As a community, black people have deep ties to religion. The 2012 General Social Survey found nearly half of blacks reported praying several times a day, fifty-one percent of blacks, compared to 37 percent of whites, strongly agree that they have a personally meaningful relationship with God. To further complicate things, as black women’s our connection to our faith is what we are raised to believe makes us a suitable for marriage, and it can also be a burden to our mental health as we bear the weight of the “strong black women”.

 

Religion can be a source of refuge and safety, but we have to be open to and respect where others are on their spiritual path. While some of us prefer to go to church every Sunday, it also okay to create your own sanctuary and figure out what centers you spiritually. That could mean listening to Gospel, meditating, or even journaling. We’ve had to understand that religion and spirituality are rooted in love, and that should be our goal moving through the day and it should show in our actions. It’s time out for policing how people choose to worship, and if they choose to follow a religion. The accountability should be placed back into the churches to uplift the communities through programs that encourage economic empowerment and mental health awareness, among other things.

 

Please join us on this week’s episode as we discuss the religion in the black community as we touch on our own religious/spiritual upbringing and how that has evolved as adults.