Never in the history of all humankind have white folks just left us alone. For example, the British fought the Ashanti empire, until they finally colonized them.
However, the Ashanti NEVER recognized the British as their betters – and eventually overcame British rule! How?
Their culture and spirituality. Their power to overcome oppression was based on THEIR cultural beliefs, not those of the British. This meant they never felt inferior or felt the need to assimilate into British culture. So what does this have to do with us today?
We saw something similar during the Civil Rights Movement. Black preachers weren’t initially vocal about our rights. But after the death of MLK, they started getting more serious about integrating faith and activism. But there was something else they did that was even more beneficial to us.
They used the Bible and other religious texts to show that oppressed people were those God was closest to! This liberation theology helped us realize our beauty and it encouraged us to keep fighting to end racism and white violence. Many Black churches remain crucial to modern-day activism.
The Ashanti people’s faith allowed them to remain free from British influence even when they were physically under British rule. We can draw strength from our spirituality, too.