West African and African American Cultures - Before and After Assignment

West African and African American Cultures - Before and After Emancipation - Assignment Example Emancipation of the African Americans in 1863, their struggle for equality and citizenship resulted in their assimilating some aspects of American culture while retaining their original heritage to a small extent. Africa was the home of â€Å"people with different languages, traditions, histories, and religions''. The diversity of cultures was evident in the different types of group structures they lived in: some in ancient kingdoms such as those in the oldest of recorded history, and others in small family groups. Some of their societies had men leaders, and others had women as chiefs. The Gods they worshipped were of different forms, and some believed in one, while others in numerous Gods. People from all religions, Muslims, Christians, and others, whether they lived in towns or villages, participated in world affairs, taking central roles in them. Egyptians achieved great development in medicine, language and architecture, which had a significant impact on Greek and Roman culture. Millions of Africans were shipped to America between the sixteenth and the nineteenth centuries to work as slaves in the plantations, in the construction of towns and cities, as domestic help and for various menial jobs. The African American’s perspectives regarding the meaning and significance of Africa remains unclear; thereby affecting the identity problems of black people in America. The western stereotypical view of Africa as a land of wild people and wild animals affects the way African Americans think about Africa. The white disparagement of Africa was mainly to support imperialist interests and to rationalize â€Å"slavery and oppression of the descendants of Africa in their land of captivity†.