The Importance of African Culture, Part 2

The aim of the American slave master may have been to deny the enslaved Africans of their collective culture in order to make them a better and more productive slave, but the spirit of the captivated Africans still found ways to maintain many fundamental cultural practices. Although most of the material aspects of African culture were stripped away, and traditional practices were banned, the principals between these practices were to a large extent maintained. Through all of the collective and unprecedented trials and tribulations that African Americans have undergone they have been able to maintain and develop aspects of African culture.

Though there are literally thousands of ethnic groups and languages spoken across the continent of Africa, there remain universal cultural commonalities amongst African societies from Senegal to Tanzania. There are an unquantifiable number of creation stories and rituals in Africa, but there are several universal spiritual beliefs and principals practiced among the various religions. Foundations such as ancestor communion (falsely referred to as ancestral worship), rhythmic dance, call and response, and lively music are all hallmarks of traditional African spiritual practice. Traditional African religions also propagate a metaphysical, holistic, and harmonious relationship between man, and the universe. The overriding theme is one of reciprocity and balance between all beings on the earth and the creator.

The vestiges of African spirituality can be seen in the Black church, where there tends to be a fever pitch of emotion and celebration that is akin to African religious rituals. The sermons that the preachers make are musical in nature, as the tones of their speech take on a humming and rhythmic pattern, with music often being played in the background while they speak. The crescendo of the music and activity until it reaches a fevered pitch that often causes parishioners to get the “spirit” and speak in indecipherable tones is reminiscent of African rituals where the purpose is to induce the collective spirit and become one with the creator.

The fast, gyrating dance movements that are seen performed amongst young African Americans in dance clubs, is rooted in African dance movements. Some of the dances performed by young Blacks is often viewed as obscene and lude, but when the dexterity, and complexity of such movements are considered they shadow African dance steps. The heavy influence of the drum in all styles of African American music whether it be Jazz, the Blues, Rhythm and Blues, Hip Hop, or Go Go is keeping in the tradition of the drum being the very foundation, essence, and means of communication for African music.

The old and profound African proverb which states “It takes a village to raise a child” has become cliché, but indicates the nature of traditional African communalism’s influence on the family structure. African American families (at least until recent times) tend to be extended in nature. I remember growing up hearing my mother and my grandmother’s stories about getting spanked by the neighbors when they were children. They would tell me that it was understood that every child in the community was a child of the community, and not simply of his/her biological parents. Not only was it accepted that another parent could discipline another person’s child, but it was actually expected and seen as that surrogate parent’s duty. The concept of “immediate families” did not apply at this time, only that of the extended “village” family, akin to the African families that Africans in America came from.

Often times other cultures become fascinated with the wide array of meanings that African Americans make out of Standard English words. Two young Black males may have a complete conversation in front of a person from another culture and completely befuddle the person about the topic of their discourse. The dismay of the observer due to the use of words that may have five to ten different colloquial meanings, as well as concocted words or sayings.

Many African languages, such as the Dogon in West Africa are symbolic in nature. Translation of these languages into English is inadequate, due to the many layers of meaning and symbolism that each word possesses. Written African languages such as hieroglyphics are often accompanied by drawings to convey the true meaning and spirit behind words. Though young African Americans may not realize where their use of language derives from, they are in actuality maintaining a vital component of traditional African culture. These deep seated African cultural characteristics never completely escaped the Africans once they arrived on the shores of America.