African American Culture Research Paper

Abstract

The concept of Black culture arose as a result of prior experiences endured by African American people. This is exclusive to key historical events like slavery, colonization, and the civil rights movements, to name a few. Slavery played a critical role in the development of negative attitudes amongst African Americans regarding many aspects of life. Particularly the government, mortality rates, and health practices. Many ingredients used in African American dishes have African origins such as okra, peas, collard greens, sesame, and yams. Due to the lack of access to affordable nutritional options, poor eating practices heavily contributed to the deaths of many. Eating poorly has subjected African Americans to high rates of obesity, …show more content…
According to UMass Chan, “Health is viewed in harmony with nature. Illness is believed to be caused by natural causes, improper diet, and exposure to cold/wind. They may also view illness as a punishment from God or witchcraft. The sick individual expects attention from family and friends, but maintains independence. Teas, herbs, and warm medication for chest colds are some of the practiced home remedies” (Rossetti, 2020). This means that African Americans don’t rely on medication to fix sicknesses like other cultures might do, instead, they use things that are in nature, like different types of plants, to help cure them. I also learned that they are very spiritual people and believe that their bodies are connected to the spirit. Another thing that I found interesting about African American health practices is that they associate different foods with their future. Bigelow stated “Many ingredients used in African American cuisine have African roots such as okra, peanuts, sesame, yams, and black-eyed peas. The diet consists of hearty meals with meat, fish, greens, rice, grits, and white and sweet potatoes. African American food expresses the African culture and beliefs; for example, black-eyed peas represent good fortune, rice expresses prosperity, greens code

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