How Europe Demonises African Spiritual Practices

While perceptions and representations are changing, there is still a lot of negative expressions and ideas about African spiritual practices. The recent success of Ryan Coogler’s Sinners ignited hot discussions about African spirituality versus Western Christianity, and which was dominant in attempting to resist the invasion of vampires. The film highlighted how little is known about the varied spiritual practices that connect Africans across the continent and in the diaspora, while drawing deeper interest in these traditions. We will explore some of the reasons why African spiritual practices  are often misrepresented, considered demonic and negative, especially when viewed through a Western European lens. This presentation is a collaboration between Way Wive Wordz  and Fulham Palace Museum, and provides a link with the exhibition – The Bishop of London, Colonialism and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, currently on at the Museum. The exhibition highlights the ways Africans used their spirituality to resist and showcases the Bishops who were involved in the  so-called Trade.

We will consider:

• What is African indigenous spirituality
• What are the retentions in the diaspora and how are they practiced
• Misrepresentations of African spiritual practices
• The psychological impact of cultural misrepresentation
• How Africans used their spiritual practices to resist slavery/colonialism
• Who is Esu, an important Orisa in the Yoruba pantheon and why he is linked to satan/the devil of European lore
• What is Obeah and why was it outlawed by the British in the late 18th Century – is it still outlawed?
• The significance of the Haitian Revolution (1791) and Voudou.

You may choose to arrive early so you can take in the exhibition, click HERE for details.

Presenter