Homework Question #8

As far as popular culture goes, I’m not quite sure which example I can use but for the main culture, I’d say the sense of community is what best depicts the Black/African in African American Culture. For all the things most people have listed as their examples, (music, dance, sports, etc) all of these things are meant to be and are most enjoyed in group settings.

Because my parents were born in West Africa, I have the ability to bring our in culture and compare and contrast it with the prominent American culture as well as the African-American culture. In class we’ve discussed the melting pot theory and its flaws several times and I agree that this idea is on the right track, but there is still a prominent Western culture present in America. I think that for a country where individualist ideas are so prominent, African-Americans have greatly resisted this and have very much retained a sense of community reminiscent of my own African traditions. Compared to American culture, Black Americans, I feel, are much more likely to dwell in and enjoy group settings, stay very connected with extended family, and to consider friends more as family. Though not a popular culture example, I feel this sense of community is best exemplified through the Black Church. Though not the case with all predominantly Black churches, I think they are much more of a group activity than churches of American cultures. Here, the congregation, choir, and person giving the sermon are all interacting and worshipping together throughout the service rather than as three distinct groups. To recall from my culture again, this type of worshipping greatly mirrors church interactions in West Africa.