Thoughts on Faith in Blackness: An Exploration of Afro-Latine Spirituality
Image Still of Faith in Blackness: An Exploration of Afro-Latine Spirituality
By: Kelly Hall
Following Faith in Blackness: An Exploration of Afro-Latine Spirituality, I was intrigued by the thoughts that came up surrounding ancestors, particularly how connecting with them helps to connect you with your purpose. I couldn’t agree more. Personally, I have been learning more about my recent family that is no longer living along with my ancestors and have come to find that I share the same dreams and aspirations as them and through conversations with friends and family, a concept of “ancestral will” came up. The way we defined it in this context was the persistence of our dreams being actualized through ancestral lineage. Meaning if there was someone in my bloodline who wanted to achieve or seek out something in their life and they weren’t able to accomplish it, or some part of it, it got passed onto someone else in the next bloodline and so on and on. This is what I found myself discovering as I investigated my ancestry. There are parts of myself and things that I am dreaming of and working towards that I am seeing paralleled in the generations before me. It is comforting and validating. It provides a clear sense of knowing. A truer understanding of who and what I am. A guide for where I should go.
During the film I was reminded of this sentiment when Believers Mennonite Garifuna Ministries was honoring their spirituality in a decolonized fashion, making their faith the main focus. It made me think that it’s our ancestral will to express our spirituality in the most authentic way because it’s what those before us dreamed of. Because of this, I appreciated how it was clarified that faith has always been present throughout the Black experience, only has religion been used as a tool to put us in boxes and distort our expression. Faith has been our truest constant. So to see a church such as this, with images and motifs showcasing Black faces and cultural patterns, mixing old traditions with the new, it’s the ultimate form of respect and honor for those that weren’t able to live that reality. Those of us today that are paving the way for these new institutions and customs are fulfilling the dreams that have only gained traction through the resilience of our past kin. All of this gives me hope because I believe that ancestral will is definite and that the dreams of the oppressed will be actualized through the generations now and to come. This film highlights this feeling of hope well as it touches on the overall shifts we’re seeing with racial awareness, the intersectionality of identities, and progressive churches like the one I’ve just mentioned that are maintaining Faith while decolonizing Religious expression. This is the direction we’re heading and our ancestors have been by our sides the whole time.
Black folks identity has been tightly wrapped with our spirituality because it is where we form our concept of community, ideals, fears, and strength. I think this is relevant to point out because it adds to the conversation of something that was discussed in the film, there being a lack of Blackness amongst religion in the diaspora. The history of our people regarding colonization and how our spirituality has been exploited is intense to say the least. And because our connection with spirituality by way of religion is a way to connect with our identities, we have been disconnected from more authentic ways of being and expressing. Again, we have always maintained faith. I don’t think we would have managed without it, but not seeing ourselves in the religion that encapsulated us, handicapped us in a way. We have looked up to a God who was painted White and read the holy book only to watch our oppressors contradict what’s written, placing that as a standard for our living and image to uphold. Representation truly matters. And while faith is unique to each person and people have varied expectations of their belief, it’s important to recognize the colonized way religion represents itself. By breaking away from those symbols and contradictions, we can have more spaces that more authentically fuse true faith and religious expression.
Kelly Hall
Kelly Hall is a recent Africana Studies graduate with a deep passion for exploring personal histories, culture, and identity through the lens of art. As an artist, she specializes in collage, photography, and videography, using these mediums to create transparent narratives that engage with both personal and collective experiences. Her work is deeply influenced by the complexities of what makes us who we are, including the intersections of race, memory, and place. Through her ongoing exploration or expression and storytelling, she aims to spark vulnerability and meaningful dialogue.
