African American Culture By: MariKo Nielson History There

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African American Culture

• By MariKo Nielson

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History

• There are different aspects of African American
  history. Some include
• Slavery
• Civil Rights
• South American Apartheid

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Slavery

• African people were taken from their homes and
  brought over from Africa to serve and obey
  whites, without any pay.
• Most slave owners were very mean to the African
  people and made them work in the hot sun,
  sometimes without any food or water.
• Lots of the African people dreamed of freedom
  that was up in the North. Some of them escaped
  using the Underground Railroad.
• Slavery ended with the Civil War but segregation
  was about to begin. This would be the cause of
  the next part, the Civil Rights Movement.

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Civil Rights Movement

• Until the end of the sixties African Americans
  and White Americans were separated. African
  Americans had their own side of town, their own
  drinking fountains, their own schools (that were
  very inferior to that of White Americans
  schools), and they had to sit at the back of the
  bus.
• Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream that everyone
  would be equal and treated equal. That people
  would get along and work for the greater good. He
  was the leader of the civil rights group and
  helped get the laws changed peacefully. Another
  person who played a part is Rosa Parks she
  wouldnt give up her seat at the front of the bus
  to a white person which started the bus boycott.
• America isnt the only country that had problems
  with segregation. Only South Africas Black
  population had it worse.

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South Africas Apartheid

• South Africas apartheid had the blacks almost as
  slaves, only they got paid.
• Blacks and Whites werent the only ones
  separated. Different African tribes were kept
  apart.
• To travel or to get a job Blacks had to have card
  that said where they could go and what they could
  do.
• In 1976 thousands of Black children protested
  being taught by Whites. The police killed a boy
  and protests spread through out the country. The
  government responded violently over the next few
  months by killing 575 people.
• South Africas first free election was in 1994.

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Today

• African Americans and Whites are in the same
  schools, drink out the of same drinking
  fountains, sit where ever they want on the bus.
• African Americans now hold important jobs and
  high paid positions.
• RB, Rap, and Hip Hop is one of the most popular
  music right now.
• Although Civil Rights have come along way there
  is still some things that need to be changed.
• Internet access in intercity schools (where a lot
  of the African American population lives) is not
  up to what other schools are.
• Intercity schools arent as nice or kept up as
  nice as other schools across our nation.
• Racial profiling by the police and others still
  happen.

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Kwanzaa

• Kwanzaa is not a substitution for Christmas but
  is a celebration afterwards.
• Kwanzaa is a celebration of unity and seeks to
  reinforce the bonds between parents and
  children. 
• There is a Kinara (like the Menorah in Chanukah)
  which has Mishumaa Saba, seven candles.
• There are seven days in Kwanzaa.  On each day a
  principle is taught and a candle is lit.  Also,
  there are gifts the gifts are given everyday or
  all gifts are given on the last day of the
  celebration.  The gifts that are recommended are
  hand made or relate to Black heritage that have a
  special meaning to help the person through the
  year. 
• Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26 - January
  1.

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Websites Used

• The site that had all the information about the
  culture and was really informative was About.com
  or more specific http//afroamculture.about.com/
• The links are to different spots on About.com.
  The ones that I used were
• Apartheid
• Civil Rights
• History
• Slavery
• Another site I used was Kwanzaa Info Center
  http//melanet.com/kwanzaa/