit the big time--and I found it rather depressing.

With all the recent activity, I have a hard time keeping my atheism web guide up to date. (There is also a section in it on black atheism.) If any needed additions leap out at you, please let me know:

Atheism / Freethought / Humanism / Ethical Culture / Rationalism / ...

Permalink Reply by Gabriel on December 17, 2009 at 1:00pm

I hope so. I will be speaking on WEAA 88.9 about the recent billboard campaign (www.baltimorecor.org) on the Mark Steiner show. So hopefully, I will promote more activity among African Americans

Permalink Reply by Gabriel on December 18, 2009 at 5:25am

Well considering the high percentange of African Americans in Baltimore and DC, we should not being seeing the same disproportionate participation in the secular movement. I mean, we are seeing the lack of turnout comparable to Iowa or a mid-West small town. To me, that suggests an untapped resource. Who knows? I could be wrong and Black people really are prone to be religious. However, since I tend to not assume things without evidence, :) I will move forward until I prove that Black people are too religious.

Permalink Reply by Gabriel on December 14, 2009 at 7:27pm

Basically, I am looking for the same as you. The friends I have that are non-religious, we rarely talk about religion or God. The only time we do, is when we are talking about how it affect politics culture, etc. I only have one black friend who is atheist that I hang out with. Everyone else is of other races, cultures, etc. Plus, he is still 'closeted' atheist. It true the meetups tend to be a bit of the 'mature' crowd. I am currently in a group at my school, but they are a bit younger than me so...yeah I like to drink...legally! So, I want something for the 20-30something to get invovled, and I want the Black Freethinkers a part of that. Problem is, we are scattered!

Permalink Reply by Gabriel on December 21, 2009 at 12:10pm

I agree that we tend to talk about the same issues over and over. Religion, to me, has been beaten to death. How many times can we say "There is no evidence"?? I only debate just to show the 'closet' atheists we have guts and they're not alone. What I do think needs to be addressed is some of these 'hot button' issues that are purely motivated by religion (i.e. Abortion, Stem cell research, same sex marriage, religious terrorism). We need to move the nation to the 21st century in terms of morals.

I want to do a 501(c)(3) because we need to raise money and solicit federal funds. Plus, I want to counter this new trend of the 'church' holding federal funds ransom for political agendas (see Kalamazoo's Martha’s Table, DC Archdiocese). We have given the church too much political power in this arena. It needs a secular remake. Plus, let's have fun in our Blasphemy lol. Sunday's for discussion. Wednesday's or Saturdays for drinking and social meetings. Holiday volunteering. School tutoring. Day care. All this needs funding. I want to see our dollars as well as out mouths go towards real change!

Permalink Reply by Ralph Dumain on December 21, 2009 at 12:18pm

It is pretty tedious. One could ask whether an injection of black people into atheism would change the discussions, but black atheists are, unsurprisingly, I hope, all over the place with respect to philosophy, politics, ideology, and interests.

In terms of the general movement, the only change I've noted locally is a few people beginning to share my longstanding gripes about the limitation of atheist/humanist/skeptic intellectual concerns and competence to the natural sciences, neglecting history and social science.