African American Beliefs

In this paper I discuss the African-American culture in regards to values, norms and beliefs.

As an African-American in the United States, I participate in activities to help me identify with my race. Yes, there are many types of African-Americans, but we all share similar ideas, values, and traditions that bring everyone closer. As African-Americans, we strongly believe in religion. Since slavery, religion has played a tremendous role in contributing to our beliefs. We believe there is a greater divine who knows our purpose, and has the power to control it. In addition, we believe prayer changes things especially when times become rough and unbearable. It is common for Black children to “grow-up” in the church and attend with their families every Sunday. Although I am in college, this has not change. I attempt to at least go twice out the month.

What is African American Religion? – Chapter 3 In the previous chapter of What is African American Religion, we were introduced to the black church and the Nation of Islam. Though these are the dominating black religions in America, as denoted by Joseph Washington, the study of African American religion has been centered on theism, and ultimately the black church (pg. 43).

I might not be a person like Martin Luther King Jr., W.E.B Du Bois, Malcolm X, Elijah Muhammad, Bell Hooks, and Jesse Jackson, or I might not be a part of organizations like the NAACP, SCLC, Afro American Unity, and Black Panther Party, but if I ever get an opportunity to make a difference these people and organizations made to the lives of African-Americans, I would never hesitate to take it. Although, these people adhered to the different ideologies, they all are unique, as they all had a significant role in fighting against the struggles of African-Americans in one way or the other. It’s true that, these people were able to achieve the equal

However, there should be something constant about religion, especially when it touches a community and is so intrinsic in a community such as the African-American community as a standard for righteousness and purity in a world that doesn’t make sense.

African-American is a politically correct term used to refer to blacks within the United States. The roots of many African-American rites can be traced back to African cultural rites. However, it is important to note that not all blacks in America identify with African cultural roots. Therefore, some of the rites found within what many in the United States call African-American culture stem from Caribbean and other cultural traditions. For this reason, when making end of life decisions or funeral arrangements the “cultural identification, spirituality and the social class” the individual identifies with must be taken into account. The black majority within the United States identifies with Afrocentric traditions and perspectives. For this

The history of religion in the United States comes a long way dating from the early 1600s when the first pilgrim settlers came to this country. It has been noted that these settlers were highly influenced by the Protestant faith which led to a community level of influence in this country as well. The faith of theses settlers were motivated from the New World of Europe where they practiced their religion in a peaceful environment. Later in history, it was noted that people of Spanish decent started the famous network of the Catholic missions in California. When California became a part of the United States, Catholic churches and institutes were formed. These churches and institutes were also formed in New Orleans and Louisiana.

A spiritual is a type of religious folk song that is connected with the subjugation of African individuals in the American South. The melodies multiplied over the most recent couple of many years of the eighteenth century paving the way to the abolishment of authorized bondage in the 1860s. The African American spiritual is also called the Negro Spiritual constitutes one of the biggest and most significant types of American folk song. Spirituals are ordinarily sung in a call and reaction frame, with a pioneering ad-libbing a line of content and a melody of vocalists giving a strong abstain as one. The songs of the slaves represented their sorrows, rather than their joys. Like tears, they were a relief to aching hearts Sometimes they were a means of releasing locked up emotions and expressing sorrow.

Africans have, since the early settlement of America, has had a great influence in the nation’s growth. These contributions to the United States from enslaved Africans have been greatly portrayed in American culture. Varying from cuisine, to song and dance are not only portrayed today but it has a deep-rooted impact throughout the United States. During the middle passage, enslaved Africans were forced to abandon their everyday lives, their families and their homes and forced to adapt to a new lifestyle they knew nothing of. However, upon arrival into the New World, due to their prior knowledge and wisdom from back home, they were able to quickly adapt and custom themselves to this new lifestyle in order to survive with the hope of potentially one day returning back to Africa. Unfortunately, African contributions to the culture of the United States has received little to no recognition and it has been taken credit for by Europeans and Whites since the early establishment of the United States.

Actually, Africans contributed to the construction of the first church in Jamestown, Virginia in 1647 among many other people. Africans were treated better before the first African slaves arrived in 1619. African slaves could marry through their church, they could practice the settler’s religion during earlier years of the sixteen hundred. However, the African slaves were limited after servitude was becoming the social norms of society. Despite the restrictions African slaves faced on a daily basis, slaves were able to continue to practice their religious beliefs from their place of origin. Furthermore, African American were able to adapt parts of the Christian faith with their own personal practice of religion that was also contributed to their political stance of slavery overall.

The dark tint represents the large population of Africans in Africa before the Europeans came. “Some estimate that without slavery the population of Africa would have been double the 25m it had reached by 1850”(BBC). Before Europeans invaded Africa, Africa had a population of 25 million people. The large population helped Africa maintain strong kingdoms such as Axum and Mali.

A feeling of affiliation with community and strong interaction with all of its members serve as the basis of the peculiarity of Black community. Membership of community has been always more important to African Americans than the feeling of individualism and competition among its members. Jagers and Mock (1995) have talked about Afro-cultural communalism. This communalism is the tendency of African Americans toward collectivist orientation or the preference for interdependence among people. Students who are driven by this communalistic orientation cannot describe themselves in individualistic terms. In fact, much of their self-identity is grounded in their social concern for, and need to be with, others [3]. Being a member of community young African Americans always relate themselves to it, because as it has been mentioned above, individualism is not a characteristic feature of Black community.

I have traveled all over the world but I have never been down South. Being from New York has also given me a very narrow perspective of African American culture. The purpose of this research project is to gain some understanding of Black culture specifically in the South. College has exposed me to a lot of people who were born and raised in the South and some of my closest friends are southerners. By researching the history, culture, and demographic information of the South, I plan on becoming a more well-informed American.

The day that changed my perspective of life for the better through the challenges faced by others close to me.

Aside from the being a value system practised within African culture it can also be described as the essence of being human. A person who is generous, caring, hospitable, respectful and compassionate is said to have Ubuntu (Murithi, 2006). Ubuntu in a person is measured by their relationship with and their actions towards others in society.