THE AFRICAN CONTRIBUTION TO AMERICAN CULTURE - HISTORY - 2025

The African contributions to American culture have been varied and have evolved in such a way that have been adapted to various nations of the continent as the years pass. Some customs, rites, traditions, and even religions from Africa have been established to date in Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Many components of African culture have influenced the formation of the identity of American countries from the historical and cultural point of view, for this reason it is that similarities can be found in different peoples that agree in clothing, art, gastronomy and culture. music.

Zulu culture, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

African roots in the American continent emerge with the arrival of African slaves in the early 16th century.

Large concentrations of slaves arrived in Spanish ports in some cities such as Cádiz, Seville, Valencia and Huelva and were transferred to cities in America such as Cartagena de Indias in Colombia, Veracruz in Mexico; Portobello, Brazil; Havana, Cuba and several ports in Venezuela.

Similarly, they arrived in the United States, Argentina and Uruguay. The slave movements continued until the end of the 19th century despite the abolition of slavery being declared in 1880.

Contributions from Africa with influence on American culture

1.- Language

The large number of Africans settled on the coasts of America resulted in a phase of transculturation in which blacks and whites adopted languages ​​of one or the other, resulting in modalities in speech that can be evidenced today in European languages ​​and in Spanish.

Thus, the Spanish that is spoken in the American continent ended up acquiring African words that illustrate the culture of slaves and their spirituality.

In these changes and adaptations in language, words are appreciated to designate certain types of food and dishes, names of musical instruments, dance styles, medicinal herbs, among others.

Some terms that can be highlighted are: malanga, conga, cod, orisha, yam, candonga, among others that are currently used.

2.- Religion

It should be noted that the quality of the black race with the most influence in America was its religious beliefs and rites, which go beyond slavery and which had a long stay in American lands.

Some of these beliefs are maintained today and can be identified as follows according to their countries: in Brazil the Umbanda religion has proliferated in recent years; Santeria appeared and defined in Cuba in the 19th century, coming from the Yoruba tribe of Africa; in Trinidad and Tobago the belief of Shango, the King of the Yoruba religion, is confessed; in Jamaica the religion Obeah and Myalism are practiced; in Haiti, Voodoo; and in the United States all these practices of African origin have been transformed and are less identifiable.

It has been said that the American culture, although it has not fully maintained religious traditions, preserves various Africanisms or African traces in its music and dance.

Rather than simply having imposed their beliefs, many African descendants adopted Christianity and founded the black churches in the United States, which have contributed to the growth of the Protestant church in general.

According to many African Americans, identification with the African continent does not have to be based on religiosity.

3.- Music

In a desire to portray their musical rites and rhythms, many Africans in different places had the feeling to build and rebuild their primitive musical instruments to drain the tension of exploitation they received and to express their emotions.

They manifested themes of protest, but they also rejoiced to the rhythm of the drums with dances that included movements of the hips, hands and feet. These expressions are the result of African-American music that has evolved until today.

Musical rhythms with African roots such as merengue, salsa, samba, full and other dances and rhythms that are considered typical of some regions can be found in Latin America and that erect a whole history and cultural structure.

4.- Gastronomy

When the Africans arrived on the continent, they brought with them the fruits to which they were used.

Such is the case of the patilla or watermelon, various species of bananas, and the African rice that arrived in the Americas on slave ships.

The gastronomic customs of the slaves impacted the food culture of the Americas in a great way, either in ingredients or in specific preparations that were adopted or transformed.

For example, dishes that combine rice, meat, vegetables, and grains were contributed by slaves who worked as serfdom in some places in the United States, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Many dishes are still kept even though they have undergone modifications.

Some culinary techniques that can be found in America thanks to the arrival of Africans are: wood-fired roasts, spicy boils, stir-fries, sauces and stews where fats predominate and the use of coconut to make sweets, as well as the leaves of banana trees to wrap recipes like the Hallas in Venezuela or the tamales.

5.- Crafts

African slaves made innumerable contributions in the construction of houses, survival utensils, as well as textiles made with palm leaves to make pots, storage containers and bed covers.

It can be said that the influences that the Africans contributed to the American continent are still preserved and thanks to them advances and developments have been made in them, of which the following stand out: kitchen objects, quilts, mattresses, shipbuilding, architecture, carpentry and smithy.

6.- Medicine

Traditional African medicine has been based on expert healers and people of high religious rank, who offer therapeutic knowledge that they have studied from nature and herbs as well as combining sacred rituals.

Afro-descendant healers are related to the environment and know it very well, this is how their social fabric has been established. They are capable of treating snake bites, fever and other ailments with the plants that nature offers them.

This knowledge is ancestral and is transmitted from generation to generation and has contributed to Latin American cultures, especially in precarious areas far from professional medical care teams.

7.- Culture

The African legacy in America has diverse folkloric manifestations, ranging from clothing, song, music and beliefs. The African way of teaching and cultural transmission is based on oral teaching and imitation.

By being able to demonstrate their customs with gestures and prayers, they managed to develop a process of Afro-American and Afro-Caribbean transculturation.

Such a mixture can be seen in Latin American countries such as Colombia with Afro-Colombians, in Uruguay with Afro-Uruguayans, and in the same way in Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, and Bolivia.

8.- Sport

Disciplines such as soccer, boxing, basketball, and especially athletics, have African roots. In fact, the most prominent athletes are often black, African American and Afro-Caribbean.

Due to their physiognomy, build, anatomy and musculature, they can perform with greater performance in some disciplines, for example they are never lacking in the Olympic Games and international tournaments where they stand out for their qualities and talents.

References

1. John Michael Vlach. Rooted in Africa, Raised in America. Recovered from: nationalhumanitiescenter.org
2. Jocelyne Sambira. Slave trade. Source: un.org
3. President and Fellows of Harvard College. From Africa to America. Source: pluralism.org
4. John A. Davis. The Influence of Africans on American Culture. (1954). Vol. 354, Africa in Motion.
5. Dontaira Terrell. The Untold Impact of African Culture on American Culture. Source: atlantablackstar.com
6. Rebecca Gross. The Influence of Africa on US Culture. Source: arts.gov.