A Serious Discussion About "African-American Culture"
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Judge_Judah wrote: »Ajackson17 wrote: »Judge_Judah wrote: »There's going to be alot of ignorance, feelings, and misinformation in this thread.
But that's why it needs to be discussed. If you are the descendant of a slave here in America, in my opinion, I feel like we don't have a real unique culture. That was taken from us.
I feel like who and what we are is dictated to us and we fall in line for the most part. There are some elements that have survived the brainwashing that we can Sa have an African origin, but like someone said there are so many different cultures in Africa, we will never really know who we were/are.
Or maybe.....ive been looking at this wrong and am incorrect.
Imma fall back becausd I'm strictly speaking not African-American. But no other group besides AAs argues that they have no culture (THAT'S whats been dictated to you and you accepted it unfortunately )
Na speak your mind. You know where your ancestors come from, correct?
Tell us about them.
Then point ME in the right direction.
I dont know where my ancestors come from. But my more immediate family is from the Caribbean. My educated guess is my ancestors were from modern day Nigeria and Ghana (or Togo and Benin, the two countries between Nigeria and Ghana) although i could be wrong as i have never take a DNA test -
Judge_Judah wrote: »yellowtapesport wrote: »
Eat a ? .
But I guess my issue is the fact that AA have no core, fundamental "culture" that we can call our own. Everything we hold on to stems from being enslaved, or we adopted it from others during that time.
Most ancient civilizations that evolves into the various cultures abroad have a core set of beliefs and customs. Rights of passage. Values and morals tied directly to who they are as a people....these things may have some degree of variance when you look at individuals, but there is always a source that these differences can be traced back to....
Can anyone point these things out for me in AA culture? Maybe I'm missing something.
Such as?
We've been down this road before with the whole "African Americans have no culture" garbage. It all boils down to your personal belief of wha a culture is. Its all about mangling the definition of culture to fit your argument. -
Go to any country in the world and tell them you are a entertainer or an athlete and they will believe you. You can be fat and sloppy.
O.T.On the flip side, Tell them you are a CEO of a non-entertainment company they may give you the side eye.
Just like I heard a african soccer player say. Your black footballer is a monkey, while our black is just a good footballer. You are tolerable until you serve no purpose.
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Judge_Judah wrote: »yellowtapesport wrote: »
Eat a ? .
But I guess my issue is the fact that AA have no core, fundamental "culture" that we can call our own. Everything we hold on to stems from being enslaved, or we adopted it from others during that time.
Most ancient civilizations that evolves into the various cultures abroad have a core set of beliefs and customs. Rights of passage. Values and morals tied directly to who they are as a people....these things may have some degree of variance when you look at individuals, but there is always a source that these differences can be traced back to....
Can anyone point these things out for me in AA culture? Maybe I'm missing something.
Such as?
We've been down this road before with the whole "African Americans have no culture" garbage. It all boils down to your personal belief of wha a culture is. Its all about mangling the definition of culture to fit your argument.
Like if we were to examine Indian culture. They have they own customs, religions, attire, language, art, family structure ect.
Most of those are unique to then as a people and is the way it has been for a long time. Of course there is going to be change in front, but overall they seem to remain who they have been historically.
The same can't be said for AA. We are a conglomerate of slave customs and European culture. That's why we are looked at as white people by some Africans.
Ask 100 AA when a boy becomes a man and when a girl becomes a woman.... You will get a lot of different answers. It wouldn't be like that in some of these ancient cultures.
But I guess it's up to personal belief as you said. -
Judge_Judah wrote: »This thread was created based on some of the conversations going in @Ajackson17 thread....
Can someone explain what "African American culture" is as if we were examining any other culture across the world?
What does it's genesis look like? the genesis is slavery. slaves were forced to create a new culture because slave masters worked hard to make them lose their old culture.
What are our customs/traditions? family...things such as family reunions and jumping the broom are traditional customs we follow. most of us will reunite with family from all over every couple of years because we couldn't during slavery. we couldn't marry so we jumped that broom. we still do this today.
Rights of passage for both genders? marriage has always been a rite of passage in our culture. it is man becoming a "man" and a woman becoming a "woman"
Has it influenced any other cultures around the world? Or has AA culture been influenced by other cultures in any way?
the fight has been long and hard but we have contributed to the world in areas of medicine, science, and art. our contributions can be found all over the globe. our culture has always been guarded and we all know why. outsiders mimic our handshakes and slang. they mimic our dress and our art forms. they want to be "cool" like us.
How has it evolved over time?
over time it has evolved. we were not allowed to read or write in the beginning. our history, traditions, and customs had to be passed on ? . we had to teach ourselves to read and write. that created an ability to teach our own.
I hope this can spark a conversation that will help us come to an honest consensus about who we are.
the African American culture has many many pieces to it. our number 1 thing will always be how ? inclined we are. im not sure that there is any other people on this earth that can be moved by words the way a black American can be moved. we can listen to our favorite rapper and zone out from his words. ur grandparents can tell u a story about Selma and some will cry while others will be ready to riot. we are very connected to the oral ways of those slaves
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Perhaps our cultural disconnection is the exact reason we were able to create so many new art forms and ways of expression.... that were able to influence the rest of the world that is culturally tethered to the old traditions of the past so profoundly.
food for thought.
great thread by the way brother judah. -
AA culture was not created by us. White American media and policy created our culture.
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fortyacres wrote: »why you asking so many questions breh , you narcos ?
Lol, seem like some Darthard Perry ? . -
fortyacres wrote: »why you asking so many questions breh , you narcos ?
Lol, seem like some Darthard Perry ? .
I'll fight both you ? for this -
@semi-auto-mato
Thanks for the response. And I guess what you posted can be looked at as culture. But I'm wanted to discuss these things to get a better understanding of what being AA really looks like. People always say "there is no one way to be black" which I agree with. But there should be SOMETHING we can point to that is a consistent identifier when it comes to examining the AA "culture", right?
Most of the things you mentioned can be attributed to other cultures within the boarders of the US and abroad, and some have all bur vanished when it comes to the majority.
What does the traditional AA family unit look like?
When (if) we get married, what does the ceremony look like? Are their unique element? Yeah we used to jump the broom during slavery, but what significance does that hold?
Do we have unique cuisine? I know the answer to this, but really there is a lot of African influence in many dishes l. Plus a lot of the food will ? you over time lol
You did mention something interesting though that could spawn another thread though. Oral tradition. There is no denying our gifts to move people with words. I have a different opinion on this from a spiritual perspective that I wont get too much in to. But I think that "gift" is a major part of why any of our "culture" resembles those of Africa in some ways.
But I look at it as salvaging. We did what we could with trash. Our collective creativity creativity and natural talents cant be denied though. That IS something to be proud of, but I have a hard time looking at our ancestors time in slavery in a positive way, but that's me.
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desertrain10 wrote: »
I'd argue that AA are too closely related America and to far from its diverse African origins to have a true culture.
I would say AA culture is American culture. -
Our culture is purely entertainment for the world. We just entertain with sports and music.
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En-Fuego22 wrote: »Our culture is purely entertainment for the world. We just entertain with sports and music.
This cant be denied. -
En-Fuego22 wrote: »Our culture is purely entertainment for the world. We just entertain with sports and music.
As well as cash making "idiots" for them -
desertrain10 wrote: »
I'd argue that AA are too closely related America and to far from its diverse African origins to have a true culture.
I would say AA culture is American culture.
Quoted for truth...
Honestly an AA from a suburb in Scottsdale, AZ has a completely different lifestyle than an AA in inner city Philly who has a different lifestyle than an AA in lower middle class Macon, GA....
Entertainment, clothing, cuisine, etc that is popular enough to reach all three has probably been so integrated by then it is now mainstream American culture at that point...
I wouldnt say that its a bad thing...the fact that african americans play such a major part in the culture of the most powerful and influential country on the face of the earth is pretty telling...
That said what binds the majority of black people is the general distrust of white americans (imo and i lived in seven US cities) and the inequality we face... -
25centsandwich wrote: »desertrain10 wrote: »
I'd argue that AA are too closely related America and to far from its diverse African origins to have a true culture.
I would say AA culture is American culture.
Quoted for truth...
Honestly an AA from a suburb in Scottsdale, AZ has a completely different lifestyle than an AA in inner city Philly who has a different lifestyle than an AA in lower middle class Macon, GA....
...
This is my point...
Do a lot of immigrants who come here speak their native language to their families also in the states?
Do they eat food they would eat in their native land?
Do they still practice customs and keep the the same morals they would in their native land?
I bet the answer to most of those questions is yes.
What about us AA?
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Judge_Judah wrote: »@semi-auto-mato
Thanks for the response. And I guess what you posted can be looked at as culture. But I'm wanted to discuss these things to get a better understanding of what being AA really looks like. People always say "there is no one way to be black" which I agree with. But there should be SOMETHING we can point to that is a consistent identifier when it comes to examining the AA "culture", right?
Most of the things you mentioned can be attributed to other cultures within the boarders of the US and abroad, and some have all bur vanished when it comes to the majority.
What does the traditional AA family unit look like?
When (if) we get married, what does the ceremony look like? Are their unique element? Yeah we used to jump the broom during slavery, but what significance does that hold?
Do we have unique cuisine? I know the answer to this, but really there is a lot of African influence in many dishes l. Plus a lot of the food will ? you over time lol
You did mention something interesting though that could spawn another thread though. Oral tradition. There is no denying our gifts to move people with words. I have a different opinion on this from a spiritual perspective that I wont get too much in to. But I think that "gift" is a major part of why any of our "culture" resembles those of Africa in some ways.
But I look at it as salvaging. We did what we could with trash. Our collective creativity creativity and natural talents cant be denied though. That IS something to be proud of, but I have a hard time looking at our ancestors time in slavery in a positive way, but that's me.
we are a hodgepodge of people. our customs and traditions may have come from many folks but they are ours because of the meaning behind them. we might not have started jumping the broom but jumping means so much to history of us as people. we couldn't marry but we did it anyway to create that family structure that defines us.
a two parent family was the thing for a very very long time in the black community. it wasn't until a dude who became senator said that if u break down the black family nucleus they cant make progress. they have been breaking us down ever since. for survival purposes we have been replacing the nuclear family with an extended family. i am the product of an extended family. i know my mother and father but i was raised by my aunt and uncle. my parents never married. they both alive now and don't talk. my aunt and uncle were married. that sent me back in search of a nuclear family. i wanted to marry and have kids with my wife. raise them and get back to the structure of a black family.
a marriage ceremony in the black community varies based on the beliefs of the families. marriage is traditionally a religious ceremony so the look and feel is based on the bride and groom's religious beliefs. we jump the broom cuz i wouldn't have been able to give my wife a ring back then. we needed a way to show we were married. so they jumped that broom and it was recognized. other cultures did it to show who ran the household or run away evil spirits but for us it was about recognition.
we had to use what we had to eat. we created our style. soul food aint west African food. u can go to the a west African restaurant and and soul food restaurant and u will see its way different. we might use some of the same stuff but we don't cook like them and they don't cook like us.
i will come back to oral communication for the black American. -
Judge_Judah wrote: »25centsandwich wrote: »desertrain10 wrote: »
I'd argue that AA are too closely related America and to far from its diverse African origins to have a true culture.
I would say AA culture is American culture.
Quoted for truth...
Honestly an AA from a suburb in Scottsdale, AZ has a completely different lifestyle than an AA in inner city Philly who has a different lifestyle than an AA in lower middle class Macon, GA....
...
This is my point...
Do a lot of immigrants who come here speak their native language to their families also in the states?
Do they eat food they would eat in their native land?
Do they still practice customs and keep the the same morals they would in their native land?
I bet the answer to most of those questions is yes.
What about us AA?
First generation yea
Second and third generation no -
I would argue that African Americans had a culture but it was sold out and commercialised decades ago
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I would argue that African Americans had a culture but it was sold out and commercialised decades ago
Hip hop -
Shizlansky wrote: »Judge_Judah wrote: »25centsandwich wrote: »desertrain10 wrote: »
I'd argue that AA are too closely related America and to far from its diverse African origins to have a true culture.
I would say AA culture is American culture.
Quoted for truth...
Honestly an AA from a suburb in Scottsdale, AZ has a completely different lifestyle than an AA in inner city Philly who has a different lifestyle than an AA in lower middle class Macon, GA....
...
This is my point...
Do a lot of immigrants who come here speak their native language to their families also in the states?
Do they eat food they would eat in their native land?
Do they still practice customs and keep the the same morals they would in their native land?
I bet the answer to most of those questions is yes.
What about us AA?
First generation yea
Second and third generation no
Depends on how u define first, second, third generation and what immigrant group we are talking about -
Shizlansky wrote: »Judge_Judah wrote: »25centsandwich wrote: »desertrain10 wrote: »
I'd argue that AA are too closely related America and to far from its diverse African origins to have a true culture.
I would say AA culture is American culture.
Quoted for truth...
Honestly an AA from a suburb in Scottsdale, AZ has a completely different lifestyle than an AA in inner city Philly who has a different lifestyle than an AA in lower middle class Macon, GA....
...
This is my point...
Do a lot of immigrants who come here speak their native language to their families also in the states?
Do they eat food they would eat in their native land?
Do they still practice customs and keep the the same morals they would in their native land?
I bet the answer to most of those questions is yes.
What about us AA?
First generation yea
Second and third generation no
Depends on how u define first, second, third generation and what immigrant group we are talking about
? . Do you not know what second and third generation is?
Ain't no other way to define it. -
Judge_Judah wrote: »25centsandwich wrote: »desertrain10 wrote: »
I'd argue that AA are too closely related America and to far from its diverse African origins to have a true culture.
I would say AA culture is American culture.
Quoted for truth...
Honestly an AA from a suburb in Scottsdale, AZ has a completely different lifestyle than an AA in inner city Philly who has a different lifestyle than an AA in lower middle class Macon, GA....
...
This is my point...
Do a lot of immigrants who come here speak their native language to their families also in the states?
Do they eat food they would eat in their native land?
Do they still practice customs and keep the the same morals they would in their native land?
I bet the answer to most of those questions is yes.
What about us AA?
Not sure if i get what you mean...unless you are native american i dont think any american eats food or practices customs exclusively from there native land...
Obviously some cultural aspects from certain groups of people have overpowered others but honestly thats just the way it is...
I think i see what your gettin at...but lets be real here we're debating this on an internet message board in english about hip-hop which happens to be the top 2 or 3 musical genres in the most powerful country on earth ...we are ingrained in mainstream american culture in one way or another... -
You talking bout the Asians that strip they name and give they kids white names?
Are you talking bout Muslims that's out partying in clubs shaking their ass
Are you talking bout Hispanics who wanna be black or white so bad that mimic each group.
Yea everybody keeping their culture but us right?
I see it all from Ft. Lauderdale to New Orleans to Houston up to Dallas and all the way to LA -
Shizlansky wrote: »Shizlansky wrote: »Judge_Judah wrote: »25centsandwich wrote: »desertrain10 wrote: »
I'd argue that AA are too closely related America and to far from its diverse African origins to have a true culture.
I would say AA culture is American culture.
Quoted for truth...
Honestly an AA from a suburb in Scottsdale, AZ has a completely different lifestyle than an AA in inner city Philly who has a different lifestyle than an AA in lower middle class Macon, GA....
...
This is my point...
Do a lot of immigrants who come here speak their native language to their families also in the states?
Do they eat food they would eat in their native land?
Do they still practice customs and keep the the same morals they would in their native land?
I bet the answer to most of those questions is yes.
What about us AA?
First generation yea
Second and third generation no
Depends on how u define first, second, third generation and what immigrant group we are talking about
? . Do you not know what second and third generation is?
Ain't no other way to define it.
I have a good friend who was born abroad but came here as a baby. Shes engaged to a dude who grew up there. Are their kids second or third gen?
? . <<
example of AA culture btw
