African American Culture

The video titled Africans in America: The Terrible Transformation thoroughly reassesses the history of slavery. The documentary tells of how slavery was brought to America, and of the conditions under which these slaves were forced to live. The trade that began in Africa was not initially focused on trading humans, but rather on gold. Gradually, the British took control and started trafficking Africans to their colonies in America. The conditions slaves lived under changed drastically from the original conditions when they first arrived to America compared to years after the slave trade had been functioning. This documentary re-examines the appalling social injustice

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

Music is a creative art form that allows the artist to construct something that expresses a purpose. It evolves over time and changes as the world changes, taking on many different motivations behind the melody and lyrics. In today’s society, anger, oppression, racism, and negative opinions rule the media and popular culture. I believe that African Americans need to show their self worth and not let white people hold them back. With the music in white culture often mocking African American culture and portraying negative stereotypes, African Americans have to find ways to gain respect. In acknowledgement of the negative portrayal of their culture, African Americans respond by creating songs and videos that express their pride in their culture and heritage, react to white oppression, and communicate their independence.

“Cooning” was a TV show or Film usually they act like idiot behavior that misrepresents African American culture. I think idiot because that shows a deliberate act. Many people called “coons.” Yes, I saw some examples today’s culture some white people still discriminate black people. Some white people were enjoying it, and that seems to some people they insulted African- American behaves. African-American got angry. It was not fair at all that behavior. All are good examples.

The purpose of this research is to identify the uniqueness and diversity of people and practices of the African American culture. Each culture in life has some similarities and some differences. The similarities and differences that are present in a culture is what make the culture what it is. When dealing with a culture, race, ethnicity, of a people or religion it has a history of where it originates and or a heritage that that culture or people can relate to and always go back to, because this is what sets a

From the 1500s to the 1700s, African blacks, mainly from the area of West Africa (today's Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Dahomey, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Gabon) were shipped as slaves to North America, Brazil, and the West Indies. For them, local and tribal differences, and even varying cultural backgrounds, soon melded into one common concern for the suffering they all endured. Music, songs, and dances as well as remembered traditional food, helped not only to uplift them but also quite unintentionally added immeasurably to the culture around them. In the approximately 300 years that blacks have made their homes in North America, the West Indies, and Brazil, their highly honed art

There is no doubt that African Americans have a rich cultural background and history like the many different ethnic groups who settled in the New World, whose origins lie in another country. For this reason, America was known as the melting pot. However, the backgrounds of each of these cultures were not always understood or, in the case of African Americans, accepted among the New World society and culture. Americans were ignorant to the possibility of differences among groups of people until information and ideas started to emerge, particularly, the African retention theories. This sparked an interest in the field of African culture and retention in African Americans. However, the study of African American culture truly emerged as a result of increased awareness in America, specifically through the publication and findings of scholarly research and cultural events like the Harlem Renaissance where all ethnicities were able to see this rich historical culture of African Americans.

In the period from 1515 to 1765, the native American society was almost destroyed unlike the wealth of societies of European settlers since contacts with alcohol and diseases like smallpox which Americans did not face before Columbian exchange make Americans lose power to resist toward colonialism. Europeans looted the gold and silver of America and did not respect Indian culture and civilization, so Americans lost both their economical and cultural assets. Moreover, because of sugar plantation and slavery, many Africans were taken from their home to America. It results foundation of African American society in many countries in Americas in modern days. First of all, native Americans lost their power because of drastic population decline caused

African Americans always had a great influence in the United States throughout time from the beginning of slavery. African Americans, since the start of slavery, always expressed themselves artistically, where it was through music or art. From making patchwork quilts, slaves used their artistic expression to help conduct the Underground Railroad and escape slavery. To be defined as “illiterate savages” African Americas proved many wrong with their exceptional skills presented in many different styles of artwork. From slavery throughout the 19th century, there were a great number of African Americans whom contributed to the United States through artistic expression, with creating artwork that would either be judged or discredited. For example, Robert S. Duncanson, Edward M. Bannister, Mary Edmonia Lewis, and Henry Ossawa Tanner were all 19th century African American artists who each faced their own individual challenges to achieve acclaim as artists.

Over the centuries, the African people have endured many trials, obstacles, and tribulations. From the moment that they were kidnapped from their homeland, and had been savagely placed in the cargo holds on ships to be sold into slavery to the American people, the Africans (now known in the United States of America as African Americans or Black people) have journey far to achieve, as well as, accomplished what was thought to be the impossible. These things include but are not limited to, freedom, equality, independence, the right to vote, a fair education, a wider range of occupations to pursue, politics, but most of all, to live a better quality of life.

All countries are defined by their specific religions, cultures and traditions. African culture is just one of those disposed with traditions, spirituality and music. Unfortunately, as Africans were taken from their homes to be sold in America as slaves, they were separated from the cultures that they understood and that were theirs. The Africans in America had to find ways to fit their culture into their new environment. In order to acclimate to their new country, African slaves from different countries and cultures in Africa combined their unique traditions with the Christian ideology of their masters to create their own new form of existence. Slaves were able to form their own culture with unique food, religion, and ceremonies. Slave culture was developed from Christian ideas, African traditions and devoutness, as well as the distinctive mentality that arose from slave experiences.

In your opinion, how does the election of Barrack Obama to president influence the way society will understand African-American culture?

There are very many different groups of culture in America; one in particular that represents about 15% of the general population in America is African American culture (Center Of Disease Control, 2002). The African American culture was derived from the country Africa. The African people have been in and out of slavery from many different countries since the beginning of time. The English were not the first to enslave the group of people, but they were the last. When the Africans came over to the Americas in the early 1600’s, they were forced to give up many of their traditions and adapt to whatever their masters gave them to learn from although some of their native culture and history was hidden in their spirituals. When coming over to the

To contribute, African-Americans have a significant feature that portrays their culture tremendously in today’s society. We African-Americans have certain hairstyles, and fashion that separates us from various cultures. For example, in the article, “How does Black Hair Reflect Black History”, written by Rumiana Jahangir she states, “Black hair has been an integral feature of black history - from African tribal styles to dreadlocks and the Afro. In early African civilizations, hairstyles could indicate a person’s family background, tribe and social status” In today’s society, African-Americans have different types of wild hairstyles that makes us different from other cultures pertaining to us having thick, and curly hair. These hairstyles consists of fades, afros, dreadlocks, braids and more. To add, the article also emphasizes how dating back to African Civilization basically your lineage can be pictured through your hairstyle which relates to how African-Americans culture is expressed in today's society. Furthermore, Africans have a specific taste when it comes to fashion ware being made. To reiterate, in an article titled, “Clothing in Africa” written by the Muhonja Khamina he states, “Early clothing in Africa was also made from treated animal hides, fur, and feathers. Many African societies weave cloth from locally grown cotton.” Dating back to prior centuries in Africa, their clothing seemed to have been made out of animals, animal skin, fur, cotton and other useful

African Americans were brought to the United 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.