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The status of African American families changed over time due to shifts in environmental and social conditions. Harsh realities such as slavery and segregation had profound influence on familial interactions and structure. As a result, these events have influenced today’s culture and beliefs. For example, during 1619 this was a time period consisting of forced labor, otherwise known as slavery. Slavery was a time of oppression. Blacks were dehumanized, raped, murdered, severely overworked with little pay, denied their god given rights, and exposed to extreme brutality. Oppression has shaped modern culture in many ways. One continuous event that has contributed to cultural change is police brutality. In previous times, slave owners were not punished for the brutal punishments and beatings inflicted upon their slaves. In modern times, police have been increasingly escaping necessary punishment based on their extreme use of force for unnecessary reasons. For example, a man named Alton Sterling was killed for selling movies outside of his car. The police then approached the man who did not resist or pose a threat, shot him ample amount of times, killing him. The officer was ridiculed for his action by the media, however no charges were filed against him.

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Websites

"The Collection." National Museum of African American History and Culture. N.p., 30 Sept. 2016. Web. Oct. 2016.

Damewood, By Cassie. "African American Family Values." LoveToKnow. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2016

By Alma Carten / The Conversation. "How the Legacy of Slavery Affects the Mental Health of Black Americans Today." Alternet. N.p., n.d. Web. Oct. 2016.

ATLBlackStar. "6 Ways Slavery Still Negatively Impacts Black People."Atlanta Black Star. N.p., 13 Sept. 2014. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.

Pierson, William D. "African-American Culture." Encyclopedia of the North American Colonies. Ed. Jacob Ernest Cooke. Vol. 2. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1993. U.S. History in Context. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.

Kalahar, By Dean. "Articles: The Decline of the African-American Family." Articles: The Decline of the African-American Family. N.p., 29 Mar. 2014.

Books

Hughes, Langston, and Milton Meltzer. African American History: Four Centuries of Black Life. New York, NY: Scholastic, 1990. Print.

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Freedom papers were papers that freed slaves carried around signifying that they were in fact free and if saw no one could report them to a slave master.

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While African American families share many features with the other families in the U.S., African American Families have some distinctive features relating to the timing, approaches to marriage, gender roles, parenting styles, family formation, and strategies for dealing with adversity.

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Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home,
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home.
-Wallace Willis

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The symbols have a embellishing purpose but also represent/convey messages of traditional wisdom, aspects of life or the environment. There are many different symbols with distinct meanings, often connected with proverbs. Adinkra symbols  communicate various  subjects, philosophies and beliefs of the Ghanaian.

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Sanankuya  is a social characteristic present especially among the Mande Mali, Guinea and Gambia as well as many West African societies, often described in English with terms such as "cousinage" or "joking relationship". As it relates, African Americans  created the same form of relationship known as “Fictive Kin”. Fictive relationships  are as important as or more important than comparable relationships created by blood, marriage, or adoption.

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The First Black Church was not established officially until 1788, but it grew from members who founded a congregation in 1773. The Black church since been a safe haven in the black community. Forgiveness and grace are the hallmarks of The Black Church. Since slavery, The Black Church has been a powerful force for the survival of blacks in an America still struggling with the remaining effects of white supremacy.

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Travel trunks were essentially, suit cases that slaves packed their belongings in so they could escape the harsh realities of slavery. Travel trunks were critical because they weren’t usually big, so they had to pack the most significant items.

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The Hymn Book is full of freedom songs that brought slaves together to keep them strong and to keep their minds off of the hard labor that they were put through.

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Slaves used bibles to practice religion which made them feel as if they had a small amount of hope and freedom. Also, that is  how slaves connected with family and friends. This was important to the slaves because often times the Masters tried to push their religion on them or not allow them to practice any religion.

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Auction cards were the paper that the Masters used to sell slaves. This was important because many families anticipated being broken up and sold separately based on these papers.