African American reactions to death and loss can be traced to their African roots, their centuries

The Disney Way of Death explains the unfortunate/sad reaction to the evident loss of a loved one (friends and family). The reactions associated were common characteristics that Americans experience when they encountered death- Invisibility, silence, dispassion, institutionalization and taboo. (Laderman, 2000)

The majority of the slaves were employed in agricultural areas in the South. By the mid-19th century, a large number of slaves worked in urban areas as well, and about 5% worked in more industrial occupations. The hours of the slave workers were long. The average life expectancy of African slaves was at least 12% lower than whit Americans in 1850 and the infant mortality rate was 25% higher for slaves. Oftentimes slave marriages and families dissolved due to separation. This concept is horrible when you take under consideration that family was the entire basis of African culture.

The presentation of a 150 year timeline of Black newspapers: from their roots during the Reconstruction period, to their “deaths” shortly after the Civil Rights Movement through various aids proved the film’s strength. The use of actual photographers, journalists, and editors from the Black newspapers solidified this film’s sincerity; it allowed the people that actually lived through those changes and events to recount their stories. Even when it profiled different people from the past, the filmmakers used voiceovers that fit each character, facilitating the film’s narrative. These qualities elevated the movie and enhanced the understanding of it overall.

Throughout the passage many of the Africans go through a developmental situation which goes onto a very physical and mental note to develop defense mechanisms for survival. Some of the most difficult and most used mechanisms of defense that the Africans were put through was the act of starvation, being a hard-working slave, that was treated terribly and had no breaks, and the living environments and environment exposure. Documents A, B, D, F and G will help further explain the hardships African slaves faced, and how the Africans handled the hardships that they faced throughout.

Slaves lived in constant danger and fear. Their lives were very difficult, and American laws didn't protect enslaved families. The textbook states on page 433, "If a father or mother were sold away, an aunt, uncle, or close friend could raise the children left behind". In slaves' marriage ceremonies they included the phrase "until death or separation do us apart" knowing that there was a chance that one spouse could be sold away. They made a network of family and friends as their extended family in case a spouse was sold away. Slaves saw Christianity as a religion of hope and resistance. The textbook states on page 433, "They prayed fervently for the day when they would be free from bondage". Full of hope, African Americans prayed that they would be freed from slavery.

“The Souls of Black Folk” was written in 1903 by William E. B. Dubois (4). Dubois was an activist for civil rights and an author of many pieces regarding the lifestyle, struggle and historic patterns of African Americans (4). Though Dubois was born after the abolition of slavery, he knew the prospects of the African American struggle were most likely formed due to the conditions of black lives during slavery. Dubois was also an educator and advocate for educational opportunities in black communities (4). Not only writing, reading and math but critical thinking, health and survival and extra sources that could uplift and broaden the mind to do what it has the potential to do. The first chapter of “The Souls of Black Folk” gave a depiction of two prominent intervals that are cultivated in black culture, the veil and double-consciousness. Dubois wanted to bring attention to them for the productivity of social equality. His audience was not the black community, but white Americans who judged, misunderstood and moreover controlled it. He aimed to clear the narrative of the African Americans being inadequate and bring forth the truth of black culture’s compromise.

The historical narrative of slavery being isolated to the south is at the very least contradicted by the discovery of a slave cemetery in the north. The slave cemetery parallels the historical narrative of slavery by its intentional segregation from the white population. It is also worth noting that it took America over two hundred years to identify and properly care for the remains.

If we continue to search for information that will direct us to religion in the conventional areas in which religion was practiced, we will eventually come up short, as we have utilized all our resources. If archeologist try to connect “complex relations and interactions within the African American community” with concepts of religion, rather than slave efforts to connect with African roots, these diverse perspectives will give greater insight into what was likely occurring (pg. 53). By having a stronger base in cultural artifacts, less misunderstanding and assumption will arise, from trying to interpret what has been discovered (pg. 57). Unlike with perusing the collective memory, there are many gaps and holes that have been filled with assumptions in order to provide a whole story. That whole story is likely not the true story of what occurred, and as a result, continues to mislead us in our search for

Douglass's autobiography reveals a multitude of ways in which African Americans suffered under the yoke of slavery. They did not know their own birthdays or much other information about their past. They rarely knew their family members or were torn from them without warning. They were frequently without enough food, clothing, or sleep. They were beaten mercilessly and cruelly, sometimes when they had committed no offense. Some women were raped and forced to bear the children of their master. Some were killed or maimed. They were forbidden from attaining any sort of education for fear that they would become unmanageable, while slaveholders maintained ignorance was also good for the slaves, who would be unhappy with knowledge. Douglass's grandmother,

1. Watch “The Undertaking” where this video examines a family who works in the funeral industry as a window into American feelings on death and dying. Then, respond to the following questions: How do funeral rituals describe by the Lynch family show our cultural values about death and dying? How would a sociologist create a research question to systematically evaluate the claims that the Lynch family makes about death and dying? The funeral industry arguably exists to serve micro-level relationships, consoling individuals who have just lost others central to their social existence. How is the funeral industry connected to institutions at the community and

Although Prevalence of Ritual shows ritual and religious histories of African Americans, its similarity to She felt the sting of slavery cannot be overemphasized. Both artworks (30years apart) shows the struggles of African Americans through slavery, instability, inequality, fear, pain, dejection, rejection poverty and

African-American is a politically correct term used to refer to blacks within the United States. The roots of many African-American rites can be traced back to African cultural rites. However, it is important to note that not all blacks in America identify with African cultural roots. Therefore, some of the rites found within what many in the United States call African-American culture stem from Caribbean and other cultural traditions. For this reason, when making end of life decisions or funeral arrangements the “cultural identification, spirituality and the social class” the individual identifies with must be taken into account. The black majority within the United States identifies with Afrocentric traditions and perspectives. For this

In the Slave Culture “slaves never abandoned their desire for freedom or their determination to resist total white control over their lives” (Foner, 2012). The way they survived their grim days was by taking comfort in family, music, dance and religion. Many slave men and slave women would marry and name their children after family members, such as a grandmother, grandfather, uncle, aunt or cousin. Also there were strong religious beliefs amongst the slaves. Every Sunday they would attend church. “Usually the preacher was a “self-called” slave who possessed little or no formal education but whose rhetorical abilities and familiarity with the Bible made him one of the most respected members of the slave community” (Foner, 2012).

“Gone too soon” are the words often used following the tragedy of death. Within the past few years, black Americans have been specifically targeted as victims of racial hate crimes. In 2016, more than 250 black Americans were killed by police (Huffington Post). The deaths of black Americans have become an epidemic, one that will have lasting effects on society. One effect is that of the “Black Lives Matter” movement which was birthed after the murder of an unarmed black teen in Sanford, FL. On February 26, 2012, Trayvon Martin was fatally shot by a neighborhood watchman while walking home from a convenience store. In “Skittles for Trayvon: A Diminishing Suite in Verse”, Lillian Bertram paints a vivid depiction of the events leading

The Theme of Passing, Racial Prejudice and Internalized Racism in James Weldon Johnson’s The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man and Nella Larsen’s Passing