Literature homework help: I would like you to read a few sources related to the issue of Africa’s role in African-American history. We will focus on religion in particular, as religion played a vital role in sustaining community and offering resistance throughout the period of slavery.
As you read, think about the concept of syncretism. Syncretism means a blending of traditions, and religious scholars often employ the concept to describe the way a culture might blend its own religious beliefs and practices with that of a conquering nation’s beliefs and practices. The spread of Catholicism is a case in point, and syncretism describes why Catholicism has such distinct identities across the world.
Syncretism need not only refer to religion, and it is also useful to think about the concept in relation to the creation of African America in general.
The readings:
1. Read Olaudah Equiano’s description of West African religion here : http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=3
Vital Role in Sustaining Community