African-American Art

Paper Summary:

The paper relates that for enslaved African-Americans, art became a form of expressionism, hope, history and therapy. The paper discusses the slaves' tools, songs, dances and their stories that all demonstrate how they are survivors. The paper also looks at the literature from this time period, specifically the narrative of Frederick Douglass, that conveys a strong American spirit that refuses to let anyone or anything beat it down.

From the Paper:

"Oral traditions go back as far as Africans do. While it might have been frowned upon in America, the tradition can be continued with songs and story telling. These stories and songs became specific to the African-American experience and they tell us so much about the endurance of slaves. Songs were used as tools of education as well as entertainment because reading was discouraged. Songs were not always sad as one might guess. While some songs told tales of agony and oppression, many were songs of hope that obviously lifted the soul in difficult times. We can learn about the tenacity of the human soul thought some of these songs. For example, one song asks, "didn't my Lord deliver Daniel . . . and why not every man." 1 Similar songs of freedom might have been the only hope that slaves could cling to when their lives seemed the darkest. How African-Americans sang is also significant because dance is very much a tradition that lives today."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bailey, Thomas, et al. The American Pageant. Lexington: D. C. Heath and Company, 1994.
• Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. New York: Penguin, 1982.
• Levernier, James A. "Frederick Douglass: Overview." Reference Guide to American Literature, 3rd ed. 1994. GALE Resource Database. Site Accessed August 3, 2006. <http://www.infotrac.galegroup.com>
• Norton, Mary Beth, et al. A People and A Nation. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1990.
• Richard Powell. African American Art. 2005 Oxford University Press. http://www.aawc.com

More papers on African-American Art:

• Essay # 2044 : "African American Artists of the 1930s, Wright and Curry"
• Descriptive Essay # 7915 : "African-American Artist Faith Ringgold"
• Term Paper # 136971 : "African American Theatrical Stars"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: