The African Diaspora

These essays contribute to the debate between those who believe that the African origin of blacks in western society is central to their identity and outlook and those who deny that proposition. The contributors ponder the key questions underlying that controversy. Their 33 essays are divided into five main parts which cover questions such as: What is the character of New World black cultures and what are their relationships with the plural societies within which they function? How did Africans manage to create viable lives for themselves in a new place? How were they able to negotiate the complex social, political and cultural spaces they encountered? How has their ancestral heritage co-existed with that of other peoples with whom they have been forced to live?;The volume seeks to take a balanced look at the fate of the African presence in Western society as well as insights into the sources of periodic conflict between blacks and others.;The contributors include: Niyi Afolabi, Adetayo Alabi, Celia M. Azevedo, Antonio Benitez-Rojo, Eliana Guerreiro Ramos Bennett, LeGrace Benson, Ira Kincade Blake, Jack S. Blocker Jr., Sharon Aneta Bryant, Patience Elabor-Idemudia, Michael J.C. Ech