The African influences on the American culture

or Africanism

African Tradition ofDance

Both the African culture and the African American slave culture contributed to the Northamerican dance in the following ways:

1. Strong rhythm

2. Call and response

Dance•Break dancing

•Hip hop

•Charleston

•Cakewalk

•Square Dancing

•Tap

•Ballet

•Modern Dance

•Rumba

•Conga

•Tango and Mambo

African Tradition of Folk Art

Under slavery, it was difficult for Africans in the United States to create and preserve the art of their culture. Nevertheless, certain forms of folk art survived. 1.The Kongo folk art (in Central Africa) influenced the way in which African Americans decorated their gravesites.2.Folk art from West Africa influenced

fabric and textile designs.

Folk Art

The articles that were used to decorate the graves included:

•Shells—to hold the dead person’s soul and they also represented water (a symbol of life and death)

•Trees—symbolized the dead person’s spirit

•Lamps—to light the dead person’s way

•Bottles—to remind people of the dead person’s talents and they also provided protection

•Upside down Flower Pot—in Ki-Kongo language to be “upside down” meant “to die”

African TraditionFolklore

To preserve the community’s history, stories were passed on from one person to another through “storytelling”...the stories included songs, jokes, and proverbs. Folktales are a way of preserving and exchanging information about the storyteller’s own culture. Enslaved Africans in America often used these stories to tell each other about the African people’s power and cleverness, and their ability to suffer without giving in. Many stories were about poor people who were successful against a rich and powerful enemy.

FolkloreSome African proverbs include:

•What goes around comes around

•Pretty is as pretty does

•Actions speak louder than words

African TraditionFood

Africans brought special foods, special dishes, and special ways of cooking to America. They also brought farming skills.

Food•Okra

•Watermelon

•Yams/Sweet Potatoes

•Black eyed peas

•Sorghum used for syrup

•Rice

•Peanut soup

•Fish stew

•Collards

•Fried chicken

•Gumbo

African TraditionLanguage

Many African words have become part of the English language. The West African people brought different languages to America when they were forced into slavery.

Language•Banana

•Banjo

•Bogus

•Boogie

•Bug

•Cola

•Elephant

•Gorilla

•Jazz

•Okay

•Yam

•Zombie

African TraditionMedicine

African medicine and ways of thinking about healing are important parts of the American culture.

Medicine•Smallpox vaccine

•Cesarean section and midwives

•Snakebite cure

•Holistic medicine

•Herbs

•Stress causes illness

•Prayer

African Tradition:Oral Tradition

This tradition means the way in which members of a culture use the spoken word. Africans believed that the spoken word was powerful.

Oral Tradition•If you speak well, you will be successful.

•Speech is more important than writing.

•Call and response—when a speaker talks and the audience answers.

•Tone—the way speech sounds. Words get a lot of their meaniing from the way they sound.

•Emphasis—saying a word strongly to show its importance.

African Tradition:Religion

The way in which African Americans worship today has its roots in the African religion. Africans believed in many natural spirits and gods. In many cases, Africans combined the traditional beliefs with the Christian beliefs.

Religion•The belief in different saints

•Ring shout

•Getting the spirit

•Gospel—singing evangelical music

•Clapping and stomping

•Calling the holy spirit

¿Which Africanism has influenced you

the most?

Información del programa “History Alive”, derechos de reproducción de “Teacher’s

Curriculum Institute”