Appreciating African American Culture

The oldest records for human history are roughly five thousand years old. But in the ten years of social studies classes we take, we mostly see events that have occurred within a thousand years from today. Of course there are some events that weigh more than others. Historical events that have influenced the place where you live or that have occurred more recently are at the top of the priority list. Slavery is definitely one of those priority events. I can't think of a school year where we haven't discussed slavery, and there's only so much you can learn about one subject. But one subtopic I'll never get enough of is the influence African Americans had on American culture. I like this subject in particular because it's a form of hope. It demonstrates that something good can come out of something tragic.

I had to look at some videos on youtube before I understood what the blackface minstrelsy was about. I vaguely pictured white men making fun of black men's traditions and ways of being but I found something rather different. From my perspective, African American culture was being valued. The fact that white men took the time to learn African American songs and played them for entertainment shows interest on African American culture. Slaves were viewed as inferior human beings. Therefore, there culture and way of life was considered inferior too. But as I saw the youtube videos on black minstrelsy, I realized this wasn't the case. I think that when you consider something inferior, you feel ashamed of being a part of it. The popularity the minstrel shows gained demonstrates how willing Americans were in participating in African American culture. Whether the black minstrel shows valued or humiliated African Americans, they certainly gave importance to African American culture.