A Short Story in a Fictional World: Cultural Diversity in The Modern World

A Short Story in a Fictional World: Cultural Diversity in The Modern World
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A Short Story in a Fictional World
At seven years old, Charlotte did not understand why some people were referred to as African Americans and others as white Americans. Charlotte had the notion that as far as a person lived in the United States, he/she was an American. However, she occasionally heard some people being referred to as Black Americans, while others were referred to as white Americans. Charlotte often thought that maybe, individuals who are known as African Americans belonged to Africa and America continents. Also, she thought that perhaps those who were referred to as African Americans had visited America for a while and would go back to Africa one day. She had heard her peers at school, explaining how they toured Africa during the vacation. Also, she had heard that the people living in Africa were very different from those who lived in the United States. Unfortunately, she had not visited Africa, and thus, she did not know more about Africans. Although she had visited different cities in America, she had not travelled outside America. Charlotte knew that her mother was an African America, and her father was white, although she did not understand what an African American meant being.
It was on Saturday evening when Audrey, Charlotte’s mother, decided to help her with the homework. The homework required Charlotte to draw a picture of her based on observations of her reflection in a mirror. Also, the homework had some sentence starters that asked her to describe her hair texture and color, her eye color, and her skin color. The homework required children to learn different vocabulary words that they could use to describe the differences. Audrey felt uncomfortable, but she understood that children, at the age of two years, acknowledge their differences, and therefore, it was important for children to learn explicitly about racial and race differences. Also, creating awareness among children about racial diversity would enable them to embrace their differences, and prevent them from excluding those of different races from school activities and play. Audrey also understood that it was important for parents and teachers to create safe spaces for the children to examine the topic, given the current cultural and political climate, where the ethnic issues are more visible. Therefore, parents and teachers have the responsibilities to learn with children and teach them about the complex and ethnic issues related to ethnic and racial differences.
Audrey also understood that American society’s racial hierarchy structure is normalized and passed to children below two years old. For instance, those immersed in the cultural practices and structures of white supremacy. The toxic beliefs shape children’s experiences and perceptions of the world. Therefore, parents and teachers play a significant role in fostering positive racial identities among young children. Audrey then guided Charlotte through the homework, thus creating awareness about racial differences. Such enabled Charlotte to understand why some people have brown skin, blue eyes, black eyes, and different hair textures.
Charlotte had the intriguing question of why her mother never mentioned about going to Africa. So this time, she decided to question her mother why they were not leaving for Africa one time. But the mother replied that they would not be going for Africa because they were United States citizens. However, Charlotte wondered, but people call us African Americans? Does it mean that we are also African’ citizens? Now Audrey had to explain to Charlotte why they were referred to as African Americans and not White Americans. As such, Charlotte comes to understand that they were of African origin. Their ancestors lived in America. Therefore, she was born as an African American because of the intermarriages between whites and blacks. Audrey also explained that their ancestors had a different culture from the white Americans, and therefore. However, as intermarriages continued to increase between Africans, African Americans, and the Whites, most of the cultural practices were merged. As a result, African Americans had their culture different from Africans and whites.
Audrey explained that African Americans are also known as blacks and are mainly the offspring of individuals who were brought from their native homes in Africa by force to work in the United States. The people had limited rights, and for an extended time, the had been denied the share in the political, social, and economic progress of the U.S. Audrey also elaborated that despite people’s inevitable situation, they contributed significantly to shaping American’s culture and history. For instance, in the 21st century, the United States has 36 million Black Americans who live in the south. Audrey further explained that the slave owners were concentrated mainly in the largest cities, indicating that the cities had a high population of slaves. For example, approximately 2 million and 1 million slaves lived in New York and Chicago, respectively. Besides, Houston, Philadelphia, and Detroit had African population ranging from 500,000 to 1 million.
Later, the Africans and Americans identified their identity after a long period of struggling for equality. The negro and clack choose the pseudo name “colored” after they were freed because they were known to be offensive. As the blacks moved to the North in search of factory jobs, they were referred to as Negro. However, the civil rights activists adopted the name “Afro-American” to embrace their ancestral homeland. But the “Black” name was used as a symbol of revolution and power. Although the names were used in the ancient, they are still reflected in various organizations. The names enabled the reestablishment of “cultural integrity.” As a result, the names, African and black American, became widely used in the 21st century.
Charlotte also asked why the African Americans culture was different from the whites if the Africans lived with the whites and therefore learned their customs. As a result, her mother responded that in the ancient, Africans helped the Portuguese and Spanish in exploring the Americans. It was during the 16th century when Africans established their homes in the Mississippi valley and in the regions that became New Mexico and South Carolina. Esteban was the famous African explorer who explored the Southwest in the 1530s.
Audrey continued that in 1619, 20 Blacks were transported to the Virginia colony. Although the people were not slaves, they were referred to as indentured servants, denoting individuals belonging to a specific employer for a period. Many Africans had been brought to the English colonies in the 1660s. Moreover, many Africans amounting to 760,000 were ferried to the United States in 1790. The black chattel establishment culminated the attempts to own black servants beyond the agreed indenture term. People efficiently differentiated black individuals by their skin color. Therefore, it was said that the African’s black skin was contributed by evolutionary pressures that favored the presence of melanin “a dark pigment” in populations that lived in the equatorial climates, which made the people, high targets for enslavement. Moreover, the whites believed that the blacks were inferior and had a “heathen” culture, and as a result, they rationalized African American slavery. As such, those enslaved were required to cultivate and clear farmlands in the United States.
Audrey further explained that the slave trade resulted in more than 10 million Africans living in America. Among the population, approximately 430,000 Blacks began living in the United States’ territory. Most of the people were taken from the Western Africa region that stretched from Angola to Senegal. In the area, social and political organizations such as dance, music, and art were well advanced. The significant kingdoms near the African Coast were Congo, Dahomey, Benin, Ashanti, and Oyo. Besides, the Songhai, Mali, and Ghana were empires in the Sudan region. Moreover, the African States, such as Timbuktu and Djenne in Mali, served as educational and commercial centers.
People who participated in the slave trade realized that the business was more profitable, and decided to sell some of the Africans as captives to people who traded in the European. It was a traumatizing experience for the enslaved Africans as they were marched in chains to the African coast and forced into crowded slave ships for the journey to West Indies. 17% of those enslaved died as a result of suicide, disease, and shock. However, those who survived were taught English rudiments in accustomed to the discipline and routines of plan...