African American Family Traditions

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.

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..).

Both of these men were contemporaries and without a doubt their personal experiences and perhaps the overall black experience in the United States guided their conscious to adopt certain strategies and tactics in order to uplift black people politically, economically and socially. This is where these two leaders fundamentally disagreed, which was followed by suspicion, name calling, distrust and an unwillingness to concede and perhaps recognize the strengths and weaknesses that existed in both of their philosophies. They were divided and they left black America divided and yet their arguments are still highly debated in academic circles and laypersons circles alike throughout America. Lastly, this research study is limited in scope and has not met all the academic restraints consistent with a scholarly paper, nevertheless, at the same time, it will display objectivity and sound research methods by briefly exploring in an unscientific manner, the slave plantation personalities (giving in the seminal study by John Blassigame) and how perhaps those historical values—culture) impacted slave behavior, as well shaped black personalities that proceeded from this peculiar institution.

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.

Although some of the masters mistress were well taken cared of, there were times were the African American women was forced into having sexual relations with the master or his children and were still forced to work outside with the others. The role of an African American women compared to the role of a white women were very different. In antebellum because of their sex most women were assumed to be weaker, and believed to be intellectually and physically suited for only domestic work.

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?

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

y Culture My culture is very average like a lot of other people who live in Louisiana. Food is a part of my culture because, in Louisiana is some of the best food in the world. My age has a lot to do with my culture too because my generation uses a lot of technology. Music has impacted my life because I am in band.

I have grown up in Florida which is a diverse area which makes my personal culture contain numerous influences. Both my maternal and paternal sides of my family are pure Italian Americans. There is not much known about my great grandparents but they are believed to be peasants who migrated from Sicily into United States in the 1800’s. Traditions, influenced by beliefs, rituals and values are passed down or inherited by one generation to another (Inglehart & Baker, 2000). Many Italian Americans try to carry on traditions and cultures that their grandparents and parents had.

The background of my cultural identity I am an African American female but that isn’t all there is to know me for. I am an African American girl who is very interactive with my religion and also my culture. Cultural identity can be hard to explain because some people don’t know what’s really in their culture and they fail to see , and understand it. I know what my cultural identity is because of my ethiopian flag, the baked macaroni, and the movie the lion king.

The introduction of slaves shaped the culture in the colonies because people did not grasp any moral implications of slavery. At the time, there were no set concepts of race and racism, the people merely saw the Africans as alien in their color, religion, and social practices (Foner, pg. 99). As slavery developed, people continued to enjoy the benefits of slavery, like how it was profitable. The expense of the slaves’ housing, clothing, and food was considerably

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

Many of the slaves found in America were shipped from Africa and while they were subjected to a new culture and religion, they continued to use the culture they inherited from their original homes where by men were the head of the family. The abolition of slavery did not change the situation still, since while the liberated slaves were said to be free only men were allowed access such privileges like voting and owning

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.

At a given time, most African-Americans did not have the opportunity to earn a decent education. As of today, there are stereotypes that box African-American females in a corner, such as teen pregnancy, the inability to finish school, the dependency on a male to provide for them, and their reliance on welfare. My family always taught me that education was one of the only things that would help me provide with a better life for myself in the future and I took that seriously. I was never taught to be dependent on others and their promises, I made a way for myself with effort I put forth in everything that I took part in.