On Embracing Africanity

An excerpt from The Ifa/Orisha Religious Tradition: A New Global Perspective:

Accentuating this question of global perspective is the on-going battle between intellectuals in what has been deemed the Herskovits-Frazier Debate that began in the 1940s and waged into the 1960s. Professor Sheila Walker notes in her research that Melville Herskovits, a leading anthropologist, claimed that African descendants had deep connections with their African past whereas E. Franklin Frazier, an African American sociologist lent his voice to the African in the U.S. as having an emphasis on "Americanity" and not "Africanity." She suggests that there are differences why African-Americans have less of an Africanity about them. Factors such as relatively small numbers [percentages of Africans] in the U.S. compared to Brazil [and Cuba]. Larger territories in the U.S. as compared to Jamaica, relatively early end to the slave trade in the U.S. and then Brazil; 1808 and 1850, respectively. [I'd add that there were differences in religious adaptation and syncretism when under of the Protestant of the U.S. which had no saints to hide the orisha behind and the Catholic of Portugal that did. Plus, in the U.S. there was greater emphasis on domestication and internal slave trading as opposed to the continual import of indigenous Africans. Such a devise led to further breakdowns of cultural strength, identification, and transference to future generations.] Professor Walker continues to explain that "There was an unquestioned assumption that Africans in the Americas couldn't intercommunicated and, as a result, were unable to maintain cultural and religious identification with Africa. While in Brazil, Afro-Brazilians could trace their cultural links with the incoming Yoruba from Nigeria and Benin each arriving in chains in large numbers during the latter nineteenth century. These Yoruba were able to institutionalize their religion such that it remains an important and dynamic presence that helps define the national culture of Brazil. She adds. "U.S. African Americans are inclined to see ourselves differently from, rather than similar to, other Diasporan communities based on relative Africanity. The idea that any association with Africa was negative, so that being less African than other African Diasporans was positive was countered by the 1960s Black consciousness/Black nationalist movement that promoted a Pan-Africanist worldview emphasizing continuities and commonalities."

Aside from Ms. Walker's take on Brazil, is the following research presented by Vagner Goncalves da Silva who states, "The Black Brazilian Front (1932-1937), the first movement of its kind to be organized nationwide, thought that the integration pf black people into [Brazilian] society would be easier if they distanced themselves from anything that was culturally backward; 'exotic dances, samba, drum beating, Capoeira, etc. Novels of the time expressed the same view." He continues, seen as "The Afro-Brazilian religions continued to be seen as relatively irrelevant, as elements of political mobilization or identity, until at least the 1970s." This movement was felt (and continues) in Cuba and the U.S. as well. In spite of the 60s and Pan-Africanism, relatively few African-Americans (as well as Africans throughout the Diaspora) have been persuaded to follow the course of Africanity, especially when it comes to African-based religions and that the zeal to rely on Americanity via Christianity continues to take precedence. The rationale is that the perceived hatred Christians have of African culture would lead to social and economic disadvantages suffered by a larger number of freed slaves than if they formed their religions based on their ancestry and intellect. Adaptation and syncretism are crucial in this respect as each elicits a greater hope for generational survival in a hostile environ. We can consider the overwhelming response to the movie Black Panther as an example of how African-Americans were lifted to unprecedented levels of pride and hopefulness because there was inclusion on speculative and creative planes of existence. To add, there's a Brazilian who, akin to Marvel Comics, is utilizing the attributes of the orishas as characters in his speculative literature. His name is Hugo Canuto and, according to a recent article, Hugo has reimaged the orisha as the counterparts of superheroes in his works stemming from his background in Candomble, the Brazilian syncretism of Ifa and Catholicism. Many may question the value or importance of this as it is nonreligious. However, the importance of seeing the branches that extend from the roots of one's religion has an impact most profound. An article written about him foretells, "Now, imagine if Marvel Comics found inspiration for their characters in Yoruba mythology (instead of Norse, Greek, Roman). Instead of Iron Man we'd have the warrior Oxaguia/Obatala. And, taking the place of the blue-eyed blond-haired Norse god Thor would be the equally strong and black-skinned Xango/Shango… and Captain America would be Ogum/Ogun…”