Atheism in the African diaspora

Atheism in the African diaspora is atheism as it is experienced by black people outside of Africa. In the United States, black people are less likely than any other ethnic groups to be religiously unaffiliated, let alone identifying as atheist.^[1][2][3] The demographics are similar in the United Kingdom.^[4] Atheists are individuals who do not hold a belief in God or gods. Atheism is a disbelief in God or gods or a denial of God or gods, or it is simply a lack of belief in gods.^[5] Some, but not all, atheists identify as secular humanists, who are individuals who believe that life has meaning and joy without the need for the supernatural or religion and that all individuals should live ethical lives which can provide for the greater good of humanity.^[6] Black atheists and secular humanists exist today and in history, though many were not always vocal in their beliefs or lack of belief.^[7][8]

Issues that face black atheists include the fact that they are "racially different" from the larger and more visible atheist movement and "religiously different" from the black community.^[9] Black atheists are often a minority group in their own countries and locations and then are an even smaller minority in the atheist group, which is itself often a minority.^[10]

Sometimes, atheism is seen as a whites-only club by black people and in the United States, African American history, slavery and the civil rights movement are all closely tied to Christianity.^[11] Religion has very much become part of the tradition of black history and culture.^[12] Even when there is a strong atheist or secular humanist movement in the African diaspora, it has been ignored. In surveys of history, black expressions of humanism and secularism have been ignored by historians.^[13]