Keywords African

Chapter Overview

Multidisciplinary Approach: The exploration of what it means to be a sensory being encompasses various theoretical frameworks.
Affect Studies: Emergence of affect studies in American and cultural studies enhances exploration of sensory experience.
- Influenced by phenomenology and cultural geography, providing materialist histories.
- Neurobiology and cognitive science bridges humanities with sensory experience research.
- The integration of animals and nature contributes to posthumanist views of identity.
Impact on Social Theory: Affects understanding of psychic vs. social worlds and the creation of cultures of public feeling.

Identity Struggle: The term "African" serves as a foundation for identity among African-descended individuals in the U.S.
- Represents a constant battle against historical racial denigration and a source of affirmation.
Historical Context: Racial slavery's development was not inevitable; initial European perceptions of Africans were not as slaves.
- Ethnocentric views led to rigid constructs of African identity, highlighting moral and humanity contrasts.
Labor Practices: Gradual dehumanization of Africans facilitated the development of permanent slavery as a labor solution.
- Legal frameworks codifying African slavery completed the racial degradation process influenced by Enlightenment hierarchies.

Contested Concept: Concept of an "African" identity has changed over time through cultural and political forces.
- Ethnic distinctions were often flattened into a homogenized African identity.
Free African Americans: Had a complex relationship with Africa, influenced by the history of slavery and Enlightenment exclusionism.
- Figures like Paul Cuffee sought emigration as a pathway to equality for African Americans.
Colonization Movement: The movement was often racist, seeking to relocate free blacks under pro-slavery motivations.
- Most African Americans rejected identification with Africa, focusing instead on civil rights and citizenship.

African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME): Founded due to exclusion; missions in Africa reflected ambivalence towards indigenous cultures.
Post-Emancipation Identity: Renewed interest in Africa as a source of identity with the resurgence of civil rights activism.
- Influenced by historical awareness of the shared struggle for freedom between African Americans and Africans.

Garvey Movement: Sparked a sense of pride and empowerment for many African-descended people despite internal controversies.
Cultural Retention Debate: Scholars disagree whether African cultural practices persisted among enslaved descendants in the Americas.
Redefining "African": Post-World War II attitudes shifted with the formation of independent African nations influencing African American identity.

Current Political Dynamics: The term "African" retains a contested and complicated status in U.S. culture and politics.
- The representation of Africa often oscillates between negative stereotypes and narratives of success.
Barack Obama's Candidacy: Heightened discussion of identity politics in the context of African heritage and American citizenship.
Continued Tensions: The intersection of African American and African immigrant identities reveals ongoing racial dynamics foundational to U.S. society.

Legacy of African Presence: The history and presence of Africans in America shape debates over identity and race.
- The interplay of this presence with contemporary social movements underscores the relevance of understanding past and present struggles for equality.