The Significance of

Religion in the African

American Community
Suzette M. Smart, BSW. MHA

The impact of religion in the African American community and culture

speaks directly to a unique coping mechanism for many within this
population in the United States. Historically, notable Black scholars such
as W.E.B. DuBois (1903) speak articulately and eloquently of the meaning
and significance of how the role religion culturally defines the African
American. It not only speaks of our strength, and willingness to prevail
through personal difficulties, but it also provides an intuitive glance of the
social conditions in which Blacks endure as part of a sometimes overruling

White society. In fact, Swatos, Kivisto and Denison (1998)

document a quote by E. Franklin Frazier (1974) where he
defines historic religion for Blacks as a "refuge in a hostile
white world" (Swatos, Kivisto & Denison, p. 1, 1998).

Through multiple research studies, it is noted that African

Americans show a more pronounced measure of involvement
with religion than any other population throughout the United
States. More than 87% report a continuous affiliation with one
religious denomination as reported by the Pew Research
Center's Forum on Religion and Public Life in their 2007 U.S.
Religious Landscape Survey (Pew Research Center, 2009).
Specific elements measured in this survey consisted of "...level
of affiliation with a religion, attendance at religious services,
frequency of prayer and religion's importance in life" (Pew
Research Center, 2009).

Most notable in this survey however, is that African Americans

comprise 79%, eight in every ten African American, compared
to the totality of 56% of all adults in the U.S., who report that
involvement in their organized religion ranks the highest of
importance in their lives (Pew Research Center, 2009).
Regardless whether a member of this population is specifically
affiliated with a particular denomination or not, 72% assert that
religion continues to play significantly in their personal
decisions, and attainment of quality of life (Pew Research
Center, 2009).

Commitment by African Americans in identifying with their

religion as a support system is most extraordinary and
remarkable, in that 76% report that they say prayers daily, and
the majority at 88% are confident that in fact, God does exists
(Pew Research Center, 2009). With great certainty, African
Americans are the most committed to their religious beliefs than
any other group in the U.S.

However, African American women show the most commitment

to their religion than African American men. Whereas, 59% of
the Black men reported through the survey they only attend
Church services once a week, 89% of women in this population
are committed to attending services weekly (Pew Research
Center, 2009). U.S. Religious Landscape Survey (2007) reports
"No group of men or women from any other racial or ethnic
background exhibits comparably high levels of religious
observance" (Pew Research Center, pgs. 5-6, 2009).

Interesting, the more education African Americans attain, the

less involvement they have with religious affiliation. For
example, only 53% of individuals in this population with
conferred college degrees attend services regularly, whereas
those without or with only a high school diploma, rank at 63%
and 60% respectively, attend weekly services (Pew Research
Center, p. 6, 2009).

African American Church and

Health Care
Scholarly research indicates religious convictions and
involvement by African Americans promotes "...positive and
diverse health benefits for African Americans" (Felix, Levine, &
Burstin, p. 908, 2003). It is imperative better to understand how
members of this population view, or categorize themselves
within specific denominations, for the health care provider to
understand how community members are involved in
religiosity. The importance lies within how members define
their individual beliefs.

Organized Religion
Individual has formal involvement with the Church
They congregate publicly with other members of the
community
Their gatherings are religious in nature to achieve their goal
Non-Organized Religion
Individual reads the Bible and prays in private as their
devotional practice
Subjective Involvement/Spiritual
Individual defines how he or she perceives their personal
representation of religious belief

Citing multiple research based sources, Felix, Levine and

Burstin (2003) conclude there is strong evidence that African
Americans who have strong religious involvement, their health
has an even more robust potential to improve when faced with a
crisis, their jeopardy of risks of mortality are minimalized, and
their overall quality of life improves (Felix, Levine & Burstin,
p. 908, 2003). This study also discusses how religious
involvement has the same effects on a person's health as if they
were to reduce their alcohol consumption, or to increase their
physical activity to improve their health.

In another study "Religious coping, ethnicity, and ambulatory

blood pressure" authored by Steffen, Hinderliter and
Blumenthal (2001) "...showed that religious involvement was
importantly related to ambulatory blood pressure levels for
black, but not white, Americans. Higher levels of religiousness
were associated with lower awake and sleep blood pressure,
independent of social support" (Felix, et.al. pgs. 908-909,
2003).

Livingston, Levine, and Moore (1991) discuss and validate in

"Social integration and black intraracial variation in blood
pressure" the strong affiliation of religion involvement and
increased quality of life with the African American population
(Felix, p. 909, 2003). Heightened indicators present "...include
a more optimistic life orientation, greater perceived social
support, improved life satisfaction, improved adjustment to
chronic diseases, and higher resilience to stress and lower levels
of anxiety" (Felix, p. 909, 2003).

Of great importance when strategizing health care plans and

assessments with the African American community, although
religion serves priority in their life's decisions, we must not
forget that all members fall within the sectors of "organized"
religion. Nonorganizational religion, and individual perception
of spirituality is also a strong reality with in this group.