African Americans: A New World Identity
African Americans lack understanding of their native continent of Africa and are unable to identify with Americans, making them a new world identity. Once they arrived in America, they were unable to speak their native tongue and were forced to acquire a new language in order to communicate. It is safe to say that they invented themselves because they were unable to completely identify with either America or Africa and had to combine the two to forge a new identity. They created an identity by acknowledging that they came from Africa but not naming the specific country of origin. They were not created by the whites but had to adapt to their new life of oppression.
The Inherent Political Nature of African American Culture and Religion
What does it mean to say that African American culture and religion is inherently political?
The African American culture and politics are intertwined because their culture is mostly based on political movements, revolutions, and protests in their fight for equality and fairness. This has been passed from generation to generation. This has been the case for many years, starting with the Haitian revolution that took place between 1791-1801 and currently the Black Lives Matter movement, which fights against police brutality and racial profiling. The church was also the only institution owned by African Americans, and it empowered them. Specifically, the African Methodist Episcopal church assisted African Americans in getting jobs and learning how to read. They also used the church to fight injustices. An example is given of Denmark Vesey who was a leader in the aforementioned church. He used his leadership position to organize a rebellion and used the bible to justify why they needed to kill white people.
The Distinct Implementation of Slavery in the US
What was distinctive about the way slavery was implemented in the US? Why is it important to understand and be able to explain that distinction?
The capture and abduction of Africans who were transported to America to offer free labor led to the inception of race in America. In the notes, it is revealed that more than ten million Africans were captured and sold as slaves to countries occupied by the whites. Being black was seen as a sign of inferiority, and the notes indicate that even the white servant treated African Americans as inferior beings.
This distinction gives us an insight into the origin of racial discrimination in the U.S and the role that slavery played in the same.
Misconceptions About African Americans in Mainstream American Culture
What are some specific misconceptions that have been perpetuated about African Americans through mainstream American Culture?
One of the misconceptions is that African Americans were contented with being slaves as noted by Painter in the notes. Contrary to that belief, African Americans fought against slavery since they were not comfortable with the treatment they were receiving as slaves. An example is given of Harriet Tubman who was highly involved in the fight against slavery. It is further noted that at least two hundred thousand African American males fought in the civil war to eradicate slavery. Another misconception is that slavery was an economically backward practice due to the large gap it created between the rich and the poor. However, slavery actually had a positive impact on the American economy since slaves were used as trade commodities and they also provided free labor in farms and industries. John Brown, who founded a financial institution which became the bank of America, later on, is given as an example of an American who benefited from slavery.
