African American Family Traditions

The oral tradition refers to stories, old sayings, songs, proverbs, and other cultural products that have not been written down or recorded. The forms of oral tradition cultures are kept alive by being passed on by word of mouth from one generation to the next. These diverse forms reveal the values and beliefs of African Americans, the things they hold to be true, and lessons about life and how to live it. In African American culture, the oral tradition has served as a fundamental vehicle for cultural expression and survival. This oral tradition also preserved the cultural heritage and reflected the collective spirit of the race. It has a powerful history, beginning with Africans' proslavery existence.

Families remained important in African American culture. Some families were separated from each other but some were still together. Slave kept close to the African culture. Even though they were taken to the new world but they never forget about their tradition, cultures and other.

With being pulled out of their tribes, separated from their families, forbidden from their native language, and barred from their native religion, African slaves adapted to keep a piece of themselves, their religion, and their homes alive; by mixing the emotion and the dance from their native religion into this Christian-creole. As a result, slaves hid a small piece of Africa in an American religion, which they took on as their

Interview Questions for African American Families Please find a person of African American descent to interview. The person needs to at least 21 years of age. Please inform the person that this interview is for an assignment in class (educational purposes only) and the information provided will remain confidential. Please try to obtain more than “sound bites” yes/no answers. Asked follow up questions if the interviewee’s answers are too brief (ex: Can you please provide an example or elaborate, tell me more etc..).

On my dad’s, I am Half Jamaican on my dad’s side of the family. Both of my parents taught me different ways around life and what is expected of me. But the three things that sums up my cultural identity are food, fashion, and family traditions. Food is a big aspect in my cultural. I love food.

African-American religions and religious beliefs spring from this community 's history of oppression as well as its African

Because of this, many historians lacked in taking into consideration that black people were individuals with varying opinions and thoughts and not just one ethnic group, and African-Americans have been put into situations they are isolated from the rest of American and stripped of their individualism. This closed mindset society has used in the past has been the driving force behind things like slavery and

However, this can be a tradition that falls outside of the dominant or mainstream culture values by others who don’t have the same beliefs or just have a different way of celebrating certain holidays like Christmas and Easter that doesn’t involve fasting days before or taking communion at church. Being part of this cultural and family that respect this tradition has indeed influence me a lot it has made me realize to appreciate cultural values that my family has and now I have now too. It also influence everything I do as a person it’s given me the tools to “ maintain a healthy connection to our community and resources” (Reese, Auerbach, Elenes, Lopez, as cited in Yosso, 2005, p.79). These tools has allowed me to be involve with others that share similarities and different ones as well but also to be open to new things round me and still keep the cultural values that I share from my

The Lack of African American studies in Public Schools The public schools in North Carolina are faced with a huge number of challenges. One challenge is the significant difference between the black and the white students. This in return is accompanied by certain issues like the lack of African American studies in these schools. This results in a long traumatic consequences and standing concerns that have rippled through the educational system of the society.

There are many open wounds in the African-American community that have not healed what so ever. Disintegration of family structures in the African-American community has been a persistent problem for far too long. High out of wedlock birth rates, absent fathers, and the lack of a family support network for many young African-Americans have led to serious problems in America's urban areas. The persistence of serious social problems in inner-city areas has led to a tragic perpetuation of racial prejudice as well. African Americans still face a litany of problems in the 21st century today. Some of those problems consist of, unemployment, education, police brutality, single parent households, drugs, gang violence, and the high rate of incarceration

Slavery, the War on Black Family While slavery in America was an institution that was started over 400 years ago, the affects were so horrific that it is still felt today by modern day African Americans. Many families had to deal with the constant stress of being sold which made it difficult to have a normal family life. Slaves were sold to pay off debts, an owner dying and his slaves were sold in an estate sale, or when an owner’s children would leave the home to begin a life of their own, they would take slaves with them. Often times, children were not raised by their parents, other family members of someone designated to watch the children because the mother and father had to work long hours and the children were too young to join them.

Customs and traditions are helpful when it comes to encouraging people keep using beautiful culture to treat together. However, old customs and traditions are very different from what is accepted in society today. If people continue to obey old traditions that are bad, these traditions become obstacles for improvement. Traditions may be family gatherings for feast and fellowship. It is a series of rituals that give us individuals greater value and power.

What is your role in your family? My role is to prompt togetherness for the last several years and hold an annual dinner in my home. How closely do you identify with your culture? I identify 100% with my culture. What religious or spiritual beliefs are influential in your culture and for your family?

The people from Africa were generally part of early American history; however, Africans had experience slavery under better conditions compared to the conditions imposed by other civilized society. From the Egyptian Empire to the Empire of Songhai, slavery was practice for the betterment of their society, however, foreigners invaded these regions and took their slave, their ports and impose these people to a life of servitude in the Caribbean islands and in the English’s colonies. Furthermore, the African American slaves were an active agent of society in the earliest period of American history; they have brought new religious practices to their community; for instance, they constructed networks of communities; they had fought in war alongside

I come from an authentic Hispanic family, who is traditional in plenty distinct aspects. We treasure all the memories that have occurred to all of us and we laugh about the embarrassing moments we all had. We hold traditional customs and we accept new traditions as well. All of us are over protective of each and every family member, meaning that if anyone in the family has a problem we will not stop until it is fixed. To every family member, family is always first.