Before whites came to Africa
Before whites came to Africa, Africans had their gods/deities and their unique ways of worship. There were also traditional cults that people belonged to. These worships of deities were described as 'pagan/ungodly' worship by white imperialists.
Christian and Islamic worships were foisted on the Africans. If an African recanted his traditional faith and joined the colonialists' way of worship then they were described as 'civilized' and an African who was educated and still practiced his/her native deity worship was tagged as 'uncivilized'.
Most African abandoned their own native religions and embraced the imperialists' so-called superior worships that was used as a vehicle to loot Africa's resources and human capital in area of slavery. Africans taken into slavery were made to worship the gods of their masters.
Further Reading
1. The spirituality of Africa - Though larger religions have made big inroads, traditional belief systems, which are based on openness and adaptation, endure
2. Africa Had Morality and Religion Even Before Christianity Came - African philosophy was based on and emphasised pacifism and regarded every human life as sacred irrespective of race, creed or social status.
By Sanders Maka