This study describes the public life of Africana religions in New York City, the religions brought to New York City directly from Africa, or from the African Diaspora, particularly from the Caribbean and South America, where traditional African religions brought by the enslaved during the times of the Transatlantic Slave Trade were adapted to the new circumstances. Historically, practitioners of these religions have faced harsh persecution, whether during the time of enslavement when they could face death for their practices or when they came to the United States in the last century, where their religions were seen by many as evil and could lead to persecution by the authorities. Therefore, in the context of the United States, these religious traditions have for a long time been practiced in secret, in basements, and behind locked doors. In the last few decades, however, Africana religious practitioners have been trying to leave their secrecy behind and to become more public and visible. This study suggests that the improvement to the standing of these traditions and their devotees has occurred, and will continue to do so, precisely by occupying space, by actively reclaiming spaces hitherto denied, both physically and metaphorically--a notion that will be understood holistically across several practical and conceptual domains. The first chapter of this study explores the history of Africana religions in the United States and the public attitudes towards them, as they have evolved from facing extreme persecution and stigma to greater acceptance and a more significant public standing. The second chapter discusses in more detail the impact that practicing in secrecy has had on devotees, their rituals, and their religious lives. Also included in this section is an analysis of the ceremonies that are now being practiced in public in New York City and their related spatial reclamation, be it in beaches, in parks, or different types of public venues. The third chapter looks at the way Africana religious presences have manifested through and taken space in the cultural domain, widely defined, and at the way that the diffusion of these presences has impacted on the make-up of the city itself. The fourth and final chapter considers the visibility and popularity Africana religions are now gaining in popular culture and the arts, including in music, concerts, and dance performances; in the visual arts; in public art; and in television and film. This research was conducted from the perspective of a practitioner of Africana religions seeking to advocate for the rights of Africana religious practitioners with respect to equality, visibility, and public presence without discrimination.

"The literature on the religious lives of Black Americans is filled with undocumented and often ahistorical generalizations. The aim of this study is to develop a model for studying the role of churches and religion among blacks in particular localities during various periods of American history. The author is convinced that until similar local studies are conducted in a number of specific localities in different regions and time periods historically valid interpretations of the place of religion and churches in black life will not emerge. It is acknowledged that fully valid comparative statements will have to draw on studies of the religious situation among other American racial and cultural groups within the same regions and time periods"--Introduction. / Typescript. / "August, 1972." / "Submitted to the Graduate School of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts." / Advisor: Joe M. Richardson, Professor Directing Thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-96).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, The Divinity School, December 2002. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Despite the election of a Black President and media assertions at the time heralding a “post racial” America in which racial divides no longer exist, health disparities, poverty rates, incarceration rates, discrimination and educational inequality still are a daily reality for African Americans. African Americans still have the burden of having to cope with racism making the explorations of coping strategies for African Americans dealing with racism vitally important. The present study explored religious orientation, spirituality, race-related stress, mental health outcomes and activism for African Americans. In particular, race -related stress was predicted to be significantly predictive of activism, such that the more one has experienced race related stressors the more likely they would be activated to engage in social justice related activities (H1). The study predicted that higher levels of quest religious orientation and intrinsic spirituality would be related to higher levels of African American activism (H2a). It was also predicted that higher levels of religious fundamentalism would be related to lower levels of activism (H2b). Regarding the relationship of spirituality and activism to mental health, it was predicted that quest religious orientation and intrinsic spirituality and activism would be related to greater mental health outcomes (H3a), while a fundamentalist spiritual orientation and race-related stress would be related of poorer mental health (H3b). It was also predicted that African American activism would be related to greater mental health outcomes (H4a) and that racism-related stress would be negatively related to mental health (H4b) The results indicated that for this sample, none of the spirituality variables (Quest Orientation, Fundamentalism Orientation, and Intrinsic Spirituality), nor the experience of racism (race-related stress), nor African American Activism, was related to mental health. However, the variables examined were significantly related to African American Activism. Quest Religious Orientation, Intrinsic spirituality, and race-related stress were all positively related to engagement in action for racial justice. Fundamentalist religious orientation was negatively related to action for social justice.