Informative Speech: Unearthing Voodoo’s True Relevance to Erase the Historic Misinformation
- Specific Purpose: To enlighten the audience specifically young White Americans regarding the true nature and relevance of Voodoo
- Introduction:
- Most people believe in religions.
- The discrimination of dominant race and religion to other relatively minority religions like Voodoo.
Transition: Ask the audience especially those from White race regarding their notions on Voodoo. Give examples of wrong notions. The speaker accepts having judged the Voodoo without gathering facts to support the judgement.
- Body
- Voodoo is a religion not only of African-Americans nowadays. It is already widely spread across the universe.
- Voodoo is a venue for the African-American slaves for solidarity and healing to be able to gain strength for another day of suffering.
- Conclusion: Pose a challenge among the audience to be more tolerating, understanding and accepting on religious belief.
Informative Speech: Unearthing Voodoo’s True Relevance to Erase the Historic Misinformation
Almost all human beings like us believe in religion. We believe not necessarily with one God but we do accept that there is a supreme being out there who is watching over his or her creations. A Christian believes with one God. The Muslims believes in Allah. Buddhists believe in several Gods. However, despite the influx of many religions around the world, there are still misconceptions regarding other religions. Despite the intensifying call for tolerance and acceptance in terms of religious belief, there are religions dominant races still criticize and even vilify religions of the races who they think are inferior. Vodoo is a classic example for this religious intolerance and inacceptance.
May I ask my fellow students specifically those who belong to the White race regarding your opinion on Voodoo? Does the word scare you? Do you think this is some kind of a cult? Or do you think this is a black witchcraft that the black people may cast on the ones they hate? I am sure most of you can identify with the questions I just posted. I myself thought the same until now that I am enlightened on Voodoo’s relevance. Voodooists are not only the African-Americans. They are not only found in Negro communities but all over the world. It is a religion that believes in “Lwa” who is a model person. Voodooists draw inspiration from those they consider “Lwa” including Martin Luther King and they transform the inspiration into action. They also believe that “Lwa” is more approachable compared to the supreme deity.
In some Voodooists in New Orleans, this religion has become a venue for community healing, solidarity and social activism especially during the most desperate and difficult times. Like many other religions, Voodoo was set-up in good faith. It thrived because communities need it. For the African-American during the slavery era, it became a venue for solidarity in order to have hope for another day to live. Voodoo made them strong as individuals and as communities despite the cruelty of slavery. However, the relevance of Voodoo was overpowered by racism. During the height of slavery in the West, African-Americans were considered as half human and all aspects of their cultures and religions were also treated as such. Moreover, the dominant races hate Voodoo because it was the Voodooist who led the infamous successful slave revolution in Haiti in the 1970s. It was also the reason why the White Americans and other dominant races historically vilified the Voodoo religion as cults, demonic, black witchcraft and many others.
With this information, I hope we can all reflect on how we are treating and thinking about our Voodooist brothers and sisters. Let this information enlighten us on the two powerful and revolutionary words, tolerance and acceptance.
Works Cited
Haas, Saumya A. “What is Voodoo? Understanding a Misunderstood Religion.” Huffington Post: Religion. (25 Feb 2011). Web. 12 Oct. 2014.
