Social Conditions (culture) of the African Americans

By: Muhammad Iqbal bin Ibrahim and Aisy Mikhail bin Aznan

Hello my fellow readers, Recently we have just completed reading the book secret life of bees based on America during the mid 1960's. Within that book it reflected the daily life and social conditions of the African Americans during the 1960's which are often referred to as either the coloured or black people. Todays edition of the blog will talk about the daily of those very people and how it relates to the book we have read.

Firstly in the terms of their clothing, the help (Black Maids) often wore standardised maid uniforms which reflected the 1960's fashion which often came in a variety of different colours dependent on the town and region they work in. It can go from black and white, patterned, coloured checkered, yellow on white and etc...  While the normal clothing for the coloured during that era was decent it also reflected the 1960's explosive fashion movement towards new innovations of fashion. The sometimes incorporated styles which reflect their culture as apart of the Black Art Movement. 

The black art movement refers to bringing back old traditions of their people going as far back as when before their ancestors arrived in America as slaves. African American cuisine during that time was often referred to as Soul food. Soul food is well known in the South of the United States and the ingredients used to make up this style of food such as honey can make up a large variety of cuisines from honey biscuits to honey chicken. The African Americans often used the ingredients available to them at the fullest so they experiment a lot.

Food is not the only these people experiment on as music fits the bill as well. During the 1960's they the African American community contributed to Blues, Jazz and Soul and R&B. Compared to rest of the American community which focused on change to rock and roll. These people have managed to bring up major stars into this industry such as Duke Ellington, Marvin Gaye, James Brown and Louise Armstrong. These legends made songs which are still being played today even though their time had passed on.

When it comes to their traditions it can be traced back to the ancestor's traditions such as the one in Ghana for example. "Jump on the broom" is still being practices today by some African Americans as a part of their wedding ceremony. Another example is that some African Americans have created/adapted their rites of passage in America. The teens for instant, have are started to take classes which focus on responsibility, leadership and also spiritually that can prepare themselves for adulthood. These programs are molded after traditional African ceremonies, with the focus on embracing the African cultures.

Even though African Americans at the time were not very appreciated or respected due to how people perceive their race at the time. They still managed to persevere and adapt to their version of culture. They have kept their old tradition and made a new. They have created legends in the music industry and the food they make to fill our stomachs. These are a strong willed people and does not let people stop their practicing their old customs and creating a new.