Unit 1
What was the role of griots?
historians, storytellers, and musicians who maintained a shared history, traditions and cultural practices
Name three roles Africans played during the colonization of the Americas.
Africans played roles as conquistadors, laborers, and interpreters/guides
Compare and contrast Booker T. Washington’s and W.E.B. Du Bois’s strategies for racial uplift?
Washington advocated for industrial education first, while Du Bois promoted a liberal arts education and civil rights agenda
What was the impact of the Great Migration on the development of Black communities and American culture?
The Great Migration, in which millions of African Americans moved from the South to the North and West, transformed American cities and infused them with Black Southern culture. The migration created shared culture among African American communities across the country, impacting music, literature, and other forms of cultural expression.
What was the role of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries
HBCUs provided access to higher education and professional training and became spaces for cultural pride, Black scholarship, and activism
Name two goods that were traded in the tropical rainforests of Africa
Kola tree and Yams were grown, and gold was traded in the tropical rain forests
How did the legal concept of partus sequitur ventrem contribute to the perpetuation of slavery in the United States
Partus sequitur ventrem established that a child's legal status followed that of their mother, resulting in enslavement being passed down through the maternal line. This policy was a key element in the social construction of race, and the growth of the enslaved population within the United States
What were the causes and consequences of the Great Migration?
The causes were labor shortages in the North, environmental factors in the South, and racial violence which resulted in six million African Americans relocating from the South to the North, Midwest, and western United States from the 1910s to the 1970s
Explain the economic implications of the Harlem Renaissance on the African American community
the Harlem Renaissance and the Jazz Age opened opportunities for African American record labels, musicians, and vocalists to gain a wider audience.
How did Black churches contribute to the social and political life of African Americans in the early twentieth century?
Black churches were safe spaces for organizing, worship, and cultural expression and created leadership opportunities for Black activists, musicians, and political leaders
How did the geographic location of the Aksumite Empire contribute to its rise
Its location connected it to major maritime trade networks from the Mediterranean and the Roman Empire to India
What was the significance of the Stono Rebellion in 1739?
The Stono Rebellion, led by enslaved people from the Angola region, was a major revolt inspired in part by the promise of freedom in Spanish Florida. It demonstrated enslaved people's resistance and desire for liberation.
How did Black churches contribute to the social and political life of African Americans in the early twentieth century?
Black churches were safe spaces for organizing, worship, and cultural expression and created leadership opportunities for Black activists, musicians, and political leaders
How did spirituals function as a form of resistance and communication among enslaved African Americans
Spirituals had double meanings, using biblical themes to alert enslaved people to opportunities to run away via the Underground Railroad, while also serving as a form of cultural expression and preservatio
What is the significance of the "double consciousness" concept developed by W.E.B. Du Bois
Du Bois used the term "double consciousness" to describe the psychological challenge of having both an African heritage and an American identity, and the internal conflict that arises as a result of racism
What is meant by the term "syncretism" in the context of early West and West Central African societies?
Syncretism refers to the blending of aspects of introduced faiths like Islam or Christianity with Indigenous spiritual beliefs and cosmologies
What were some of the key differences between the arguments of emigrationists and anti-emigrationists in the 19th century
Emigrationists, like Martin R. Delany, advocated for leaving the U.S. to establish self-governing Black communities5..., while anti-emigrationists believed in fighting for equality and integration in America, asserting their “birthright citizenship
What were the goals and significance of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA)?
The UNIA, led by Marcus Garvey, aimed to unite all Black people and achieve Black liberation from colonialism across the African diaspora; the UNIA's message became the model for subsequent Black nationalist movements throughout the twentieth century
How did the Harlem Renaissance contribute to the development of Black identity and culture in the United States
The Harlem Renaissance fostered self-definition, racial pride, and cultural innovation through artistic expression in literature, music, and visual arts. It encouraged African Americans to take pride in their heritage and cultural achievements
What was the significance of Timbuktu in the Mali Empire?
Timbuktu was a center of learning in the Mali Empire, with a book trade, university, and a community of scholars, including astronomers, mathematicians, architects, and jurists
What factors contributed to the rise and fall of city-states on the Swahili Coast?
The coastal location linked Africa's interior to Arab, Persian, Indian, and Chinese trading communities, but later the city states fell because they were vulnerable to Portuguese and other European invasions
What central point about the condition of enslaved people did David Walker make by repeatedly asking "Are we MEN?"
Direct Quote: “Are we MEN! ! -- I ask you, O my brethren, are we MEN? Did our Creator make us to be slaves to dust and ashes like ourselves? Are they not dying worms as well as we?
By repeatedly asking "Are we MEN?", Walker was highlighting that enslaved people were denied basic human dignity and recognition as men
What is the primary purpose of “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
The sources indicate that “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was written to celebrate the perseverance and contributions of African Americans after a long period of oppression
The song is meant to express the community’s faith in the face of past struggles, and to embody hope for a better future
How do the panels from Jacob Lawrence's "Migration Series" illustrate the experiences of African Americans during the Great Migration?
Jacob Lawrence's "Migration Series" chronicles the causes, hopes, and challenges faced by African Americans during the Great Migration and visually depicts this historical event, showing the movement of Black people from the South to the North and Midwest in search of better opportunities and freedom from racial violence and discrimination
Describe the concept of "racial uplift" as it was understood in the late 19th and early 20th centuries?
Racial uplift was a term used to describe the strategies for social advancement proposed by African American leaders at the turn of the 20th century. These strategies included education, economic development, and political activism.