African American Culture Essay

African American Culture

I have traveled all over the world but I have never been down South. Being from New York has also given me a very narrow perspective of African American culture. The purpose of this research project is to gain some understanding of Black culture specifically in the South. College has exposed me to a lot of people who were born and raised in the South and some of my closest friends are southerners. By researching the history, culture, and demographic information of the South, I plan on becoming a more well–informed American.

African Americans were brought to theUnited States in the 1700s and have adapted tremendously since then. After their emancipation from slavery, African–American traditions continued to flourish, such as linguistic style, radical innovations in music, art, and literature, religion, and cultural cuisine. The greatest influence of African cultural practices on European culture is found below the Mason–Dixon line within the American South.

For many years, African–American culture developed separately from Westernized culture, both because of slavery and the persistence of racial discrimination in America. As a result, African–American slave descendants desired to create and maintain traditions of their own. Today, African–American culture has become a staple facet of American culture while still maintaining its individuality. African Americans who remained in the South have carved out their own path that continuously influences the socioeconomic and

Get more content

African American Culture

n the African American Culture, we are often copied in many different ways. From our hairstyles, dances, art, lifestyle, clothing , etc. The African–American culture hardly receives credit for what we do. Celebrities like the Kardashian's for example, they've used our ( the African–American culture) hairstyles and acted as if it was their creation by giving them new names. So, now everyone outside of the African–American culture tries it and acts like They've never seen it. We've been wearing braids and cornrows since forever! Living in the African–American culture we are very misunderstood. Many take the way that some of us talk or look as aggressive when we really are nice and very respectable. We were taught to always respect our elders and to also treat the janitor with the same respect as the CEO. Many also take our slang and automatically thinks that we're uneducated. We are some very intelligent people actually they we talk shouldn't put us in such a category. We go to school like everyone else and earn diplomas and degrees. Another thing about growing up in the African–American culture is that many of us were very religious. They sung old negro spirituals that until this day are still being used to help us get through tough times. We have always had faith that's how we've accomplished so much.

One thing I can say is that African–American culture has changed inn many ways with slavery being one of them. Our ancestors were slaves and fought so that we can be free and we are.

African–American culture was more religious based but those times have changed within some families of our culture with this new era. We were always taught how to survive even in the worst conditions. If it's one thing that we know how to do it's how to survive. The African–American culture is treated bad on a daily basis but, we don't let it stop us. Whenever we fall, we get right back up but stronger and better this time. The Black Power movement is very important to us. Know that Black Power is real and we will reign. Our leadership skills are amazing. We were taught to use our creativity to achieve and to never give up. Growing up in the African–American culture, is pretty exciting I would say. We love soul food Sundays with Get more content

It seems quite safe to assume that all human beings desire peace. What is not always very clear is what each person means by peace and how it can be attained and maintained. Religion and peace in an African culture have been almost natural companions in the minds of humans in different periods of history and in different cultures of the world. This is because, although far too many adherents and leaders of the different religions in the world have disrupted the peace in the society by promoting violence and wars, the vast majority of believers still hold that true religion is a source and guarantor of individual and societal peace. The positive side of holding peace together is the knowledge and values...show more content...

I was taught that I have freedom of speech, faith, morality. Baptists believe that each person is responsibly for relating to God and authority in matters of religion rest first with the individual believer and second with the local congregation of believers. I was told that excepting Christ as my everlasting savior would get me to heaven. I was giving the values and knowledge of being proud of my black heritage that was told by my mother, who received the same knowledge and appreciation of being black from her parents. The values and principals were to give respect to others as well as yourself, obey and know yourself. Love yourself and show love to each other. I soon realize being adult doesn?t mean you have to go through life by yourself. Without family and friends, ahuman being won?t grow, function or complete a simple task. The perfect example was told by the author, Kwame Gyekye ?When people cooperated and work together, they can achieve better results? (Gyekye, 44). I don?t have anything holding me back, meaning slavery or being told negative information about my culture. Peace carried me through life just by obeying the learning?s of religion. Knowledge comes together with peace. Without peace, a person could not carry the knowledge because there isn?t any peace to make the songs or stories heartwarming to the soul. A person has to have passion for what they know or want to share to another person. In this case, knowing and understanding your culture is

Get more content

African-American Culture

Running head: AFRICAN–AMERICAN CULTURE

African–American Culture

Abstract

In this paper I discuss the African–American culture in regards to values, norms and beliefs.

I also discuss my family's adaptation to these values, norms and beliefs along with my own individual cultural sense of identity. Lastly, this paper reflects the impact of my role and ethical responsibilities as a social worker, especially in relation to working with the Hmong family in the book The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down.

My cultural group in regards to values, norms, and beliefs. The African–American people have suffered great hardships since slavery. During the 15 and 19th century many Africans were taken and forced into slavery. Some slaves...show more content...

I often wonder how much more amazing my mother would have been if she had been afforded the opportunity of receiving a proper education. Last but not least, spirituality was highly valued in our home more so than anything else. My mother was a strong woman of faith. She had to be because the deck was stacked against her: she was black, widowed with little education. Though she had those things against her, I believe those same things molded and shaped her to being the influential person she was. My mother seen a lot of hard times, she was no stranger to adversity and obstacles but she always believed in prayer and the fact that the Lord would make a way out of no way. When she had nothing else she had her faith and it made everything alright.

My individual sense of identity When I was young I didn't really realize the impact of being African–American until high school. I went to a predominately white school for elementary and middle school. I was just like any other youth. I had my group of friends who were white; I was active in school activities and clubs. I was a student athlete and I got along well with my teachers. Everyone saw me as an upbeat person with a bubbly personality. Surprisingly,race was never brought up it wasn't an issue for me during that period of my life. However, as I got older I realize there was a difference. As an adult I could really see the prejudice in others. I recall working a on a special project for the

African American Culture

Culture is not a fixed phenomenon, nor is it the same in all places or to all people. It is relative to time, place, and particular people. Learning about other people can help us to understand ourselves and to be better world citizens. One of the most common ways of studying culture is to focus on the differences within and among cultures. Although their specifics may vary form one culture to another, sociologists refer to those elements or characteristics that can be found in every know society as cultural universals. For example, in all societies, funeral rites include expression of grief, disposing of the dead, and rituals that define the relations of the dead with the living. And on the most...show more content...

Many of our life lessons were often given by our elders in the form of stories, jokes, and the spirituals which serve often song in the fields, as well as, on Sunday mornings. Yet, as a people, we thought it necessary to hold on these priceless teachings because it has served as the only link to our African ancestry. African American culture is both part of and distinct from American culture. African Americans have contributed literature, agricultural skills, foods, clothing, dance, and language to American culture. There are distinctive patterns of language use among African Americans that arose as creative responses to the hardships imposed on the African American community. Slave–owners forced African Americans to create a language that allowed them to communicate effectively with one another. Slaves were not allowed the opportunity to read and write because most slave owners thought they would find a way to buy their freedom if they knew how to read and write. Significant numbers of people still speak some of the Creole languages they used to communicate so many years ago. Agriculture and food is also a unique aspect of African American culture. The cultivation and use of many agricultural products, such as yams, peanuts, rice, okra, grits, and cotton, can be traced to African and African American influences. African American foods reflect creative

Get more content

African Cultures

Africa has more than 800 languages native to its continent. African cultures are so diverse that they are different from any other culture of the world. African cultures contain many different languages. African languages range from common French to languages unheard of to most people such as Swahili. African arts are much different than American arts. Their art involves much more creative pottery, masks, and paintings.Africa has a very interesting culture. Reasons being the people are very creative and like to express their individuality. The most diverse cultures in the world belong to Africa.

There are more than 800 languages spoken in the continent of Africa. Most Africans speak two or three languages, their...show more content... The most common languages in South Africa are Xhosa, Tswana, Zulu, and Swahili (African Languages).

Zulu is one of nine Bantu languages spoken in East Southern Africa. Approximately 8.8 million people speak this language (African Languages). Swahili is spoken as a mother language vast along the coast of East Africa. It is the national language of Tanzania and the official language of Kenya (African Languages). It is also the official in German East Africa (Reader 265). Approximately 50 million people speak this language (African Languages).

Art is very important to the Africans. In fact it is part of their everyday life (Fetzer 106). South African artists are active in many areas of art including sculpture, pottery, mask making, and many more (African Arts Information). Like African paintings, poetry, and woodcarvings, sculptures tell a tale and immortalize cultures and beliefs. Different artists have different styles (African Arts Information). Materials and styles differ from village to village. Most sculptors use green wood, copper, tin, zinc alloys, bronze, ivory, or terra cotta, a kind of earth ware. Most sculpture figures are believed to contain ancestor's spirits. Others represent sacred ideas or events (Fetzer 106). Some objects are said to be magical and believed to have magical powers (African Arts). Africans carve figures, make masks, and decorate articles for ceremonies (Fetzer 106).

African American Culture

Many things that can define culture and each one is holistically unique. The culture that defines and includes me is the African American community. My culture is defined by the history of my people. For you cannot know who you are or where you are going if don't even know where and what you come from. Art plays a major role in African–American community as well. Since the beginning of our time, blacks have been craftsmen or born with an artistic ability. Lastly, the food. Food is a very important aspect of African–American culture. In fact, the preparation of food is important to the black community. The history of African Americanpeople is no secret. Everyone is aware of all the oppression, discrimination and abuse my ancestors endured. My people are the reason this land is what it is today. Think about it. They were responsible for the planting of crops, growing of the crops, and harvesting of crops. They were also caretakers, maids, messenger boys, sex slaves and a long line of other things. My ancestors were forced to help the rich get and stay rich, while our people were dirt poor. They were treated like animals. They were denied an education, freedom, a healthy and promising life. When my people attempted to stand up in the eyes of oppression they were brutally beaten, sprayed with hoses, bitten by a vicious dog and even murdered. It took blacks so long to gain basic human rights and before being granted those rights, we had to fight the impossible fight. In the

Get more content