African American Culture through Oral Tradition Essays

African American Culture through Oral Tradition African American folktales have origins rooted in West African literary and cultural forms of expression. When Africans were taken from their homeland and brought to America as slaves, they also brought with them their individual cultures, languages and customs. However, their white slaveholders suppressed this part of their heritage in them. Thus they had to find other ways of expression, mainly story telling and songs. It is incredible to see how African slaves could ever smile and laugh under the horrible and cruel circumstances, which were imposed on them by the brutal slaveholders. The whole body of folktales and spirituals arose from the experiences which slaves had on their†¦show more content†¦They were able to accomplish this by the use of hidden meaning in their words and the ultimate result was that they outwitted their masters and proved that they were not, after all an inferior race. The idea of a slave outwitting his master is seen clearly in many old folktales. Virginia Hamilton, a distinguished writer of fiction for children today, published a book called The People Could Fly, which is a compilation of African American folklore stories. One of the folktales in her book reflects the idea that most slaves told stories in which the slave owner would be outfoxed by his slave. The following is a brief summary of the story named The Riddle Tale of Freedom. Now here it tis. Long time ago, there was a slave and a slave owner. The got along. They liked to joke back and fourth sometimes. Those two would exchange jokes and riddles. The slave man say, Mas, you give me a riddle today and I figured it out. Now, tomorrow, Ill give you one. And if you cant figure it out, said the slave, you give me my freedom in the mornin, too All right, the slaveowner says, you bring me one in the morning. A little further into the story we are told that the slave had an old dog who had died the night before. His name was Love. The slave took a piece of Loves skin and tied around his hand. He then goes to his master and tells him theShow MoreRelatedAfrican American Culture in the Americas741 Words   |  3 Pages African Americans brought over a distinctive culture into America from Africa. The Africans can create many different sounds that we never knew about. They revived the way we held church and worship, and brought joy to many citizens. African Americans enslaved by the South created a truly magnificent culture in slavery using new music, oral traditions, and religious ideas. Many African countries are known for their spectacular music, and during the time of slavery many African American slavesRead MoreOral Traditions or Spoken Word in the Caribbean1557 Words   |  7 PagesORAL TRADITION OR SPOKEN WORD The oral tradition constitutes the main element of transmission and coverage of the oral literature and history, music and dancing. This tradition begins with the internal context of the group and the communication through interaction which brings fourth a folkloric process. The Afro-Caribbean folklore of the Archipelago is a mixture of the African, the British, and the Creole aspects distributed through a cultural continuum of variations. The members of the elite developRead MoreHip Hop Music And African American Oral Traditions998 Words   |  4 Pagesfrom. Many scholars of rap music relate the founding of rap to African and African American oral and musical traditions, specifically African griots and storytellers. 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As a teacher, it is essential to introduce Postcolonialism into the classroom as well as postcolonialist critics such as Henry Gates Jr. Furthermore, as I teach my African American literature class I have found myself searching for supplemental material to suppose the authors that I introduceRead MoreAfrican American Culture in a Modern American Dominant Sociology2841 Words   |  12 PagesAfrican American Culture in a Modern American Dominant Sociology Intro to Sociology September 3, 2010 Janice Caparro African American culture in the United States refers to the cultural contributions of Americans African descent to the culture of the United States, either as part of or distinct from American culture. The distinct identity of African American culture is rooted in the historical experience of the African American people. The culture is both distinct and enormously influential