African-American Culture
By. Brooke Woodie
African-American culture and traditions:
African-American's mainly speak English but, they're over 1,000 different languages they have spoke. There are many different religions that African-American's believe as well for example, Christianity. African-Americans's represent themselves in form of music, dance, art, and storytelling. Many African-American's live in Africa, and Africa has a wonderful Cultural Diversity population, they are mainly a big shared community. African- Americans's have also been known as "Black-American".
Learning and Getting to know:
African-American's usually learn from tactile which is connecting through touch or cooperative groups. African-American's identity was established during the slavery period. The African-American slave descendant's want to create and maintain their own traditions and not follow everyone else's, each African-American has their own distinct cultural body. African-American's study and preform contemporary dance because, it is valued. The beauty of African-American's encouraged others personal pride and political awareness among each other for the fact that many didn't care about the humans without the many color skin as them.
Clothing that the African-American's wore:
In the African-American culture they used animal skin, and bark cloth for their clothing, it was some of their first materials. Some men didn't wear clothing they decorated their body with paint and their scars. Women would normally wear the traditional African-American dress to cover themselves. As time passed the materials increased and they became fond of beads. African-American's soon started to own some beads and they made elaborate beaded skirts, capes, head pieces, and even some shoes. A lot of the beads were mainly worn around the waist of women to represent more beauty within their bodies and the culture.
Birthdays:
The day a child is born is not known as a special day. Instead when African-American children reach certain ages, they are initiated to the community and this is when they learn laws, beliefs, customs, songs, and dances of their tribes. The initiation ceremony are celebrated for groups of children instead of individuals.
Death:
No one is supposed to be buried on a rainy day in the African-American culture. If the sun is out it is a sign that the heavens are open and welcoming the deceased one. If rains on a day a man is dying or if lightening strikes near his house, the devil has come for his soul. When a family member is deceased there is a 5-7 day mourning period before the actual funeral. In the European-American culture it is known as a visitation which many know it as but, in African-American culture it is known as the "wake". At a wake people come pay their respects to the deceased one and family. They view the body as well.
Famous people you are familiar with:
- Harriet Wilson: Harriet Wilson was the first of either gender to win the Novel on the North American continent. Harriet was important because she shows others how their dreams can come true like hers did and no matter what culture and race you are you can still accomplish anything.
- Jackie Robinson: Jackie Robinson was a famous person in African-American history, he was the first African-American to play Major League Baseball in the 20th century.
- Martin Luther King Jr.: Martin Luther King Jr. is a famous African-American because he won the Nobel Peace Prize, and the Presidential medal of Freedom before his assassination in 1968.