African American Lit
The Oral Traditions of African American Literature is a subject frequently debated and dicussed by literary subjects. In order to properly understand the importance that Oral Tradition had on African Americans you try must understand why such tactics were used and were they can from. When Africans were taken from they country and forced to come to America as slaves they brought with them there culture, languages and customs. African Americans were forced to find other ways to express themselves and pass on there heritage and traditions. They expressed themselves through the use of story telling and songs. "This they would sing, as a chorus, to words which too many would seem unmeaning jargon, but which, nethereless, were full of meaning to themselves" (316, Douglass). This quote is an example of expressing there heritage through the use of songs. Go Down, Moses, Take My Hand Precious Lord & Steal Away Jesus are all other examples of Oral Tradition that African Americans have passed on from one generation to the next. These songs and folktales seen to weave into the narratives of slaves because these oral depictions were a part of there everyday life. Most narratives like "The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass," were
Washington were striving for equality and freedom, they conflicted because of there approaches in accomplishing these goals. The reactions of Phillis Wheatly and some of the slave narrators to oral slave literature would most likely be negative. With education came the ability to not only be informed about the news of slavery but also to understand and act upon it. The stories and songs that they grew up with effected they lives daily which is the reason why we see many examples of Oral Traditions in there writings. Slaves were sold from plantation to plantation on a consistent basis which constantly split apart families, if the educated slaves could lead the fight for freedom these occurrences would never happen again. Du Bous's actions like the creation of the NAACP and other organizations shows that he doesn't want his people to show despair. An educated free slave could use his knowledge to fight the cause against slavery must easier then an uneducated man. Washington was mainly focused on self help and showing whites that blacks could treat each other equally first. written long after these events occurred. That in turn they would be better prepared to fight the war against slavery. I have never been able to understand how the slaves throughout the South, completely ignorant as were the masses so far as books or newspapers were concerned, were able to keep themselves so accurately and completely informed about the great national questions that were agitating the country" (493, Washington).
Common topics in this essay:
Fredrick Douglass's,
African Americans,
Du Bois,
Sweat Lay,
Booker Washington,
Slavery Freedom,
Jim Crow,
Frederick Douglass,
Langston Hughes,
Americans Washington,
african americans,
du bois,
booker washington,
mind believe,
tradition african americans,
family slaves,
oral tradition,
tradition african,
oral traditions,
frederick douglass,
oral tradition african,
fight freedom,
|
Acceptance Essays
