African-AmericansandSouthAfricans

African-Americans and South Africans

Throughout history cultures have been influenced by neighboring countries and new technology. The same is true with South Africa. Africa was first colonized in eighteenth century, in the northern countries. All of the cultures that were thriving at that time were tainted by the culture of the western settlers. Many of the northern and central Africans moved south creating a higher population in South Africa. Through the years South Africa has overcome apartheid, civil wars, and cultural identities. Through these events South Africa has constantly been affected by Americans particularly African-Americans, and in return African-Americans have been affected by South Africans. South African music started to be affected by Orpheus McAdoo and his Jubilee Singers in 1890-1898, his troops sent five years in Africa singing their songs. Music continued to be influenced by African-American musicians like Paul Robeson, Fats Waller, and Duke Ellington. Duke Ellington

Marabi, a popular music style in South Africa infulanced American music and pop culture. African-Americans also started to influence South Africans through missionary work in the late 1800’s. The missionary’s began to create schools and introduce a formal and regulated form education. As the schools evolved over time, more South Africans went over to the United States to find a collage or a high school, bring with them the learning techniques they had grown up with. In 1916 the South African government created the Fort Hare College, where only black students could attend. South Africans were also influenced by American politicians. Solomon Plaatje,

Solomon Plaatje

went to America to study how politics were run. He also went to see the relationship of white and black people in American and how it compared to white and black people in South Africa. Americans like Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois gave much thought to a lot of South Africans.Many African-American were looked on as symbol for the defeat of slavery and for accomplishments, the success of African-American women was frowned upon, for the male dominance was still part of the culture. The African-Americans and South Africans have been affecting and improving each other for quite a long time and will continue to do so.

__Links__ This link will tell you more about the realitionship between South Africans and African-Americans http://www.howard.edu/library/Reference/bob_edgar_site/index.html This link talks more about Orpheus AcAdoo and his jubilee singers http://www.wilsonsalmanac.com/orpheus_myron_mcadoo.html