Abstract
The importance of culture is illustrated in terms of how it applies to African-American culture. Specifically deriving its culture from a combination of African and Western traditions, African-American culture is uniquely poised to create a sense of identity for a people with a shared ancestral experience. While not intended to segregate one group from the rest, it is often used for that purpose. The increasing importance and prevalence of African-American culture and figures, from hip hop to black presidents, is also shown to demonstrate the need for culture and the defining attributes of African-American culture in particular.
The increasing diversity of America has become a very pertinent and relevant issue of late - many wonder if the privilege that whites have enjoyed since the ratification of the Constitution will diminish or go away. As for me, as an African-American, I wonder what defines us as a culture, as the homogenization of America defies those kinds of strict labels. However, I think that within our own community we have many different things that we hold to as unique to us. Our African roots, and our people's history with slavery in this country, allow us to carry over significant and signature things that set us apart from other cultures. African-American art, music, style and literature all have at least a small connection to the confluence of European and African art forms that came about from our ancestors' removal from Africa and exposure to Western culture (Mintz, p. 23).
Since the Civil Rights Movement ended in the late 60s, the push for tolerance in both popular and political culture has been slow but deliberate. Due to the increasing influence of African-Americans in popular culture and American society, we are able to have somewhat of an easier tie than our forebears. However, despite these incredible societal advances, there are some issues that still must be worked out. While prominent African American politicians and celebrities, as well as minority figures from other races, have more influence than they ever had before, there is still a systematic and institutionalized process by which African-Americans are still disenfranchised. This victimization, to an extent, helps to define us - it is the constant struggle to overcome adversity that constantly shapes our being, as we have to forge our own subculture as a result of having been, in the past, unwanted. Up to the 1960s, when the Civil Rights Movement at least created substantial progress toward equality among whites and blacks, white culture wanted nothing to do with us. With that in mind, we had to set ourselves apart, and we did that through embracing our own distinct culture (Mintz, 1992).
This differentiation came through many unique additions we made to American culture. The jazz movement, African art, and even the current hip-hop generation were all uniquely African-American creations. We took from ancient African traditions, combined them with some Western forms of music and expression, and forged our own path from it (Kitwana, 2003). We have our own figures, our own artistic styles, and our own unique set of rules by which we associate with ourselves and others. African-Americans still struggle substantially with achieving social equality, as there are many different factors (crime, poverty, etc.) that are still disproportionately damaging to African-Americans as the result of lingering prejudice and systemic problems with the American economy and its legislature.
The need for our own culture, for African-Americans at least, is a way to have our own in-group without feeling persecuted by other cultures we might want to be a part of (Harrison and Huntington, 2001). Various governmental systems are still disproportionately insensitive to minorities, and this remains a huge problem. Social and economic factors still leave blacks and Latinos at significant economic disadvantages, and the discrimination that many still encounter on a daily basis contributes to factors that lead to these higher statistics for sentencing and imprisonment.
The presence of prominent African-American celebrities and politicians almost seems to belie the fact that problems still exist that must be overcome; often, the election of President Barack Obama is held up as a sign that racism is no longer a problem. The cultural power of many black and Latino musicians and producers leads to the impression that they have 'taken over' popular culture, and are in charge of these decisions. Despite these appearances, there is still a long way to go before racial tolerance can truly be claimed by the majority of American institutions.
Despite this remaining intolerance, it can be stated that large leaps have been taken in the fight for equal treatment by racial minorities. The election of President Obama, and the success of many prominent black artists, politicians and musicians, are things that could not have occurred fifty years ago; with that in mind, it must be said that some progress has been made, but there is always more to do. All of these things provide an interesting look into what defines African-American culture, and the importance of our need to maintain spiritual and cultural roots to our past - especially in a country as homogenizing as the United States. While brotherhood and unity are incredibly important, we cannot forget where we came from and the connection we have to the past, which is why culture is so important. With culture comes identity, and from there we create and establish the values that we hold to as we figure out who we are.
References
Harrison, L.E, Huntington S. P. (2001). Culture matters: how values shape human progress.
Basic Books.
Kitwana, B. (2003). The hip-hop generation: young blacks and the crisis in African-American
culture. Basic Civitas Books.
Mintz, S.W. (1992). The birth of African-American culture: an anthropological perspective.
Beacon Press.
