African American Culture Research Paper

With Abraham’s Emancipation of Proclamation 1863 and thirteenth amendment that ratified in 1865, many African American were set free from slavery. However, African American lived in the Southern United States still was in the system of slavery. This happened because the South passed Black Codes laws which was including vagrancy laws to control those freed slavery. In fact, slavery never disappear and they just changed their name and shape. This means African American once again was trapped in the system of the South called peonage. The conditions of peonage was as worse as slavery.

The American culture is define to everyone in their own way. Everyone grows up differently in a particular community that shares the same languages, values, rules, and customs. The American Culture on that is consider to be a “melting pot”, because of all the different cultures that reside inside of it making it so diverse. Race in this country has never been a great topic throughout history. African Americans play a huge role into defining what our culture is as a whole, as well as being a part of racism for the past 250 years.

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

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.

Africans have, since the early settlement of America, has had a great influence in the nation’s growth. These contributions to the United States from enslaved Africans have been greatly portrayed in American culture. Varying from cuisine, to song and dance are not only portrayed today but it has a deep-rooted impact throughout the United States. During the middle passage, enslaved Africans were forced to abandon their everyday lives, their families and their homes and forced to adapt to a new lifestyle they knew nothing of. However, upon arrival into the New World, due to their prior knowledge and wisdom from back home, they were able to quickly adapt and custom themselves to this new lifestyle in order to survive with the hope of potentially one day returning back to Africa. Unfortunately, African contributions to the culture of the United States has received little to no recognition and it has been taken credit for by Europeans and Whites since the early establishment of the United States.

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

Traditionally, the African American diet consisted of leafy green vegetables, fish, poultry, and beans. However, the cooking methods, such as deep frying, the heavy use of gravy, pork fat, and butter add a large amount fat and cholesterol to an otherwise heart-healthy diet. “Soul food” with its fried chicken, fried pork chops, and corn bread have become the traditional comfort food, and there is a large significant placed in the African-American culture on community and family gatherings centered around food. Historically, African-Americans lived a highly active lifestyle that compensated for a higher than average fat content in their diet. As modern trends swing toward a more sedentary lifestyle, the direct result is heart disease rising to be the leading cause of death among African-Americans (Cowling, 2006, p8).

The history of West Africa has its inhabitant traces is almost 6000 years ancient, but the earliest human beings who came here first were almost 12000 BCE. The enhancement in the farming took place after the arrival of a modern ancestor in the fifth millennium. After making connections with other civilizations like Mediterranean ones, the development of iron industry took place in every use of daily life. The common or traditional business of trade for them consisted of cotton, leather, metals, gold against horses, clothes, copper, salt, etc. They were modifying their lifestyles and politics as more as they were coming closer to other communities of the world (Ajayi, 1970).

Regardless of their race, people need to know where they came from and why. Historically, we know that at least 450 years ago, or more, Africans were captured in their home and forcibly brought to the Americas on slave ships to work for landowners. Unfortunately, the Africans brought to the colonies were seen as inferior to the European settlers. Because of this feeling of superiority, the Africans were thought to be the property of the settlers and as such a vast majority were treated harshly. At that point in history, the Africans had lost their identity, and now that hundreds of years had passed the African-Americans have regained their identity. What constitutes the National Museum of African-American History and Culture as special

Many people may experience a change in how they view the world and themselves when travelling to foreign countries. In “The Discovery of What it Means to be an American”, James Baldwin’s experiences while living in Europe changes his preconceived notions of what it means to be an African-American writer and how this experience differs in Europe compared to when he was living in America. Baldwin illustrates his change of perception about himself by demonstrating the difference in culture between America and Europe through how little race mattered to Europeans concerning Americans, through the equality Europeans are blessed with concerning their occupations, and through the author’s change of perception of the world and himself after he was able

Culture is basically a way of life of a group of people the behaviors, beliefs, values, and symbols that they accept, generally without thinking about them, and that are passed along by communication and imitation from one generation to another and so on. In most culture you find pro and cons, so a person culture have great impact on his or her life, because whatever you do affect you like people always you are what you eat, and your life style is your lifespan. In the African American culture, basically the black culture. You find many good and bad things.

Reflecting on the interview questions and responses, I noticed the differences in the African American Culture versus the American Culture. It was a culture shock for me because I have always been in the United States, born and raised here, and not experienced the African American Culture in this manner. While listening to the unique stories and different experiences, my mind shifted into a state of listening rather than responding. I was always used to responding quickly, but now it was my turn to be quiet and let them answer. The variety of foods prepared at meal times sounded delicious. They grew everything natural, and most everything was fresh nothing added to it to preserve the item.

African American culture in the United States refers to the cultural contributions of Americans of African descent to the culture of the United States, either as part of or distinct from American culture. The distinct identity of African American culture is rooted in the historical experience of the African American people. The culture is both distinct and enormously influential to American culture as a whole. African-American culture is rooted in Africa. It is a blend of chiefly sub-Saharan African and Sahelean cultures. Although slavery greatly restricted the ability of Americans of African descent to practice their cultural traditions, many practices, values, and beliefs survived and over time have modified or blended with European

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