The Role Of Oral Tradition In African American Culture

African Heritage & Oral Tradition

In Crawford’s discussion on African heritage and oral tradition, we learn that America has been widely influenced by the African cultural tradition that has been passed on through generations. While the original source of African rituals and common practices may have been lost over the centuries, the African oral tradition has preserved the culture of African people in America. As we see in the film, The Language We Cry In, one song being passed down from generation to generation was a powerful force to bridge the gap between two very different times in the history of African culture. As I reflect on the role of oral tradition in African-American culture, I recognize that it allowed both a physical
and spiritual reconnection to the heritage of Africa, and believe oral tradition was the cornerstone to the rise of an identity for Africans in America. Africans were brought to America as slaves, being stripped of their freedom and their cultural identity.
Crawford describes the African slaves as “not a relative but an absolute state that permitted no freedom… assumed a hereditary process in which the offspring of slaves were slaves themselves” (pg. 102). There was no future outside of the walls of servitude to the “white” Americans. Despite the inferiority they faced, the African slaves were able to experience a sense of community through their similar cultural expressions of musical practices. For Africans, music was, and continues to be, about being spontaneous, improvising with both song and dance. Crawford describes three key points that exist in all African music: oral transmission, physical movement, and responsorial practice. This musical background and culture was foreign to the Westerners, who were much more solid and rigid in their musical practices. However, Africans continued to spread their oral traditions through the decades, influencing religious practices with more charismatic musical styles and recognizing blacks as men and women with many musical talents. Music allowed Africans and African-Americans to build a new identity in America while embracing their own heritage and
culture. Another strong force that allowed Africans to connect with their heritage was through the belief and power of the sacred spirit. While the oral tradition allowed a physical connection, the Africans were able to connect with their ancestors and heritage on a spiritual basis through their rituals and spiritual practices. I believe this strong belief and direct connection to their heritage was a driving force in continuing to preserve their heritage and culture in America. In the film, The Language We Cry In, we see that the roots of one song were discovered from the coastline to a small tribe in Liberia. The connection of both music and spirit brought one elderly woman back to the land of her family and ancestors. The folks who made this film made an amazing discovery during their quest to find the lost song. The cultural bond and power behind an oral tradition can forever change the lives of those who never knew their true roots and heritage in Africa. I believe it is easy to overlook the tenacity and strength it took for people of no identity to preserve their culture in a foreign land. I think there is much to learn about how black people chose to stand out amongst the crowd and stand up for their identity in the “New World” after centuries of powerlessness and slavery. The musical practices and oral tradition of African culture have strongly influenced the identity of Africans in America today, and will always be a powerful connection for Africans to the culture and heritage of their motherland.