In observance of Black History Month, The Interfaith Center of New York will recount many of the major “Milestones of Faith” in African American history. The indigenous faiths introduced into America through the slave trade mark just the beginning of an amazing history of African American pioneers in faith. Through indelible contributions of religious thought, music, art, and community-building, African Americans have played a leading role in shaping religious identity in the United States, across every faith tradition.
Throughout the month of February, ICNY will issue daily “milestone missives” to its Twitter audience, moving in chronological order from the early arrivals of blacks in America to the latest developments in diverse faith traditions. To follow these “Milestones of Faith,” follow us on Twitter @ICNY. To access the entire body of messages, watch for the hashtag #BHMfaith (Black History Month Faith).
Sources include:
Hartford Institute for Religion Research, Hartford Seminary: http://hirr.hartsem.edu/ency/african.htm
Archdiocese of NY: http://www.archny.org/
“Islam in America” by Jane I. Smith, published by Columbia University Press, 1999.
National Humanities Center: http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nineteen/nkeyinfo/aareligion.htm.
“This Far by Faith” PBS documentary: http://www.pbs.org/thisfarbyfaith/
“The African American Religious Experience in America” by Anthony B. Pinn, published by Greenwood Press in 2006.
