(cnn)i am atheist    and i am black yes, we exist    even if many in the media sometimes don't notice us 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 in fact, african american atheists represent a still small    though growing    segment of american atheists at large does this mean that blacks and other minorities generally just don't gravitate towards nonbelief, or are there other factors which keep us hidden? there is a harsh truth to face here most blacks identify as religious belief in god is touted with pride, and the church is intricately tied to tradition, history and culture it is not uncommon to assume that i attend services as a black woman the question often isn't if i go to church    it's where and even if one doesn't go to church, surely they still have faith    because our people have endured and overcome so much hardship that it had to be the work of a god all of this makes the words 'black' and 'atheist' hard for many to imagine in the same sentence it can be extremely difficult to discuss religion objectively in the black community many have social, emotional and financial stakes invested in this institution, so for one to even say they have doubts is like committing treason 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 it is very important to note however, that the internet has made it easier for black atheists to find each other, and there is a large community of us online 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 however, my journey is far from tragic 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 and they have done so bravely, defying the perception and expectation that all blacks blindly accept religion the friendly atheists next door  my experience in the secular community as a black atheist has ranged from feeling totally welcome to feeling totally isolated, and even ignored on the one hand, there is common ground shared    our nonbelief and even discontent with religion unites us on the other hand, there is a notion that since we share this common ground that there are no other issues to address the lack of people of color at secular events is a problem    partly because there is unawareness of such events existing, but also because there is limited effort placed in accommodation and care we are sometimes treated as if we are invisible, or even as an afterthought    which does not make the few persons of color feel welcome fortunately, all is not lost progress has been made there are now a number of secular groups that have helped to bring about more diverse representation for people of color, women and children there is a more concentrated focus on support for the lgbt demographic, as well for others who come from marginalized and disfranchised backgrounds there are support systems for people who have lost loved ones, yet they have no religious affiliation moreover, there is a tremendous amount of literary and artistic talent such representation is now reflected at organized events, in leadership, as well as in media coverage while the number of visible minority atheists is still small, we are here and we're here to stay we will continue to grow, in both the black and secular communities we can lead the charge for this change the more we make our presence known, the better our chances of working together to turn around the disparities we face, and bolster the recognition we so rightly deserve we are not alone
african american american
african american atheists represent a small but growing segment of american atheists at large . most blacks, though, identify as religious, and the church is intricately tied to tradition, history and culture 