Understanding The Black Experience In America

One of the most disturbing aspects of America's black experience is the loss and reorganization of the African identity and culture. Maafa also known as the
African Holocaust, defines the motives behind this pattern, which are more
complex than one would think. The groups like Italians, that moved to the US
within one or two generations , are accepted into the dominant white culture.
Because of slavery African Americans were not immigrants and did not have the
same capacity to be accepted. Even after the end of slavery, American
assimilation was fraught with discrimination both legally and socially. This
lack of social interaction means that black Americans in America aren't
assimilated and are still distinct. For example, groups such as Chinese
Americans often live in isolated areas and retain their identity and culture as
a people. African Americans are neither African nor are they American in the
strict sense of the word despite the fact that they have many of the same
religions traditions, customs, and beliefs that are shared by the majority of
white people. The ongoing Maafa effects continue to challenge the acceptance of
African Americans' distinct culture.

According to Maulana Karenga's account, the destruction of human potential involved redefining African humanity to the rest of the world and poisoning the
both future, and present relations with people who only know us through this
stereotyping and, consequently, destroying human relationships between peoples.
Within this context, slavery destroyed identity among the blacks that were taken
and the generations that followed. Along with social and legal exclusion, Maafa
stripped blacks from their identity and culture. Because of this loss of culture
the country is plagued by a mental issue that is a result of Maafa that sees
blacks continually try to establish, reaffirm or define their identity but find
these attempts end in futility because Maafa can have a detrimental effect on
black tradition and culture. This is evident in the challenges faced by black
cultural movements within the US.

Harlem Renaissance

The Harlem Renaissance was a movement in the 1920's and 30's of African American culture blossoming, particularly in the creative arts. The impact of
historical perspectives on literature produced during the Harlem Renaissance is
evident when analyzing what influenced the authors specifically, including a
number of social, cultural and artistic trends from the years prior to. African
American social movement, the primitivism of art, and cultural separation of
America from Europe all had an impact on the writing of African American authors
of the Harlem Renaissance. To find out more information on visit, you've to
check out black authors website.

Black Vs. African

In the late 1980s and 90s, the phrase African American began becoming increasingly more popularized in American language. Jesse Jackson, a leader in
the struggle to give the African American community a sense of identity within
America is one of these leaders. But rather than being an unifying force in the
field of the American culture, the idea of African Americans became a division
and point of contention due to the many ambiguities associated with this notion.
In the 2000 election campaign this contention came to light when Alan Keyes and
Barrack Obama discussed this issue:
  

During the campaign, the debate became public as Alan Keyes, the black Republican challenger to the Senate seat in Illinois asked whether Obama. Obama,
... should assert the African-American heritage. "Barack Obama claims an
African-American heritage" Keyes said on the ABC program "This Week". "Barack
Obama is the same race, which means, he shares my physical traits. "We are not
of the same race," Mr. Keyes stated. "My awareness of who I am and what I'm, as
a person, was shaped by my battle with my heritage. It's extremely emotional and
painful." (African American Registry 2015).

At the time the time, at the time. Keyes, Mr. Obama and others highlighted the larger issue of clarifying African American Identity. The involvement of
blacks in the struggle for African Identity during the early 1990s. This is
evident in the Million Man March and the popularization of African fashion and
art. Oprah Winfrey and other key figures who were promoting African American
literature played a central role in the movement to establish African American
identity. This culminated in the Presidency of Barack Obama in 2008. The issues
of identifying African American culture, and identity remained. It appears that
this has always been due to slavery, and the continuing impact of Maafa on
identity and culture.

Conclusions

Without any other explanations for this, it is obvious that there is a fundamental factor that exists in African American society that makes it
difficult to define culture and identity. Maafa and the ongoing consequences of
systemic racism are the sole possible explanation for African Americans who
remain disenfranchised when compared with other ethnic communities within the
US. The stories of the African Diaspora and people who have been marginalized,
Maafa and treated with discrimination are a clear indication of the difference
between African Americans and those of other countries, such as Italian
Americans, who are able to tap into a long and rich culture and history. Though
there is a shared concept of blackness and identity that pervades all members of
the black community, the culture and identity continue to develop in
America.