Imani Rituals: Nurturing African Spiritual Heritage

A powerful and necessary collection of rituals centering the African American experience and the African Diaspora.

As American society becomes increasingly diverse, people are seeking spiritual inspiration from an expanding array of sources. Unitarian Universalist congregations must be culturally pluralistic to become a religious home to all who cross their threshold. Imani (Swahili for faith) Rituals centers the African American experience and the African Diaspora as the inspiration for rituals to enrich religious and spiritual life for Unitarian Universalists and other liberal denominations.

Intended for individual, family, congregational, and community use, the practices in this book offer a creative and contemporary approach to rituals that are grounded in heritage and tradition, creating connection with ancestors and ancient wisdom while responding to the present moment. The rituals include individual practices to promote transcendence, healing, and acceptance; family rituals that honor elders; and community rituals that honor holidays and promote action for social justice, among many others.

Dr. Anthony Y. Stringer is Professor Emeritus at Emory University and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the National Academy of Neuropsychology. His award-winning research and teaching have taken him to Ghana, South Africa, and Rwanda. He served as lay minister of the Thurman Hamer Ellington UU congregation that centered the African American experience, creating contemporary rituals grounded in African spirituality.

Ayanna Kafi is a neurodivergent, nonbinary, Black woman living in suburban Atlanta. Ayanna is Mosaic Project Manager of the Unitarian Universalist Association LGBTQ and Multicultural Ministries Office, supporting congregations and communities in their efforts to affirm, welcome, and include folks at the margins because of gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and disability. Ayanna cohabits with their partner, daughter, and dog in suburban Atlanta.

Rev. Duncan E. Teague is lead minister and founder of the Abundant LUUv Congregation in Atlanta. He is an out, Black, gay man recognized by Georgia legislators for his decades of HIV/AIDS research, education, and advocacy. He currently serves as vice-president of the UU Ministers Association. He had worked also in global HIV research at Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University. Rev. Teague and his husband/longtime companion of more than thirty years live in Decatur, Georgia.