Sikivu Hutchinson writes about the L.A. Black Skeptics’ first “Going Godless in the Black Community” roundtable.

Fifteen atheist/humanists from a broad array of backgrounds, ages and world views attended. The discussion ranged from critiques of the influence of hyper-religiosity in the African American community to practical strategies for developing humanist resources and social welfare institutions…
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During the Going Godless discussion participants focused on the importance of instilling black youth with an appreciation for critical thought and free inquiry. Reflecting on his K-12 education in L.A. schools Black Skeptics member Fred Castro said that he couldn’t recall ever being exposed to humanist curricula or anything beyond a traditional Western Judeo Christian lens… Atlanta-based activist Black Son spoke forcefully about having imbibed a culture of bigotry from the Bible, noting that African American youth are merely recycling the oppressive images and gender stereotypes they’ve been taught by “Christian” precepts…
I can’t stress the importance of this group of activists. It’s hard enough being atheist. It has to be damn near impossible to be openly atheist in the black community. I hope more people come to their meetings — and I hope it encourages minorities in other areas to have meetings of their own.
It’s never easy to come out as an atheist, but it’s certainly easier when you have a supportive group like this.