As an African-American Pagan, sometimes I feel the pressure of discomfort as I celebrate my faith. Its not as if I feel alienated by others within my faith because of my skin color, not by a long shot. The discomfort stems from having very little contact with other pagans who happen to be black as well.
Its odd that so many people who have pagan ancestry are vastly detatched from that spirituality in my eyes. Within my own community I see plenty who honor their African ancestry with the garb and regalia and sometimes speech, yet once you try and go into the spiritual aspects that went along with the clothing suddenly they flatline.
I understand that during the time of slavery we were heavily indoctrinated with the Christian mindset, either that or be erroneously punished; but now that we don’t have to worry about such a reprimand, we as a people seem to blackout that religious time period.
As I look at the people who are around me I sometimes feel the insecurity of feeling like the “other”, as if I don’t belong with the swaths of red, brown, blonde and black hair. As if I’m unwelcomed, not by others’ actions or deeds, but by having no one to relate to me on a cultural perspective of being a black Pagan. I have no issue with my brothers or sisters of European descent, I just wish there were more African-Americans like me who know how it feels to leave the predominantly Christian culture.
