An Immense Prequel.

December 5, 2009

Has racism stifled the existence of Black Culture?

Webster defines culture as "The predominating values or behaviors that characterize a specific group or organization".

Throughout time epic civilizations have come and gone. Each with their own rich culture. Practices and traditions saturated in their core values.

Today I find culture most present in the major ethnic parties of the world. Asian, Hispanic/Latino, Indian, Italian, Jewish, Native American. All massive civilizations who as a whole hold an authentic conviction to preserving the core of their culture.

And yet as I comb through the melting pot that is America I find myself unable to pin down the existence of Black Culture. Does it exist?

Black in the sense of the American Negro. For I feel a large majority of those who identify themselves as "African American" on their legal documents would more accurately prefer to designate themselves "Black" given the option. Though genetically rooted in the African culture it is my belief that the modern day "African American" doesn't identify with being African very much if at all. And rightfully so. At this point several centuries seperate us from the original classification. At this point we are "Black".

So where is our culture? Where do we stand amidst the other towering nationalities of the world? Did our conviction to hatred during our racial contest drown out our Culture?

I readily admit we as a people share certain stereotypical/genetic commonalities, but as a whole I find we have no widespread traditions. Or at the very least an accumulation of shared values.

6 comments:

  1. I'm going to take an aside to finding my "black culture" and say I'm so glad not to relate in any way to the "African" culture from what I see and know Africa to be in my today. I'm ashamed of them. All the violence and pure evil that is imposed on the people, Darfur, Samalia, etc. etc. Young male children turned into soldiers, women and girls, maimed, raped, tortured and left for dead. Families destroyed, turned out from their homes to wander in the wilderness. Members of families forced to kill each other or be killed. Where indeed have we gone as a people!!!!! It's astounding to me the more I hear each day. How HUGE the scale of damage that is done - how wide spread across the country. I wonder to myself how the individuals doing these things can look themselves in the eye...live with themselves, do that to their own.... Do they care what they're turning the young into...especially the young men. And I truly hurt for the women & girls. So yes, I'm happy to seperate myself from my "African" heritage and find my own way if that's what I have to call my "culture".

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  2. Racism is a necesary component of a larger way of thinking that most Americans have rejected, denied, or forgotten. It has its place only when there are ceremonies and processes that must be kept exclusive to the racially-defined group they belong to. THe problm is the racial definitions that some racial groups have accepted. I am Black, and most of the definitions that Black people have accepted are negative, if we are being honest with ourselves. Not saying that we don't associate ourselves with some positive concepts, but it is a sad day when it takes one man beomcing president for young Black people to feel inspired. Racism is not a weapon, but one of many tools used to construct and reinforce a racial group's identity.

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  3. Our culture for those who attempt to research it is derived from Africa, but as you stated plenty of individuals would surely claim America before they even conmsider redeeming their ancestral African traditions. Black culture today is a shadow of white culture. When our ancestors were shipped to America unwillingly were were initially stripped of our motherland and families, but gradually we were stripped of our traditions as well. Now we have lived amongst White Americans or Europeans for so long that we have assimilated into their culture. There is no definitive line anymore about what is a historically black tradition and what is not because for 400 years slavery unfortunately caused our customs to diminish. Therefore, our history is somewhat a mystery because all of the cultual groups you named came here willingly, or were here initially so there culture was already deeply rooted here. African Americans on the other hand were not that lucky. It has come to the point now that alot of Black Americans are in a gray area... They refrain from simply being referred to as an "American", but don't unnderstand what it means to be an "African".

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  4. Unfortunately I would have to say that the most prevalent culture among African-Americans happen to be co-existed with steroetypes. On the bright side, white and black American ethnic groups do not share a specific cuture either. We happen to live with pop-culture as our guide. Whatever we feel is "hip" is what we participate in until the trend ... See Morebecomes nationally boring, or we find something else more appealing. If there was a definiton for "Americanized" I highly believe that would be the American of African decents' culture.

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  5. Is there any particular just one culture when you think about the whole USA?
    American Modern nowdays lifestyle maybe?
    It's because of the style the whole country was built like.
    I think it's almost impossible to hold on something so sensitive and special as your culture or heritage when you are first captured, hold on as a prison and made serve and live for some decreasing "full-of-him-self" that is totally different world where you came from..

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  6. I thought this entry was an interesting one with good timing...

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