Issue of Identity for Black Americans

In determining the best solution for blacks, it is necessary to outline the reasons for a change in thought. The major reason for this change is black people's want of a sense of heritage. Most blacks know very little, if anything, about their ancestry before the slave ships, due to the tactics of the slave traders who would separate families to prevent any story-telling or other activity that might promote racial pride and cohesion. In addition, a greater knowledge of African heritage may give rise to an increase in the practice of African customs. However, this could lead to another problem, namely, a loss of black culture. A third reason is the quality of life among blacks around the world. Some suffer from famine and oppression while others suffer from poverty and racism.

The solution is not found in only one of these identities, but in the summation of the advantageous aspects of each. The problem of heritage is solved by the recognition of African

identity which requires the study and acknowledgement of Africans contributions to society. The question of customs is solved by both

. . .
as having "a twofold nature, a spiritual and a bodily one" (Luther 7), thus displaying African influence on even modern, European religion. In addition, the idea of the "Beatific Vision" is the basis for the Christian idea of the saint. The concept of moving from man to saint is the basis of much of Medieval and Renaissance European thought, namely, the Great Chain of Being, which justifies that man can ascend to sainthood through virtue or fall to savagery by yielding to natural desires (Buckler, 1987). Therefore, it is clear through both of these works that Africans have contributed to the success of world civilization, and blacks do have an admirable heritage. Teaching this knowledge to black students would provide higher self-esteem, for by realizing that their ancestors made contributions, blacks would be more confident in doing the same. Yet, if blacks were to rely wholly on the American identity they would fail to gain this African heritage. By living in a white society, they would not be exposed to African culture, and today few blacks in America have a sense of African ancestry. As stated before, this adds to a lower self- image among blacks, for if one's ancestors did nothing, one can be expected to do very litt
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Americans African-Americans, Renaissance European, Van Sertima, African European, African Euroamerican, Food Program, Black America, Black-American African-American, York Daily, Booker Washington, black culture, van sertima, african customs, american identity, african heritage, african identity, blacks america, african european, africa blacks, heritage blacks, sense heritage blacks, blacks science ancient, africa mother western, science ancient modern, van sertima asserts,
Approximate Word count = 2113
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)