It is no secret that slaves had a hard life, both physically and
psychologically. Being told you are a commodity or an object is physiologically
degrading. It can deplete your self-identification both within your community
and within yourself. The jobs of slaves were to make other people rich. Being a
slave in no way helped the slave himself. Because of this, slaves had to create
their own secret communities in order to save their psychological well-being.
The physical demands on
slaves were difficult. Slaves working on
farms preformed hard manual labor. Those working for owners that were not farm
or land owners had to tend to getting water and food and waiting on their
masters, instead of taking care of themselves. Life was hard and there were not
the comforts of today to rely on. The job of the slave was to provide services
to their owners either by working their land, raising their children, running
their homes or otherwise providing the comfort of food, clothing, laundry, and
every day tasks. Slaves earned their keep. They did not earn money.
The slave owners even
attempted to tell the slaves how to worship.
Many slave owners built their slaves churches to worship in much like
the churches the owners worshipped in. Owners felt that the slaves were happier
and more content if they were given the right to worship. The owners did not
want to humanize the slaves, however they realized that slaves were less likely
to rebel if they were given the illusion of a fair life. Many slaves attended
these services but secretly the slaves worshipped on their own differently than
their white owners. They found their owners way of worshipping not fitting. They
worshipped a god that would some day set them free much like Moses and the Jews
were set free. They sang loudly and prayed hard for their freedom. They interpreted the scriptures differently
and found a religion that would liberate them. They sang hymns loudly and
rhythmically even though they no longer worshipped like they did in Africa.
In many ways this
worshipping made the slaves more independent and gave them a feeling of
liberation. They found hope in their religion not just the peace the owners
hoped they would find. They sang about being set free and that gave them hope. Religion and family helped them endure being
slaves and strengthened their resolve to one day be free.
I am fascinated by the method in which slaves eventually converted from their indigenous religions (or lack of religion altogether) into being such a large and active portion of the Christian population today. Looking at the dates of when the first black churches and large-scale religious groups began to pop up, it seems that a few generations of slaves had to pass before Christianity became widely accepted and incorporated into the development of a post-slavery America. This makes sense given the propensity of parents to pass their ideologies onto their children, but what I am really interested in are the motives behind the first slave conversions.
ReplyDeleteI am in the middle of the second season of a show called "The Walking Dead," in which zombies have taken over our country. The show follows a group of survivors and in a recent episode there were some interesting developments concerning prayer in the Christian sense. Two members of the group that had never been religious before the outbreak either prayed or attempted to pray for the first time. We know that the slaves identified with the story of Exodus, and specifically with the role of the Jews. For people in a rough situation, the narrative that Christianity provides, with its picture of an afterlife, and its values in hope and faith, can be an unbelievably potent option for a last-ditch source of strength. I can only imagine this was one of the situations in which the first slaves converted.
It is amazing to me how the slave owners were so adamant about pushing Christianity onto the slaves, but only to a certain extent. Heaven forbid if the slaves were to read and especially interpret Exodus. I think the white oppressors should have thought twice before building these places or worship on false pretenses. Slaves were stuck between a rock and a hard place when it came to religion. Many of them simply didnt want to take up a religion that an oppressor was introducing to them. However, they knew that it was vital if they wanted to keep things calm. There was a serious internal battle for identity when it came to religion and the slaves handled it the best way they knew how.They made it their own. It was one of the only acts of defiance that they could get away with and even this they had to shelter.
ReplyDeleteI find it amazing that even until this day, religion within the African American community is still strong. It’s funny to think that this once “invisible institution” has developed to play such a major role in the African American history. The church has been a religious and communal crutch for black people during hard times, such as slavery or the Civil Rights Movement, as well as good times, such as the celebration of holidays. I have been going to my church for eighteen years and the members have literally become a part of my family. As a member of the choir we often sing spirituals that originate from the days of slavery. I cannot help but to feel a sense of empowerment knowing that as a race, we have come very far, but nonetheless, still have far to go. My church will always hold a very special place in my heart.
ReplyDelete