Black American Culture Essay - 1765 Words

Black American Culture Marilyn Blunt Cultural Anthropology Mrs. Tristan Marble September 10, 2008 Inmy research paper I will be defining African American Culture and I also will be discussing things such as slavery, family relations, hairstyles, art forms, food, heath issues, symbolism, traditional beliefs and also why this topic is relevant to today culture and how this information can benefit Black American in today society. African American Culture in the United States refer to the cultural contributions of African ethnic groups to the culture of the United States, either as part of or distinct from American Culture. African†¦show more content†¦Hair braids are sported by many who wish to make then look hip and look cool. Tight ponytails are and African American hairstyle which make a mark because of the tight curls. These curls are style different in order to create various hairstyles. Curly hair is often styles in ponytails. Crimped hair is very common and are tied up into ponytails or even left loose. All the braids are pulled towards the back of the head and w rapped in a satin scarf. Dreadlocks: have significant stories linked to them and have different meaning for many people. Dreadlocks are coils of hair that are interlocked and then form on there own. Dreadlocks rose in popularity with reggae music reaching new height. The Jheri Curl because very popular among the African American people. Jheri was given because the creator of this hairstyle was named Jheri Redding. This look was sporting a glossy look with loads of curls. There is certain chemical use with this hairstyle. There was certain African clothing wore such as dashiki. The African American aesthetic encourages personal pride and political awareness. Some of the song was lift every voice and sing in addition to The Star Spangled Banner. This song was written by James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson in 1900, to be performed for the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, the song was, and continues to be popular way for African Americans to recall past struggles and express ethnic solidarity, faith, and hope for theShow MoreRelatedBlack Sitcoms : African American Culture1465 Words   |  6 PagesAfrican American culture. Today, we as African Americans glorify this instead of acknowledging that for entertainment we don’t have to belittle ourselves. During the minstrel era, white actors would depict the way they seen African American culture by dressing up in certain clothing and painting their faces. â€Å"White men in the nineteenth century blacked up (usually with burnt cork) and took to the stage where they mocked African Americans, codifying black life while seeding American culture with stereotypesRead MoreThe Effects Of Black Culture On American Literature1205 Words   |  5 PagesMorrison’s article Playing in the Dark, she is discussing how racism effects American literature. To Morrison, black culture is a tiny speck in American literature and she wants to expand it. Before Morrison could even think about doing this, she had to change her perspective and imagine what it is like to be in someone else’s shoes. Morrison states that, â€Å"My work requires me to think about how â€Å"free† I can be as an African-American woman writer in my genderized, sexualized, wholly racialized world.† (pgRead MoreBlack Women Of African American Culture1731 Words   |  7 PagesAfrican American culture has grown tremendously and has become more popular among all of the races. Not only has it become popular but it has also stirred up a lot of controversy. One aspect of African American culture that has become popular and is very controversial is Black women wearing their hair natural. Black women are really starting to embrace their natural hair and love the skin they are in but there are also a lot of people in society tearing them down. A lot of Black women and men haveRead MoreThe Portrayal Of Black Culture On American Television Essay1980 Words   |  8 Pagesselect attention to signs and images pr oduced and presented by television media, this essay will analyze the portrayal of Black culture on American television and how it has been constructed based on the system of representation controlled and influenced by White ideologies of the â€Å"Other†. The 1980’s sitcom â€Å"The Cosby Show† will be referenced in representing the evolution of Black representation and the effect it had on audience’s interpretation of race and class structure. Representation and WhatRead MoreThe Formation of Black English and Its Influences on American Culture4020 Words   |  17 Pages1. Introduction African American Vernacular English (AAVE) is one special dialect of American English, and it is different from Standard American English. African American Vernacular English can also be called as Black English, Black Vernacular English or African American Language (AAL).Black English had been discriminated for a long time in history. There was a saying that â€Å"Black English is not a language†. The saying is not correct. According to Montgomery, culture should not be biased, but shouldRead MoreBlack Women‚Äà ´s Identity in American Media and Culture1601 Words   |  7 PagesBlack Women’s Identity in Media and Our Culture When talking about black women’s image in media, what do you think about? Yes there may be many images but are they very many good images of black women. Are these bad images true images? These are all thing that run through my mind when I think of black women images. Sometimes I have to say that yes those bad images are true. I want to explore the different images of black women in Media. Do black women alter their images to look more EuropeanRead More Zora Neale Hurston - Celebrating the Culture of Black Americans2152 Words   |  9 PagesZora Neale Hurston - Celebrating the Culture of Black Americans In her life and in her writings, Zora Neale Hurston, with the South and its traditions as her backdrop, celebrated the culture of black Americans, Negro love and pride with a feminine perspective that was uncommon and untapped in her time. While Hurston can be considered one of the greats of African-American literature, it’s only recently that interest in her has been revived after decades of neglect (Peacock 335). Sadly, Hurston’sRead MoreWhite And Black People s Influence On American Culture And Society2445 Words   |  10 PagesThroughout the 1920s and 1930s, a number of demographic, political, and economic changes greatly impacted American culture and society. (Patterson Carney, 2003.) White and black people in America were still segregated and African Americans were treated as inferior (â€Å"BBC - Higher Bitesize History - Race relations between the wars,† n.d.), though they began to fight against discrimination in this period. (â€Å"Jazz Exacerbates Rac ial Tension,† n.d.) Music both reflected and played a role in the changingRead MoreMy Race Is Black, My Ethnicity, African American And My Culture925 Words   |  4 PagesMy race is Black, my ethnicity is African American and my culture (349) could be described as complicated. In applying these factors to my personal experiences I will refer to Matthew and Emirbayer’s â€Å"What is Racial Domination?† to explain the racial biases and discriminations that I have experienced from Arkansas to Los Angeles and ultimately Irvine. From the day of my birth my life and the opportunities presented or denied have been defined by racial domination and the Institutional racism of WhiteRead MoreThe African American Culture And Consciousness From The Short Lived Black Power Movement Essay1867 Words   |  8 PagesAfrican American culture and consciousness from the short lived Black Power movement. The book was written by William L. Van Deburg. Van Deburg received his B.A. in history from Western Michigan University then continued on to attain his PH.D. in American History from Michigan State University. Some of his works include, The Slave Drivers: Black Agricultural Labor Supervisors in the Antebellum South, Slavery and Race in American Popular Culture, Black Camelot: African-American Culture Heroes in