How have the black people in the United State contributed to our culture and communities?
825354
the same way other races have. we work, we go to school, we gradueate, and we live our lives just like everyone else, yet we are the most targeted because some of our race doesnt make the best decisions, but we as a whole always get stereotyped, but most of us are just like everyone else pushing through life
652678
I think the immigration of different people in the US is a definite boost to the United States' fairly progressive mentality and progress as a global leader.\n\nThe first immigrants to the US (mainly from Europe and Latin America), you must remember, were the rejects of their home countries. I speculate its the nature of their rejection by their home countries that made them want to form their adopted country into one that is progressive.\n\nThe inclusive aspect of the US today only came about after long injustices to the ones performing the labor (Africans, Chinese and other Asians, etc.) were finally addressed and fought over. The melting pot that the US has become only came about after the civil rights movement and a civil war.\n\nBecause there are so many cultures in the US, immigrants today tend to bring many positive aspects of their culture to the mix.\n\nAs far as the "intelligence" of certain races over others, you have to first consider what works best for a particular civilization. You can't judge a certain culture, say, Native American, with something totally different, like European culture. That's ignorant and insensitive. Value sets of others have to be taken into consideration...perhaps it's Native American value to respect nature and live alongside it, whereas it's a European value to do your best to manipulate it to benefit you. These two value sets can't be fairly compared--and when they meet, unfortunately, one will probably dominate the other by virtue of their fundamental values.\n\nBy the way, my parents came from the Philippines in the 1960s. I'm a second-generation American of mixed ethnicities, I'm half Filipino, a quarter Chinese, and a quarter Norwegian/Spanish. I can't imagine living the way I do in any other homogenous country...the US is really the best place for people of mixed heritages to live, in my opinion.
862600
You are so right my man...... Our beautiful African Americans paved the way for any other culture or race that we be downtrodden after them.... I salute my African American brothers and sisters for taking that stand.... to make this lovely country a better place to live in
49608
Community exists within society.
114896
So many people here answering the questions don't have a clue what they're talking about. Blacks haven"t completely risen up and overcome yet. Some many blacks are stuck with dead-end jobs, welfare and section 8 housing, do you call that rising up? I'll admit some of this stems from laziness, some of the problem stems from oppression, some just from hard times. And as for the person who said just go back to Africa ...(god) that had to be one of the most ignorant things I've ever heard, I mean really do know what's it's like to live the life of a black person. There still is oppression, racism, and prejudice out there. We've come a long way way but, we have more ground to cover for ALL races.
1067712
When Kanye West told us that, “George Bush doesn’t care about black people,” we were quickly reminded that hip-hop can be political as much as it can make us dance.\n\nIt also reminds us that the current economic and political situation in the U.S. it is not just the product of George Bush, but a system that has targeted the poor, working-class and youth populations.\n\nHowever, the repression and abandonment has always produced a response at one level or another, sometimes through political activism and sometimes through hip-hop.\n\nHe was simply speaking truth to power.
918598
That has been asked before. The answer is yes, if they now have US citizenship. I am wondering why you say 'list' however. If you are asking in reference to a college application, business loan, or other situation where African-American grants any advantage, expect both opposition and possibly hostility when you attempt to receive such benefits. Keep in mind that we, in the US, presume 'African-American' to refer to a native-born American of African decent.
722520
Every society has both history and culture. However, black Americans have their original roots in various parts of Africa and their distinctive culture in America is relatively young and has developed according to the area or part of America where they ended up during and after the abolition of slavery.  African Americans who's roots are found in Haiti or the Carribean for example would be vastly different to African Americans whose roots are found in Africa or the different countries in Africa. As a collective group though, the overiding image of black America is the image portrayed by Hollywood.
197914
Yes.\n\nNative Americans were a part of this great nation long before the English took over. Native Americans proudly established communities that promoted togetherness and unity and respect for the land.
939736
Best man or woman for the job, that is how it should be. Instead of the minorities calling their communities black communities they need to start just calling them communities. This will not happen though because look at who black people have for role models. Criminals.
740324
I am not black but I would imagine it would be helpful to have people from ones own cultural background to relate to. Also a lot of what you get from college is connections and it may be helpful to network and develope alliances with other African Americans since things aren't always equitable in the world at large.
744552
I don't know what your purpose is for this research... but I think you will find that it is pointless to try to label black american teen culture. You mentioned hip-hop trends as being popular among black teens but hip-hop culture is not exclusive to the black population, and its not exclusive to the United States either. I assure you there are kids in Latvia who ride to Chamillionare's raps just like kids in the third ward of Houston do. And while music may or may not affect one's dominant culture, let me stress that this is America. There are so many sub-cultures in this country and so many overlaps between them that it seems like if you want to talk about trends among youth, you can't generalize and at the same time limit the discussion to black culture. Because really American culture is the common denominator. So whatever youre trying to find out, beware of oversimplified results.
311075
We can stop political racism. And the way to do that is by teaching our children about racism. If we want racism to succumb, we as americans have to own up for what we are doing. Teach our kids so when they themselves have kids, the cycle of unity continues. Unfourtunatly, groups like the KKK have the right to voice their views on public streets by way of the U.S. constitution. Is it right to promote hatred towards other people just because of the color of their skin? No, the government however goes give them the right to speak their views. I myself am African-American and I was not born in Africa. The following information will give you a better understanding of why the terms (AFRICAN-AMERICAN) and (BLACK) are used. \n\n**Black, also referred to as Negro or Colored (which is generally considered offensive) (noun, black or blacks; adjective, black people), is a color-defined term used as a form of ethno-racial classification. Though literally implying dark-skinned, "black" has been used in different ways at different times and places. The English word was spawned by the European colonization and conquest of non-Europeans. It solidified into popular culture during the Enlightenment as one of the four major categories into which European philosophers tried to organize the newly discovered human diversity. The categories were based upon skin tone as perceived by Europeans of the time: Red (Native Americans), Yellow (East Asians), White (Europeans), and Black (Africans). Today, the term's usage differs slightly among former European colonies. Latin Americans, former members of the British Empire, and Americans (USA) all use the term differently. The term is most often applied today in three ways. First, it denotes people who are seen as part of the African Diaspora. Second, it is also applied to native non-European people lacking African ancestry but who were labeled as "Black" by their colonizers. Third, it has been internalized as an ethno-political rallying label by leaders of oppressed and marginalized populations in several regions around the world.\n\n**An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or black), is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. Many African Americans also have European and/or Native American ancestry as well. The term tends to refer to West African ancestries; not, for example, to white or Arab African ancestry, such as Moroccan or white South African ancestry. This is so even though there is huge genetic variation among the various inhabitants of sub-Saharan Africa. Members of the African Diaspora from non-African countries such as Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba (although they are logically African Americans, since they are located in the Americas and are descendants of Africans, with some admixture from Europeans and native Americans as well) or the United Kingdom are theoretically referred to by their nation of origin and not African American (even when they come from a Latin American country) unless they immigrate to the United States, but once a person of the African Diaspora becomes a permanent U.S. resident, then it is generally assumed that they (and especially their U.S.-born children) are "African American." \n\nI am proud to be African-American, Black, and as well American myself, I just know as a person of color what african slaves went through in (AFRIKA) for us to be free. That was the spelling of it until the english dictionary changed it to (AFRICA). There are so many people who risked their lives and fought for racial equality. People have to make the contious decision to stop promoting racism if we are to ever move forward as people and as a country. Here's a few quotes from some leaders of color past and present. \n\n\n(1). Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,\n    I am the dream and the hope of the slave.\n    I rise, I rise, I rise.\n    Maya Angelou (1928
156351
You'll have to do this homework assignment yourself. But you can get started by reading:\n\nhttp://www.watson.org/~lisa/blackhistory/civilrights-55-65/\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_civil_rights_movement
1098646
because people are ignorant. that's all there is to it. we make things out to be a big deal, instead of acting like black people are just like everybody else. take black history month for example. kids are forced to learn stuff only for a month about the contributions of black americans. it should be integrated all the time and treated no differently than anyone else.
341224
Gangs are not a huge part of African-American culture.  Only 5% of all African-Americans are in them or truly effected by them.\n\nIt is way more exaggerated on T.V. perpetuated by sterotypes
310637
I do not believe in cultural groups, but I will try to give you some places to start your search for information.\n\nMost of these sites will promote African Americans as being different that other Americans.  I do not agree.