Torn From the Land

Norman Stephens, right, abandoned his property in Yazoo County, Miss., in 1950 after a clash with the local sheriff. (AP Photo)

(CONT . . .)With more than 60% of African-Americans packed in urban areas, without the benefit of land ownership, many Afro-descendants, historians, scholars etc., have never made the connection between the theft of Black ancestral lands and how this crime changed the practice and ability to ressurrect African religions connected to the soul of African people.

The God and divinities of Africa love Africans with the same devotion and intensity that Yeweh love the Jews. Land is considered sacred to the divinities of Africa and to the Ancestors.

In Ewe cosmology, Land is viewed as a "Spirit" in its own right. Known as "Li" in Ewe. It is the place where life begins and ends for the African. The first manifestation of "spirit"was commanded to be made "from the earth."

Many priests/ess who were able to make shrines and temples in honor of their God and Ancestors were blessed and made prosperous by them. Their children never had to want of anything.

The acquisition of land was crucial in maintaining the sacred connection and place to practice religious observance and respect of God, the Ancestors and divinities. BACK TO ARTICLE: EWE AND VOODOO IN AMERICA

See Also: The Authentic Voice: Torn From the Land