Tentative Title: Human Revolution IS That Important
Expanding Hearts, Realizing Power, and Changing Destinies as African-American Nichiren Buddhists
Editors: Valerie Geaither, Patricia Nelson
What the book is about: Buddhism is very much a living religion, philosophy, and devotional practice around the world. In the past few decades African Americans have begun to embrace and become teachers in various Buddhist traditions. While there is increasing awareness about Buddhism, information about our experience as members of organizations and as practitioners is very limited. This volume is intended to address the gap in knowledge available about the experience of Nicherin Buddhists of African Descent in particular. We anticipate this will be a valuable addition to the literature about the African American religious experience.
Why this book at this time: The initial catalyst for this book was the editors' desire to highlight the challenges and showcase the triumphs of Nicherin African American Buddhists. The intent was to give credence to the value and power of Buddhism in our lives. With the recent re-emergence of the "Black Lives Matter" movement and the corresponding anti-racism social justice movement the need to tell the stories of Black people utilizing Buddhism to personally address their traumas as well as underlying social cultural issues has become more apparent and compelling.
Who is the audience for the book: We expect the book will raise the consciousness of African Americans in general about the existence and the accessibilty of Buddhism to not only affect a change in an individual's life and circumstance, but also affect the karma and conditions in our communities. We hope these stories will encourage and inspire potential adherents as well as reinforce existing practitioners.
How will the book be organized and marketed: The content will be developed using the Buddhists of African Descent (BAD) Bodhisattva Pledge as a guide for collecting and organizing the practitioners' experiences. Marketing and dissemination of the book will be via various social media tools, including Facebook, Twitter, and possibly YouTube. The book will be in both print and e-book format. Proceeds from this book will be used to support the BAD Association.