Africans in America
Africans in America
Many people believe that the first inhabitants of America were the pilgrims, but they are wrong. Indians and Africans were here long before pilgrims. African culture has bled through society. Today many foods such as collard greens and architecture such as pyramids and the sphinx come from early african culture. Perhaps the biggest African influence is music; including jazz, blues, early forms of rock and roll, and especially rap. Elements of rap can be seen in early African songs such as James Weldon Johnsons Lift Every Voice and Sing.
Through the readings so far in the book African American Literature I have learned that African slaves would tell stories to keep hope of becoming free someday. An example of stories for hope is People Who Could Fly by Julius Lester. In this story a witch doctor says a word that gives slaves the ability to fly and the slaves fly home to Africa. In the last paragraph it says that no one remembers the word now but maybe one day someone will wake up with the word on their tongue and “we will all stretch out our arms and take
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