It is not just Japanese who are racist against Blacks people in Buddhism so are white people
The September 2001 Buddhist Magazine Takes
A Look At Blacks In American Buddhism
The Article Headlines "Something Has to Change"

In 2001 I posted this article about racism in Buddhism from the Shambhala Sun Buddhist magazine.  It is not just the opinion of Anthony Elmore but if you research this issue you will find how racism shows its ugly head. Click on my picture and read my post in 2001.Please note that you will find that these Black people are scholars. In the SGI and Nichiren Shoshu organizations I have seen the dumbing down of members in the name of faith.

Click on this picture to read this 2001 Article
Through the eyes of African-
American teachers like Shu
Shin priest Joseph Jarman,
white Buddhist America is
largely blind to the existence
of a black sangha. That was
driven home to him at last
year's Buddhism in America
conference. "People there
had never known there were
African-American Buddhist
priests and educators in this
country; they just never
appear," he recalls. "That
was like opening another
door."
Shu Shin Buddhist Priest Joseph Jarman Nichiren "Shoshu do not have Black or American Priest or any Priest other than Japanese Priest.
"There are a lot of black
Buddhists who are in the
closet. They just don't feel
comfortable being part of the
great white sangha," says
Insight Meditation teacher
Ralph Steele. "One of the
most common phrases I hear
from young black Buddhists
when they do step out into the
white Buddhist sangha is that
they feel uncomfortable."
Buddhist Priest Ralph Steele
Buddhist teacher Jan Willis with her Teacher

Anthony "Amp" Elmore of Memphis, Tennessee  a 35 year practicing Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist Challeges the 750 year old sect to open up to a new and changing world.

Jan Willis is one of many Black Buddhist who have emerged as a proud Black Buddhist teacher and scholar.  Most Black Buddhist in America come from the SGI and Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist backgrounds.  The racism in both sects do not encourage scholarship from among their Buddhist ranks.  While an African/American can become the President of the most powerful nation in the world the racism in both sects do not encourage scholarship from its lay ranks.  In Nichiren Shoshu all sanction teachings comes from Japan.   Black people in Nichiren Shoshu or the SGI have no say so about the policies of the Buddhism and no or very few scholars have emerged from their ranks. One example of the racism in Nichiren Shoshu is the mis-treatment Nichiren Shoshu paid to  Joseph Asomani is the father of Buddhism in Africa. It was Joseph Asomani who taught Buddhist in Africa and both the SGI and the Nichiren Shoshu Priest shot Mr. Asomani to the curve.  Both organizations retired this Black man to be only an advisor.  I have never discussed the matter with Mr. Asomani but I was shocked to learn that the demoted his to the position of advisor instead of that of a great Black Buddhist leader equal to any Priest.  Mr. Joseph Asoman was the SGI Lay leader in Ghana, a well respected scholar and Buddhist teacher. The SGI racially dismissed Mr.Asomani and the members protested and joined the Nichiren Shoshu Temple. After the Nichiren Shoshu Temple got organized the Nichiren Shoshu Priest racially retired Mr. Asomani. I met Mr. Asomani and I know his heart for Buddhism and I am sure he is hurt the way the Japanese treated him. As an American and Proud Black Buddhist we will use this website to do all in our power to force Japanese to stop there racist practise.  We documented  a history of Mr. Asomani.  Please click on the button to learn about  Mr. Joseph Asoman the father of Buddhism in Africa.
This is a video  of Joseph Asomani and Nichiren Shoshu Priest Rev. Dojo Yoshita during a ribbon cutting ceremony of the 1st Nichiren Shoshu Temple in Ghana.  The SGI retired Mr. Asomani and the members protested and started a new organization and asked the Priest for help as soon as Nichiren Shoshu temple got organized they too kicked Mr. Asomani to the curve and the Japanese totally control Buddhism in Ghana. Nichiren Shoshu has a sanctified religious racism. Mr. Asomani could have written books and helped all of Africa to learn Buddhism. The reason that they retired Mr. Asomani is because Japanese people are dominate people and they simply subjugated Mr. Asomani. If African/Americans were strong they could have fought the Japanese on this issue.  The idea of a total Japanese control in the 21th century is not in line with American ideas. Click on the picture to view the video.
This is photograph of Rev. Shingi Iwaki chief Priest of the Chicago Myogyoji that I am member of.  In over ten years no Priest has ever visited our home inquired about our family or made us feel a part of Nichiren Shoshu. When Rev. Iwaki became the Chief Priest I explained my concerns to him regarding the attitude of past Priest and I asked this Priest to consider learning about the culture of Memphis, Tennessee and I asked him when he  visits Memphis to consider paying a visit to our National Civil Rights Museum to pay respect to our slang Black leader Dr. Martin Luther King.  Kings, Presidents and people from all over the world have paid respect to Dr. King.  Rev. Iwaki not only disregarded our reasonable request when he came to Memphis again he purposefully failed to notify me that  he would be in Memphis.  Our family has never asked anything of any Nichiren Shoshu Priest and we have offered support to our temple for many years. I mention to other Buddhism members that they should not allow Japanese people to disrespect them.  Click on next page to learn more.
Click here to see a 3 minute Video of Memphis Meeting

Black people,  Time Magazine named Jan Willis one of the worlds top religious innovators worldwide. The article state this about the SGI; " The few practicing African Americans tend to belong to Soka Gakkai International, a school of the religion that emphasizes simple chanting, usually for prosperity." Willis prefers a more rigorous dharma and is developing meditations for Buddhist centers that focus on race. What the article fails to note is that both SGI and Nichiren Shohu are racist religious organization that place Black people in a position where they are subordinate to Japanese. Both organizations stick their heads in the sand and they are afraid to deal with race.  Anthony Elmore has been writing for 20 years about racial discrimination in Buddhism. Click on the picture to read the Time Story.

This is a picture of Maude Devictor who practice Buddhism at the Nichiren Shoshu Myoshinji Temple in the San Francisco area in California.  Before there was ever a Tina Turner movie on Buddhism CBS did a made for television movie about Maude who used her Buddhist faith to challenge the United States Federal Goverments role in Americans dying due to agent orange in the Vietnam war. Maude has always worked behind the scenes for the Priest and she has quietly attempted to get Nichiren Shoshu to incorporate ideas at their temples that are inclusive and respectful to Black people.  This effort has been a challenge to Maude.  In 1998 Maude traveled to Ghana for the Nichiren Shoshu Temple opening.  Many Black peole have always lived with a life of struggle and the effort to get Nichiren Shoshu to change is just another struggle for members like Maude Devictor.  Look how far Buddhism would be if Nichiren Shoshu had an openess whereas they could call upon the talents of its members to help them promote Buddhism in America. instead of the Priest arrogantly thinking that they can promote the Religion without the input of its members.  We at the Proud Black Buddhist website call such arrogance as "RACISM."

Click on the picture learn about Maude Devictor
This is a copy of the story written about Blacks in Buddhism on the Buddhist Television network.
This is a book self-published by Lama Priest Choyin Rangdrol.  I am very, very excited to purchase this book.  In the 1990's Choyin Rangdrol contacted us at the Proud Black Buddhist website with the idea of Black Buddhist uniting in an effort to promote Buddhism in the Black community.  We at "Proud Black Buddhist" website at the time had the strongest Black Presence on the web with our history and culture writings.  Lama Choyin Rangdrol is a "Black Buddhist Priest" of a different Buddhist sect that has an association with the "Dala Lama" it seems that the Dala Lama gave this Black man his blessings and this Black man had the courage, the wisdom and the drive to attempt to bring Buddhism to main stream America.  Choyin Rangdrol does not have the backing of a 125 Billion dollar rich organization like the SGI and Daisaku Ikeda.  This man is able to achieve something that Daisaku Ikeda has not been able to achieve and that is, Choyin Rangdrol is able to get a positive new story in America as a "Proud Black Buddhist."  Nichiren Shoshu Priesthood is a Japanese sect that is over 750 fifty years old and we have over 700 Temples in Japan only and other temples through out the world. The Nichiren Shoshu head temple in Japan is absolutely stunning and breath taking however before Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism is accepted in "Main Stream America"the Japanese sect will have to open up and it will be not only Japanese Priest but in the Black community Nichiren Shoshu will have to allow "Strong Black men to develop" otherwise this religion will remain only in the ranks of a Japanese esotoric religion in America. Whether it is the Buddhist sect of Lama Choyin Rangdrol or Nichiren Shoshu Black Buddhist will have the same challenges that Lama Choyin Rangdrol face  and what he is doing to promote Buddhism in America in the Black community is what Black people in Nichiren Shoshu should be doing.  We should not wait on the Japanese to introduct Buddhism to the Black community, they cannot and will not be accepted.
Click on picture to read an interview that Lama Rangdrol gave with to the Turning Wheel Magazine regarding introducting Buddhism to the Black community.  The answers that Lama Rangdrol gave was like they came right out of my mouth.
This is a you tube interview where Choyin Rangdrol and Anthony Elmore say the exact same thing about Buddhism in the Black Community
This man must be my brother I have a shirt like this made in Ghana. This sound like me on a television interview. The difference is that I am a Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist our karma is fascinating.
Choyin Rangdrol is doing a television interview on Buddhism this Black man is doing a great interview.
Choyin Rangdrol Part three interview giving a Black prospective of Buddhism
This is an example of a Black man stepping out in his community to tell others about his religion.  He is a free man and he does not have to ask permission of a Japanese man to speak about his religion. In Nichiren Shoshu this aspect is controled by the Priest and we hold that Black people shoud be leaders in their community and they should be free and open to tell their teaching.
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