The two social institutions which have enabled Americans of African descent to survive and standfast in this foreign and hostile land has been the Black family and its constituent the Black Church The treatise rendered here is intended to present an Afrocentric view of rites of passage namely birth coming of age marriage passing death and celebration instead of the prevailing Eurocentric motifs which have become the norm in American culture We have attempted to concretize and synthesize the most helpful interpretations of African and African American culture into meaninfully ritualistic forms In essence Black Family rituals allows all readers irrespective of race ethnicity color religion etc to become aware of an African African American ethos The book is historical sociological theological ethnomethodological but most of all pragmatic These rituals are endemic and systemic to us as an African People Aluta Continua the struggle c ontinues
#5000232 in Books Applewood Books 2008-09-04Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .21 x 6.00l; .32 #File Name: 142901636192 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Everyone should read this historic book no matter how you feel about modern civil rights movements.By David H. EisenbergThis is a long and very powerful essay that hits with blow after blow. It is a classic in the field of human; civil rights and freedom. You may not agree with everything he wrote. After all; he was a man of his time too; just like the oppressors society seems very willing to excuse for that reason. But; this is a clarion call with no censor; no hesitation; no sparing of any group - especially including his own. Though it could have used some editing and there are parts you may find tedious as a modern reader; it is one of the best books I've read in its genre. I wish it were better known.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Excellent treatise; mediocre publishing.By Ryan WilleyThe contents of this treatise are important and valuable. However; the Kindle formatting is not; footnote citations interrupt the body of the text; there are numerous typographical errors in regards to both formatting and content; and at the points where the text has been amended there is insufficient annotation. The text seems as it it was run through OCR and then minimally tweaked to provide a slight revision; but left without sufficient editing to do justice to the topic. In addition; even basic formatting like a table of contents; a functioning title page; and division of the content into the four articles (chapters) of which the treatise consist are all lacking. Try the print version instead.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Fascinating!By Big Sistah PattyDavid Walker Appeal"Some of my bretheren don't know who Pharoah and Egyptians were. I know it to be a fact that some of them take the Egyptians to have been a gang of devils; not knowing any better; and that they (Egyptians) having got possession of the Lord's people treated them nearly as cruel as Christian Americans do us; at the present day. For the information of such; I would only mention that the Egyptians; were Africans or coloured people; such as we are - some of them yellow and others dark - a mixture of Ethiopian and natives of Egypt - about the same as you see the coloured people of the United States at the present day.""The English are the best friends the coloured people have upon earth though they have oppressed us a little and have colonies now in the West Indies; which oppress us sorely. Yet notwithstanding they (the English) have done one hundred more for the melioration of our condition; than all other nations of these earth put together. The Blacks cannot but respect the English as a nation; not withstanding they have treated us a little cruel."When I read this passage; I was like "what in the hell is he talking about!" I must remind myself of the world in which he lived; and he probably had to kiss a little butt; though he did let the truth be known by saying "a little cruel." What is a little cruel?I would encourage everyone to read; though I did not appreciate Sean Wilentz's introduction. I found his words to be annoying; laced with subtle racism. I would suggest ignoring his writing completely and go to the real text of David Walker.I give Mr. Walkers Appeal 5 star. It took incredible courage as a black man in 1829 to write these words; though he died suddenly and mysteriously. I am sure he was poisoned.
