Culture plays an important role in defining one’s identity (Whelan, 2016). It appears that humans have a natural desire to remain connected to their cultures. It is little wonder that individuals join their communities in celebrating their culture. In addition to providing individuals with an identity, culture also offers comfort and direction. For many, staying connected with their culture and heritage is simple. However, others have encountered challenges. When someone is uprooted from their home and moved thousands of miles away, they are likely to lose the connection that they had with their culture. This has been the case with Black Americans. This community has endured years of hardship that have eroded their African identity. In an effort to revive this identity and to reconnect with their roots, the members of the Black American community are seeking their African heritage using a number of different tools and avenues.
Background
To understand why Black Americans are seeking their African heritage, an examination of their history is needed. It is understood that Black Americans are originally from Africa (Berlin, 2009). Slave trade is responsible for their current situation. White merchants perpetrated this trade. They visited Africa and rounded up entire villages. Africans were forced out of their villages and into vessels that would carry them across vast oceans. Upon reaching the United States, they were stripped of what made them African. Many were assigned new names that were in line with Western culture (“Changing Names”, n.d). This marked the beginning of the loss of African heritage. In the years that followed, the African slaves slowly adopted Western lifestyles, ideals and practices. Today, the descendants of the African slaves are aggressively trying to revive the African roots. In the discussion that follows, some of the techniques and instruments that the Black Americans are using to bring their roots and heritage back to life are explored.
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How Black Americans are seeking their African heritage
DNA testing
Technology has played a vital role in allowing Black Americans to seek their African heritage. Advances in DNA testing have made it possible for individuals to establish their roots. Through this technology, one is able to construct their family tree. Black Americans are taking advantage of this technology. In his discussion of how DNA testing has allowed African Americans to reconnect with their roots, Robert Kibbee states that “African Americans, faced with the seemingly unbridgeable chasm of slavery between the documented ancestors and the families that seem to be related, have turned to DNA testing” (Kibbee, 2012, p. 211). Kibbee suggests that Black Americans desperately wish to determine who their ancestors were. They desire to understand their roots, heritage and the culture that make them a distinct community. DNA testing has replaced traditional methods that Black Americans previously relied on to establish their ancestry. Before the advances that have been made in DNA testing, members of the Black American communities had to consult government records. However, these records shed little light on the heritage of these people. This is because the records contained names that the ancestors of the Black Americans had been assigned upon reaching the US (Elias, 2003). The records were therefore of little help. DNA testing is clearly a revolutionary technology.
Kibbee is not alone in shedding light on the role that DNA testing has played in linking Black Americans to their ancestors and history. Ed Yong also offers a discussion on how DNA testing and advances in genetic science have provided Black Americans with the opportunity to finally understand where they are from. In his article, Yong describes how DNA testing has allowed hundreds of Black Americans to establish their roots (Yong, 2017). Young makes it clear that while individual Black Americans have been the major beneficiaries of DNA testing, the entire community has also benefited. Thanks to DNA testing, the Black American community has been able to rebuild and establish itself as a unique and vibrant nation (Yong, 2017). What is clear from the insights that Yong and Kibbee share is that the Black American community has developed the courage to confront its own past. This community is actively seeking to explore its history and to honor its ancestors who endured years of injustice and slavery. As a result of DNA testing, the Black Americans are now able to determine with certainty if their ancestors are originally from Gambia, Zimbabwe, Senegal or some other African nation.
Appropriating African culture
Africa is home to some of the world’s richest cultures and traditions. This continent hosts hundreds of different communities with deep and rich histories and heritage. The Black American community appears to understand how rich and diverse African culture is. In an effort to reconnect with their heritage, the members of this community are embracing some aspects of African culture. For example, it is understood that Black Americans use the tribal marks of African communities. There are some members of this community who have adopted clothing that is borrowed from African tribes (Arewa, n.d). This appropriation of culture is clearly an effort to reconnect with the African heritage. It can be argued that as they embrace African clothing and tribal marks, the Black Americans hope to gain a better understanding of how their ancestors lived. It is important to note that the appropriation of different cultures has become a contentious and emotive issue in the US. While there are some who feel that borrowing cultural practices is simply an act of recognizing the beauty of other cultures, there are those who find that appropriation amounts to exploitation (Cuthbert, 1998). Given that the Black Americans are directly descended from African communities, it would be unfair to accuse them to exploiting African culture. These people are simply trying to understand their culture and connect with their heritage.
Role of music
Music is a common element in most cultures. Communities use music to celebrate their history and to share their heritage with the rest of the world. The Black American community recognizes that music is among the tools that hold the key to reconnecting with the African heritage. Black American musicians have adopted some African styles and instruments. The Smithsonian Institute penned an article in which it examined the role that Africa has played in defining the music of the Black American community. According to this article, “the cultures from which they (African Americans) were torn, and the conditions into which they were forced both contributed to the sounds of African American music” (Roots of African”, n.d). The article identifies the drum and banjo as some of the instruments that African American musicians have borrowed. These instruments are originally African and this indicates that the Black Americans are trying to seek their African heritage.
The efforts of the Black American community to reconnect with its African heritage go beyond the mere adoption of African musical instruments. This community is also credited with creating music genres that have an African tune. Jazz is among the genres that the community helped to develop. It is believed that Africa provided the inspiration for the development of this genre (Brent, 2016). Through Jazz, members of the African American community are able to celebrate their African heritage. That African Americans have embraced African tunes is clear evidence that they are seeking their African heritage. This community recognizes that African culture is rich and deep and they wish to share this culture with the rest of the world.
Reconnecting through literature
The Harlem Renaissance is one of the most significant moments in the history of the African American community. This community celebrated its culture and sought to rise from the decades of pain and injustice that its members had suffered (Huggins, 2007). Literature is one of the tools that the community used to celebrate and express pride in its culture. It was during the Harlem Renaissance that such literary icons as Langston Hughes gained prominence (Wallace, 2008). These individuals shed light on the struggles of the African American community. It has been almost one century since the beginning of the Harlem Renaissance. Today, the Black American community is still using literature to seek its African heritage. Such individuals as Maya Angelou are renowned for their efforts in shedding light on the experiences of African Americans (Bloom, 2014). Their efforts have allowed the African American community to develop its own literary culture and system. Through culture, the community has also been able to reignite its roots and heritage. The works of African American literary icons serves as evidence that this community does not wish to see its heritage become lost. The community understands that its past is a key driver of its present and its future. Therefore, in a bid to develop a clear identity, the Black American community is using literature to create a strong connection with Africa.
Visiting Africa
The tools that have been described above are important as they have enabled Black Americans to gain deeper insights into their African heritage. However, these tools do not go far enough. To fully understand their heritage and make a proper connection with their original home, African Americans have been making trips to Africa. A number of African countries are encouraging Black Americans to visit and even stay. Dozens of Africans have taken these countries up on this offer. Ghana is among the nations that welcome African Americans. Upon visiting and settling in the country, Mr. Thompson, an African American remarked that “I fell in love with Ghana and its people… it was good seeing black people, my people, in charge of the country” (Dovi, 2015). Thompson speaks for thousands of Black Americans who desperately wish to connect with their African roots. In Africa, the Black Americans will not be in a nation where they are a minority community. Instead, they are part of their own people. If Thompson’s sentiments are anything to go by, then the visits that Black Americans make to African countries deliver immense fulfillment and joy. As he discusses how Black Americans are settling in such African countries as Ghana, Dovi laments that bureaucratic red tapes are making it difficult for the Black Americans to move freely (Dovi, 2015). If the authorities in these African countries truly wish to see a larger influx of Black American visitors they should relax the bureaucratic restrictions.
Afro-centrism
Recently, white supremacists held a rally in Charlottesville to protest against the removal of the statue of a Confederate general. This protest turned ugly and led to the death of a young woman (Yan & Sayers, 2017). The protest also shed light on the tensions that characterize race relations in the United States. The white supremacists make the argument that the white race is superior. To counter the influence of such forces as the white supremacists, the Black American community is focusing attention on its history. A movement referred to as Afro-centrism is gradually emerging. Essentially, this movement allows Black Americans to focus on and celebrate their African heritage. Honoring the efforts of Black political leaders is among the measures that the Black Americans institute in their celebration of black culture. Such leaders as Martin Luther King Jr. are revered within the Black American community. These leaders represent the triumph that this community has achieved over such forces as oppression and injustice.
The Afro-centric movement goes beyond the celebration of African American leaders. The Black American community is also celebrating its beauty and fashion. In the United States, unrealistic beauty standards are imposed on people. These standards tend to present white as the ideal of beautiful (Hooks, 2003). The Afro-centric movement is challenging these standards and urging Black Americans to embrace the color of their skin. ‘Black is beautiful’ is a slogan that has emerged from this movement (Hooks, 2003). This slogan and the other efforts that the Black American community has initiated indicate that this community desires to retain its ties to Africa. African Americans wish to reclaim their African heritage.
Embracing Islam
Religion has always played an important role in defining the identity and culture of communities. For example, black slaves turned to the Christian faith as they endured difficulties. Religion continues to shape the Black American community. Islam has particularly played an important function in enabling the members of this community to proudly embrace their heritage. Such leaders as Elijah Muhammad promoted Islam within the African American community. He presented Islam as a tool that the community could use to fight oppression and to demand justice (Curtis, 2012). Although Elijah is dead, the Nation of Islam, a movement that he founded, remains active. The efforts of Elijah and his movement suggest that the African American community is attempting to reconnect with its African heritage. It is believed that Islam has its roots in Africa (Muhammad, 2009). Assuming this to be true, then it can be argued that in embracing Islam, the Black American community is reiterating its desire and commitment to reconnect with its African history and roots. There is need to note that most African Americans do not subscribe to the extremist philosophies that Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam promote. This is not to say that this community has lost its zeal to rediscover its African roots.
Implications
In the discussion this far, it has been made clear that African Americans are aggressively seeking their African heritage. They are using literature and music to reconnect with their African roots. They are also relying on religion and making trips to Africa. What do these efforts mean for the future of this community and Africa? It can be argued that as members of the African American community continue to seek their heritage, they will develop pride and confidence. The years of injustice that the community has suffered have dampened the spirit of its members. It is possible that this community will continue to invest in rediscovering its roots. Africa will undoubtedly benefit. As Black Americans visit and settle in such African countries as Ghana, they will be investing in the economies of these countries. Overall, the efforts of the Black Americans present benefits for this community and for the people of Africa.
The African American community is one of the largest populations in the United States. A rich and vibrant culture is one of the features that define this community. Despite its painful history, the black American community still strives to celebrate its culture and deliver joy to its people. The members of this community are also trying to understand where they came from. Relying on such tools as DNA testing, music and literature, Black Americans are exploring their history and heritage. The resolve and energy that this community has displayed should motivate other communities to fully embrace their culture and to seek their heritage.
References
Arewa, O. (n.d). Cultural Appropriation: When ‘Borrowing’ becomes Exploitation. Retrieved 11th October 2017 from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-conversation-africa/cultural-appropriation-wh_b_10585184.html
Berlin, I. (2009). Generations of Captivity: A History of African-American Slaves. Harvard University Press.
Bloom, H. (2014). Maya Angelou’s I Know why the Caged Birds Sing: A Casebook. Infobase Publishing.
Brent, T.R. (2016). Jazz Religion, the Second Line, and Black New Orleans, New Edition: After Hurricane Katrina. Indiana University Press.
Changing Names. Race in US History. (n.d). Retrieved 11th October 2017 from https://www.facinghistory.org/reconstruction-era/changing-names
Curtis, E. E. (2012). Islam in Black America: Identity, Liberation, and Differences in African-American Islamic Thought. SUNY Press.
Cuthbert, D. (1998). Beg, Borrow or Steal: The Politics of Cultural Appropriation. Postcolonial Studies, 1 (2), 257-262.
Dovi, E. (2015). African-Americans Resettle in Africa. Retrieved 11th October 2017 from http://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/april-2015/african-americans-resettle-africa
Elias, P. (2003). DNA Offers Avenue to Black Ancestry. Retrieved 11th October 2017 from http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3077132/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/dna-offers-avenue-black-ancestry/#.Wd3vnluCzIU
Hook, B. (2003). Rock my Soul: Black People and Self-Esteem. Simon & Schuster.
Huggins, N. I. (2007). Harlem Renaissance. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Kibbee, R. (2012). Genealogy, African American. In Kammen, C. (Ed.). Encyclopedia of Local History. AltaMira Press.
Muhammad, W. D. (2009). Black Arabia & the African Origin of Islam. First Edition. A-Team Publishing. Roots of African American Music. (n.d). Retrieved 11th October 2017 from https://www.si.edu/spotlight/african-american-music/roots-of-african-american-music
Wallace, M. O. (2008). Langston Hughes: The Harlem Renaissance. Marshall Cavendish.
Whelan, Y. (2016). Heritage, Memory and the Politics of Identity: New Perspectives on the Cultural Landscape. London: Routledge.
Yan, H. & Sayers, D. M. (2017). Virginia Governor on White Nationalists: They should Leave America. Retrieved 11th October 2017 from
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/08/13/us/charlottesville-white-nationalist-rally-car-crash/index.html
Yong, E. (2017). How African Americans Use DNA Testing to Connect with their Past. Retrieved 11th October 2017 from https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/06/how-african-americans-use-dna-testing-to-connect-with-their-past/531834/
