Nonrelatives In African American Family

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The ritual of referring to nonrelatives as family was a way of “binding together slave adults in networks of mutual obligation that extended beyond formal kin obligations dictated by blood and marriage,” and in “preparing slaves in the event that sale or death separated them from parents and blood
AN EXAMINATION OF THE LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE relatives,” according to Gutman (1976, p. 220-221). Consequently, referring to nonrelatives as aunt or auntie and uncle is still used in African American vernacular today.
Pollard (1981) shares Frederick Douglass’ perspective of the family arrangement