Black american culture

How do you define "Black culture" in america?I often here people(Africans in particular) who are prejudice against Black americans,say that Black americans have no culture,and that our original culture was destroyed by whites.
Well,what about Afro latinos,or latinos in general and all Blacks in the western hemisphere?What happened to us,happened to them right?
Id say that Black american culture is a mix of African(west african),European,and American culture.For example,some aspects of the Black gospel music of the south has sottish origins.


As a black american myself,i dont really like the association of hiphop(especially todays hiphop) with Black culture.What a burden we have to live with.People dont realize that its a sub culture of ours but when people think of "black culture" abroad,they think of grills,gangsters,money,and just plain ol ignorance.

Id rather be associated with soul,jazz,r&b,early rock,blues first,than todays garbage hiphop.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_american_culture

 

I agre with you on that statement

 

Black-American culture is a combination of various African and some European cultures. If those Africans look close enough,that culture would be deep.

 

Very true, and let's not forget black writers, poets, painters... I have a book that I bought at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it's called Harlem Renaissance: Art of Black America. It has some breathtaking works in it and many names I've never heard of before: Aaron Douglas, Meta Warrick Fuller, Palmer Hayden, William H. Johnson, others...

 

Flowers in the Blue by William H. Johnson



Cafe by William H. Johnson

 

Did you know William H. Johnson spent most of his creative work in Denmark? He painted the Norwegian fiords during his visit in Norway. He was a great creative artist. I wished there was a marker on the house he once lived in Denmark. As for the creative genius of Black-Americans some had to live in Europe to expand their creative persuits. Also it was Black-Americans who invented of all types of music:techno. Like every Black innovator of new music they have not gotten rich from their creations.

 

Alot of Black Musicians,Artist,etc back then loved to travel to Europe because
they had no Jim crowe laws and etc.

 

Yeah, like Marian Anderson who was an international star yet was forbidden from performing at the Constitution Hall because of her race.

 

I found this article below...

Philadelphians slow to visit Marian Anderson Village

by Ashwin Verghese

7/10/2008


On one block of the village stands the home where a legendary contralto, known not only for her voice but also for her pivotal role in social change, was born 111 years ago.

On another stands the house the singer bought in 1924 and owned for 69 years.


Just across the street is the church where she developed her commanding vocal range by practicing over and over each part of her choir’s songs. And not far from there is a recreation center that bears her famous name.


The singer was Marian Anderson. The village - a 14-square-block stretch from Broad to 21st Streets, Bainbridge to Christian Streets - is the Marian Anderson Heritage Village.


By virtue of Anderson’s achievements, the village - which gained official recognition from the city in November - should be a celebrated attraction in South Philadelphia. Tourists from around the world have come to see it, and last year a BBC reporter visited for a story.


Yet despite the international attention, relatively few Philadelphians have gone to see it.


A major factor may be a lack of publicity, officials say.


“Because of the lack of finances, we’re unable to do a complete marketing campaign and advertising campaign,” said Phyllis Sims, curator of the Marian Anderson Historical Society, which runs the village.


Sims has a marketing wish list: bus signs, hotel brochures and airport advertisements. But high maintenance costs at several of the properties have sapped the society’s funds, making advertising a challenge. Even the street-sign banners hanging in the village are in short supply and cost $300 each.


Sims, a longtime photographer and writer, runs the society with Blanche Burton-Lyles, a pianist whose career was nurtured by Anderson decades ago.


“Both Blanche and I are artists, so we’re not really business people,” Sims said. “The reason why we have survived for the past 10 years is because we do it the old-fashioned way they did back in Marian Anderson’s day. Just nickel-and-diming it.”


Sims and Burton-Lyles have relied on the help of volunteers, including Cheryl Gay, 60, a longtime friend.


“They always need help,” Gay said. “Anything with historical buildings or museums, they always need help.”


The society began putting the village together in 1998 with the acquisition of Anderson’s home at Catharine and Martin Streets. The house was converted into the Marian Anderson Residence Museum, with photographs, old records, and other artifacts from Anderson’s life on display.


Also within the scope of the village are Anderson’s elementary school and her mother’s church.


Sims said that the lack of interest from Philadelphians might be an issue of proximity: With the village in their backyard, they could be taking it for granted.


“People never want to honor their own like they should,” Sims said.


Anderson, whose voice was described by the conductor Arturo Toscanini as the type that comes along “once in a hundred years,” is perhaps most famous for an Easter concert she delivered at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939. After being forbidden from performing at Constitution Hall because she was black, Anderson sang to an audience of 75,000 people and millions of radio listeners.


Anderson, who toured Europe, Asia and Australia, left her mark all over Philadelphia. She graduated from South Philadelphia High School for Girls and sang with the Philadelphia Choral Society. Her father worked at the Reading Terminal Market.


State Rep. Harold James (D., Phila.), who spoke at the November ceremony at the village, said he was glad to see Anderson’s legacy being preserved.


“It focuses attention on the talent we have in our neighborhood,” said James, a South Philadelphia native. “It makes us all happy and proud that we have a great person like Marian Anderson.”


City Councilwoman Anna C. Verna, in whose district the village lies, has also been a longtime supporter.


“It has always been a pleasure for me,” Verna said, “to lend support, in any way I can, in preserving the wonderful and historically significant legacy Marian Anderson left behind.”

 

This is where people of all races including some Africans..miss the point on black people.


There is no "black culture" in America.

Black culture is AMERICAN CULTURE. Most things that you view as authentically American are idiosyncracies of black America that developed separate of their African (and sometimes European) origins.

 

Marion Anderson almost became a soprano in the Stockholm Opera but turned it down. She later became a member of the Metropolitan Opera in the early 1950's which by that time she had passed her prime.

 

....

Jazz, is hardly a black culture

You'd be lucky to spot a black person at local Jazz festivities

 

Oh Come On!

Think back to the golden age of jazz. Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Lena Horne, Sarah Vaughn, Etta James, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis.

Enough said.

 

No,there are still distinct aspects that are separate from the mainstream american culture

 

This is not true

There are always Blacks as jazz festivals,especially older people.

 

i agree (somewhat) to the comment about jazz. it is improper to say that it is not black culture just because its no longer predominately black. The architects were mostly black and the traditions still carry over.

I also agree that there are more whites at a jazz event than blacks. I go out to a jazz weekly and I'm usually one in three black people at the venue. Even funnier is that the band is all white 90% of the time.


AAAAAAND Malikom, for shame, how can you NOT include HIP HOP into your make up as a person? In a sense (and dont take this the wrong way) your ignorance is off putting. I completely stopped listening to hip hop from the age of 11 to 26 with the exception of a few things here and there. Now I think things are really really great within hip hop. I dont think that popular music can be judged by the same rule that it has always been traditionally measured. We cannot look to the radio or television for innovative music.

To use a good example to provide some leverage to my point I use Little Brother. Little Brother is a band that made it to the almost point....as in almost being the next big thing. They put out a super catchy single that was quite possibly one of most positive songs that had zero filler, killer verses and a hook that sticks in your head. So what happened when they shopped the music vid to BET? "Too intelligent". Yep, BET called the video "too intelligent" for BET viewers. Try looking it up.

I can seriously rattle off a long list of black artist that are doing really really really great things but all of it is just below the radar. None of it is 'underground' it just hasnt broken yet.

Try looking up Janelle Monae, Little Brother, Tanya Morgan, Skillz to start

And then there is the new black rock movement that is being led by the Afro Punk group. Then you also have TV on the Radio one of the biggest indie bands in a while.....and they are all black, you also have Battles a band led by Toyandai Braxton.....

dont let mainstream culture jam you up. Remember that its always a ten feet behind whats happening, by the time it catches up its too late.

 

I live out in cali,and there are usually a bunch of Blacks at jazz festivals our here.Although,the more whites you are going to have at certain places,the less Blacks you will have.If you attend a jazz festival in a predominately Black city than you will obviously see more Blacks.I do agree however that alot of the younger generation of Blacks are not interested in jazz.The older generation is more interested.

&

I said todays hiphop.

There are only a minority of good mainstream hiphop artist that i like

 

I am talking about todays hip hop

what more do you want?
one great song after the next on the radio?

thats not going to happen ever again. ever. so stop acting like bad music is the only type of music to exist.

the groups i mentioned are hot as of 2008.

edit; I live in California too. I am in San Francisco now and I grew up in Los Angeles. So I am on par with your take on things.

 

True....I'm saying that a lot of America's "culture" is derived from segments of black tradition....that doesn't mean America borrowed everything from the Black Handbook.....

For all of the issues though, this society is unique in that no one culture can claim dominance. Power...that's a different story...but the food we eat, the way we speak English..etc. has roots in many different nations.

 

My bf is Nigerian and he thinks things need to change in the culture of black america. He does not listen to hip hop or dress in that style of clothing. He loves all people-but says he does not agree with all of the black culture in america. When he first came to the states 18 years ago, he went to an all white university in colorado and loved it. He then moved to dc and went to grad school in maryland at an all black university. He said the white people in denver were much nicer to him than the black people in dc and maryland area! He said the people in dc and maryland were hostile and rude. That was his experience, and everyone has their own experiences.