The Library of Congress has acquired the Omar ibn Said Collection, including an exceptional artifact, the autobiography of Omar ibn Said, written in ancient Arabic by an African enslaved man. In this article, I analytically examine the role of literacy in Omar ibn Said's life as informed by African cultures, ethnicities, histories, languages, and…

In this essay, Joyce King attempts to interrupt the calculus of human (un)worthiness and to repair the collective cultural amnesia that are legacies of slavery and that make it easy--hegemonically and dysconsciously--for the public to accept myths and media reports, such as those about the depravity of survivors of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans…

In this essay, Charlene Desir reflects on her role as an academic from the Haitian diaspora and her journey to reconnect to her Haitian roots after the 2010 earthquake. Desir begins by exploring her family background and the centrality of "lakou"--a sacred family space in which to connect to her ancestors and cultural ways of knowing. By…

Analyzes the principles of consanguinity and conjugality in African family organization. Shows how understanding African families can be useful in studying how Afro-American family structure evolved in the United States. (EF)

Female circumcision dates back 2000 years. In the U.S. it was performed until 1904 on white women. In Africa it still serves economic and political interests of men. Blacks should not look to all African traditions as models of liberation. In this case, all women should work to eradicate this practice. (VM)

Defines and describes Afrocentricity, suggesting that Afrocentricity within the academic context is best understood as a paradigm. Explains how Afrocentricity meets the definition of a paradigm, examining the affective, cognitive, and conative aspects of the Afrocentric paradigm (metaphysical and sociological) and looking at the structural and…

Reviews the recent attempts of Black psychologists and social scientists to formulate a conceptual-operational framework for the study of psychological phenomena as they bear on the cultural-survival conditions of Black-African people. Outlines issues and problems in the attempt to define African (Black) psychology and discusses its relation to…

Discusses the interrelatedness of personality and race and identifies African self-extension orientation and African self-consciousness as constituting the core of Black personality. (Author/DA)

Current research reveals that West African musical concepts provided the foundation for the various musical genres created by Black Americans. The Black musical tradition continues to evolve and mirror new values, attitudes, philosophies, and life-styles without the loss of a West African identity. (RLV)

The Caribbean is a rich breeding ground for African-derived music. A synopsis is given of the music of the following countries and styles: (1) Jamaica; (2) Trinidad and Tobago; (3) Calypso; (4) steel pan; (5) Haiti; (6) Dominican Republic; (7) Cuba; (8) Puerto Rico; and (9) other islands. (SLD)

In this paper, observations made by the authors while attending the Second World Festival of Black and African Art and Culture (FESTAC '77) are discussed in terms of their implications for black mental health. The presence and effects of the "Black Aesthetic" are described as they were manifested by the Festival participants. Particularly…

The perseverance of African musical characteristics among American Blacks is an historic reality. African retentions have been recorded in Black music of the antebellum period. Various African scales and rhythms permeate Black American music today as evidenced in the retentions found in blues and jazz. (RLV)

Discusses the aims of and need for an African-centered pedagogy. A curriculum that legitimizes African stores of knowledge, builds upon the indigenous language, and imparts a positive, self-sufficient outlook would strengthen the identity and capabilities of Black children. (DM)

Explores psychological, political, and sociological impulses that underlie Black Americans' contact with and interest in Africa. Asserts that Africa and her American descendants can attain a high level of mutual understanding and solidarity only when Afro-Americans change their "American mentality" so that cultural elements of their "Africanness"…

Literature that speculates about the future omits African-Americans. Racism and unemployment have caused this group to swell the ranks of the underclass. Thus, as a group, blacks have been written off as obsolete and useless. Most at risk for joining the underclass is the black male. Because of the way Western males are socialized to be strong and…