AP African American Studies Ultimate Guide Flashcards (copy)

African American Studies

An interdisciplinary field that examines the history, culture, and politics of people of African descent in the U.S. and the African diaspora.

Interdisciplinary Field

A study that integrates concepts from multiple areas of knowledge and disciplines.

Paleoanthropologists

Scientists who study ancient human and non-human primate fossils.

The Great Migration

The movement of African Americans from the rural South to urban areas in the North between 1910 and 1970.

Black Campus Movement (1965-1972)

A period of protests by Black and Latino students demanding educational reform and representation in colleges.

Mitochondrial Eve Hypothesis

A scientific theory that posits a single female ancestor from whom all humans descend.

Sahel

A semiarid region in Africa, which serves as a transitional zone between the Sahara Desert and the savannas.

Savanna

A grassland ecosystem characterized by open spaces and scattered trees, home to diverse wildlife.

Bantu Expansion

The migration of Bantu-speaking peoples across Africa from around 1500 BCE to 500 CE.

Nubia

Ancient region located south of Egypt, known for its rich resources and complex societies.

Aksumite Empire

An ancient kingdom in present-day Ethiopia and Eritrea, notable for its trade networks and early adoption of Christianity.

Queen Njinga

A powerful leader of the Kingdom of Ndongo who resisted Portuguese colonization in the 17th century.

Fort Mose

The first legally sanctioned free Black town in North America, located in Spanish Florida.

Ghana Empire

One of the earliest African empires known for its wealth and trade in gold.

Mali Empire

A prominent West African empire, known for its wealth, culture, and the famous ruler Mansa Musa.

Songhai Empire

The final and largest of the Sudanic empires known for its extensive trade and wealth.

Cotton Gin

A machine that revolutionized the production of cotton by quickly separating cotton fibers from seeds.

Plantation System

An agricultural system based on large-scale farms that relied heavily on enslaved labor.

Spirituals

Religious songs created by enslaved Africans in America that express their struggles and hopes.

Jim Crow Laws

State and local laws that enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States.

Plessy v. Ferguson

A landmark Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine.

13th Amendment

An amendment to the U.S. Constitution that abolished slavery and involuntary servitude.

14th Amendment

An amendment that granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S., including former slaves.

15th Amendment

An amendment that prohibits the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on race.

Freedmen's Bureau

A U.S. federal government agency established in 1865 to aid freed slaves in the South.

Sharecropping

A system in which tenant farmers are given land to work in exchange for a share of the crops.

Black Codes

Laws passed in Southern states after the Civil War that restricted the rights of freed African Americans.

Cultural Syncretism

The blending of indigenous and introduced cultural practices.

Harlem Renaissance

A cultural, social, and artistic explosion that took place in Harlem, New York, during the 1920s.

Double Consciousness

A concept from W.E.B. Du Bois describing the internal conflict experienced by subordinated groups in an oppressive society.

Great Migration II

A continued movement of African Americans to urban areas from the 1940s to the 1970s.

Maroons

Communities of escaped enslaved people who formed independent settlements.

African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME)

The first independent Black denomination in the U.S., founded in 1816.

UNIA

Universal Negro Improvement Association, a large organization founded by Marcus Garvey aimed at promoting Black nationalism.

Color Line

The racial segregation and barriers that separate communities based on race.

African Heritage

Cultural lineage derived from Africa that influences identity and practices.

Spiritual Practices

Rituals and beliefs rooted in African traditions that have persisted throughout the African diaspora.

Black Pride Movement

A movement emphasizing Black cultural identity and empowerment.

Civil Rights Movement

A struggle for social justice by African Americans in the late 1950s and 1960s aiming to end racial discrimination.

Anti-slavery Movement

A political and social effort to end slavery and promote the rights of enslaved people.

Cultural Contributions

The artistic, musical, literary, and intellectual achievements of African Americans.

Diaspora

The dispersion of any people from their original homeland.

Segregation

The enforced separation of different racial groups in a country, community, or establishment.

Cultural Resistance

Efforts by oppressed groups to maintain their cultural identity in the face of domination.

Polytheism

The belief in or worship of multiple deities.

Animism

The belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence.