Alyssa Falco
The African Diaspora is something that is practiced very actively in Nigeria and other parts of Africa. Throughout a video of the Osun-Osogbo annual festival, is was always stated how the people of Africa were forced away from their homeland and now they chose to come back. This idea of them coming back gives them the power back as to what they may have lost by leaving. However, I believe that if you wish to practice something you do it at your own will. Even when the slaves were brought over from Africa, they still continued to practice their religion even if it was in secret. The idea of there being one God or many Gods, and depending on what that God or Gods may represent, whether you are Catholic and worship God and Jesus or you worship Osun, it is a person’s choice. In the movie the priest said “we left Africa but Africa didn’t leave us.” I find this very powerful that he has that kind of spirit and faith in his religion. The evidence is in the festival and the worship they show year round and at all times.They were given a choice when they left africa and they chose to follow or continue practicing their religion.
The Osun-Osogbo festival allows other non practicing people to be a part of their religion and to see for themselves what it means to the people who practice it. The festival is a huge part of explaining what the African Diaspora is and what it can mean. Just by watching this video and seeing how people worship Osun you can tell that they put their faith in her. The people have a sacred river that they use at their altar for the God, Osun. Here there offer animal sacrifices as a sign of their respect for Osun. This is their “temple”, where they can practice their religion and be as one with Osun. The king even comes and worships with them during the festival at this sacred river. Again allowing outsiders to know that this is their way of life and this is what these people put their faith in. In the reading “Intro to Philosophy of History” by Hegel, a philosopher who looked at the African Diaspora religion, says “Religion begins with the consciousness that there is a being higher than man.” (92). No matter how cruel Hegel may have been by threatening this religion with his words stating this religion really isn’t its own, that it was just combinations of others. This quote logically makes sense and it is very well seen that that is exactly what takes place in Africa. These people too, believe there is a higher being than man and Hegel himself is saying that that itself is a religion.
Towards the end of the video the question kept arising, “how can a church be next to a temple and coexist with one another?” How can they not is my response. Look at America, for example, we are a mix of all cultures mushed into one area. Where I grew up, in a small Vermont town, there are 3 different kinds of Christian and Catholic churches within 5 miles of each other. In the next town over there is a Jewish center across the street from a Christian church. This happens all over America. Yes, some religions may be more popular than others, however no brawls broke out in my town about what religion you prefer or what religion you practiced. The people who worship Osun have numbers, not even that, they have people who support their religion that don’t even practice it. This then makes it possible for them to be a community and live by what they believe. Along with every religion comes the idea of wanting to make yours bigger because you may be so passionate about your religion you want everybody to be a part of it, so you ask people to join and ask them to give it a try. But it shouldn’t matter who comes knocking at your door, you can chose to believe in what you wish and these people of the African Diaspora are doing just that. Their festival is known worldwide. People are aware of them, people respect them. Not only that but they believe in themselves, they worship a higher being and they will worship their being until they can’t any longer. That’s all a religion needs, followers, people who believe.