African American Beliefs

When reading over the different diverse groups, I noticed that my culture seems to have some differences and also some similarities as these other cultures. A similarity I noticed between the African American Culture and my culture is that they tend to refer to most of their food as “soul food” and as I was growing up, my aunts and uncles will always refer to home cooked meals as “soul food” as well. Another similarity is that people in the African American culture have strong religious affiliations, and they are usually Christians. The reason I see this as a similarity is because in my culture, mostly all of the people I grew up around are Christians and attend services. I have also found a similarity between European Americans culture and

A majority of Black Americans usually follow what is known today as the “Black Church” These religions include Baptist and Methodism. These religious formations took place during the time of slavery. During the time of slavery, Blacks were not able to freely worship God. This led white Evangelical Baptist and Methodist preachers to travel throughout the South and sped their Religion to slaves. This led many slaves to convert to Methodism and Baptist. The religion themselves are based on the values and practices of Christianity, but also include a focus on social issues such as poverty, gang violence, drug use, prison ministries and racism.() A study found that black Christians were more likely to have heard about health care reform from their pastors than were white

This week’s assignment is to answer questions, in essay format, from chapters 3 and 4 of the assigned textbook, “The Black Church in the African American Experience,” by C. Eric Lincoln and Lawrence H. Mamiya, provided the answers. Below are responses to the five questions.

My understanding of my ethnic culture is African American once was an oppressed group of people in the United States of America. African Americans were enslaved by Caucasian Americans and was treated as property. During the times of oppression, African American was not prohibited to read or write, to maintain stable family relationship and to have human rights. This traditions of the African American culture are emplace so the generations of African American can experience the rights other African Americans were

In Chapter 1 and 2 of “Creating Black Americans,” author Nell Irvin Painter addresses an imperative issue in which African history and the lives of Africans are often dismissed (2) and continue to be perceived in a negative light (1). This book gives the author the chance to revive the history of Africa, being this a sacred place to provide readers with a “history of their own.” (Painter 4)

The ethnic group I have decided to research is African Americans. I chose this ethnic group because I only know what I know about them through what I have learned in school over the years. Also, I find them to be one of the most commonly misunderstood ethnic groups around in today’s world with current events that are making people look differently on them. The purpose of my research to learn about African Americans and gain information on them that I do not already know about them. My thesis is through my questions I will discover very interesting about this ethnic group.

Although African reaction to the presence of external actors could, in some cases, be appropriately described as defiant, resistance did not exclusively define African attitudes toward the outside. The capacity and willingness to collaborate with European influences lends credence to the re-interpretation of Africa as an entity with agency, just as European states have typically been understood. African political units were just like other political entities throughout history in that they employed strategies according to their domestic and foreign policy interests.

The plight of the African Americans to abolish slavery and racial discrimination has left American history with a lot of lessons and ruminations regarding humanity. People, when left with power and authority, has the ability to oppress the weak, and to aggress the strong. This makes the divide stronger, and thus disunity to pervade within human society. This also shows that human frailty is a very powerful influence to humanity; the way that these frailties enable man to oppress another man, and the way that power makes man greedy for more, shows that humanity’s flaws is the same exact measure which can destroy it. The lessons the world has learned from the way that the African Americans have struggled for freedom and unity in the United States

The United States Constitution, the backbone of a great nation, reflects everything that America’s very first settlers were willing to risk their lives to accomplish. The primary reason colonists fled their former homes to settle in a wild, untamed land was so that they could possess religious freedoms that were otherwise denied to them. Later, when the founding fathers established a cornerstone for their government, they were careful to insure that Americans were granted the very freedoms for which they came. “We were founded upon a belief in human dignity- that no matter who you are or where you come from, or what you look like or what religion you practice, you are equal in the eyes of the law” (Obama). A prime example of this is the Constitution’s

The black slaves of colonial American brought their own culture from Africa. Contributed greatly to the development of American’s own dance, music, art, food and clothing. When Africans were taken from their homeland and brought to America as slaves, they also brought with them their individual cultures, languages and customs. Culture defines people’s values, beliefs, and personal interests. Culture is important because it allows people to maintain their identity. During slavery, they were expected to adopt to their slave owners culture. My culture shares many similarities with others around the world; My parents are both from Sierra Leone and they brought their culture to America. They did not forget about family’s traditions and food.

The third book I chose to evaluate African American culture and identity is names Papa’s Mark (Battle-Lavert, 2003). This book was about a young African American boy, Simms, who had a strong passion and desire to help his father learn how to write. During this time period, African Americans were given the freedom to vote. However, Simms noticed that his father did not know how to write his own name and wanted to make sure he could by the time election day arrived. In order to achieve his goal, Simms would leave a piece of paper with his father’s name written at the top to help guide him. Additionally, he would help guide his father’s hand until he finally was able to write his own name. At the end of the story, Simm’s father was able to clearly

The three texts all deal with subject of the African-American situation in the present America. A lot have changed in America since the civil rights movement began in the 60’s. A black president is leading the country, but has that at all affected the general view on African-Americans? The texts all raise the same questions: what has changed? What needs to change? And lastly, how do we accomplish the changes? But this seems to be where the resemblances come to an end. The three texts all contain very different answers to the questions above.

This paper discusses the definition of “black” identity in U.S. history and culture with reference to two primary texts from the course: the novel Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and the speech ”A more perfect union” by Barack Obama. The novel discusses the narrow perception of exquisiteness in African society, which is deeply influenced by Western, especially American, ideals and how black people are represented in today’s society and culture. The means of what it means to be black in America today lies within race and class, even though it can be argued that there was a loss of identity centuries ago, in spite of America being a melting pot of culture.

The traditions of African-American slaves, from the earliest of times in colonial America, were acts and words that endowed the future of their race with the essence of their past. From the earliest of our rice crops to the females, who provided their masters through repeated sexual abuses, slaves laid ownership to their portion of colonial American history. The key to maintaining the heritage of the early African family was a combined version of their ancient tribal religion and their master’s Christianity. In order to maintain a peaceful accord with their masters, slaves learned that diversifying songs and actions from African shores with slight adjustments in order to abide by the beliefs of their Christian masters. Examples of this

The connection between each work comes down to individuals not being validated by white society is deemed as a source of freedom. Not only the idea of ignoring African American render them powerless, but this also becomes imbedded in their minds. The white culture was held as a symbol of beauty. And White American only saw the African American community for their color and treated them less than based on that fact. For this reason, Blacks always struggled to exist in a dominated white culture. Based on these stories, each character search to find their true identity, while finally accepting the issue of being ignored. For this reason, the man accepted that he was invisible and decided to use it for freedom and agility as he shouted, “no