article_snippet: (CNN)I am atheist -- and I am black.
article_snippet: In a CNN special that aired on Tuesday, for example, people of color were not as well-represented as American atheism's more familiar face: You know, white males.
article_snippet: In fact, African-American atheists represent a still small -- though growing -- segment of American atheists at large.
article_snippet: Does this mean that blacks and other minorities generally just don't gravitate towards nonbelief, or are there other factors which keep us hidden?
article_snippet: All of this makes the words "black" and "atheist" hard for many to imagine in the same sentence.
article_snippet: To openly identify as an atheist in the midst of heavy religious influence can be next to impossible, and good luck finding other blacks who also don't believe.
article_snippet: It is very important to note however, that the Internet has made the Internet easier for black atheists to find each other, and there is a large community of us online.
article_snippet: Though I was raised secular -- a rarity in my community -- I've had to endure ostracism from family and friends as a result of openly identifying as an atheist.
article_snippet: In founding my organization, Black Nonbelievers, in 2011, I have been fortunate to connect with others who were either raised secular like myself, or who were brought up extremely religious and left it behind.
article_snippet: My experience in the black community as a black atheist has ranged from feeling totally welcome to feeling totally isolated, and even ignored.
article_snippet: While the number of visible minority atheists is still small, we are here
highlights_snippet: African-American atheists represent a small but growing segment of American atheists at large .
  