From My People: 400 Years of African American Folklore: An Anthology

By: Dance, Daryl Cumber

Book Overview

A magnificent celebration of and an essential introduction to African American life and culture. Folklore displays the heart and soul of a people. African American folklore not only hands down traditions and wisdom through the generations but also tells the history of a people banned from writing and reading during slavery. In this anthology, Daryl Cumber Dance collects a wealth of tales that have survived and been adapted over the years, many featuring characters (like Brer' Rabbit) from African culture. She leaves no genre of folklore out, including everything from proverbs and recipes to folk songs and rumor. There is a section on the unique style that African Americans have consciously fashioned, including works by and about Paul Laurence Dunbar, Zora Neale Hurston, and Jelly Roll Morton. Within the chapter on folk art, which includes a sixteen-page color insert, quilts, dolls, sculpture, and painting get their due. From the famous to the anonymous, From My People is Dance's gift back to her culture. A Booklist Top Ten African American Nonfiction Book of the Year. Nominated for the Library of Virginia Literary Award."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393324974
• ISBN13: 9780393324976
• Release Date: November 2003
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 784 Pages
• Weight: 2.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

One of the best Black folklore anthologies

It is a sad fact of our times that the folklore of Black America is almost a vanishing art. As a folklorist, historian, and story teller, it saddens me that I often ask kids if their parents tell them any stories and they don't have a clue, and our older folks tales of Old John, Anancy, Brer Rabbit, the Signifying Monkey, Shine and the Titanic, Raw Head and Bloody Bones, etc. are unknown to most people of my age and younger. Fortunately, people like Prof. Daryl C. Dance are doing what they can to rectify this situation by anthologies such as this. She does an excellent job not only in preserving this kind of material but also the classic folk sermons of Rev. C.L. Franklin and lesser known preachers as well as songs and children's games. Material such as this has been done before, especially by Zora Neale Hurston, Richard Dorson, and Roger Abrahams, but not very recently. So overall, this book is a treasure. However,as much fun as Black folklore is to read, its better if watched or heard orally. Somebody needs to make a CD or DVD documentary of this sort of thing (hint hint to my fellow folklorists and scholars out there).

Capturing Culture

How often have we sat at the feet of our elders and heard stories imparted to us regarding the days gone by? Handed down through the generations, these tales were not only meant for entertainment purposes, they impart wisdom and provide a living lesson. In 400 YEARS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN FOLKLORE, author Daryl Cumber Dance has created a compilation of folktales, folk music - including spirituals and freedom songs - as well as blues and ballads, folk arts and crafts, proverbs and many other pearls of wisdom that breed familiarity in the Black community. The African slave trade tore our early ancestors from their native lands, stripping them of their individual identities and beliefs, yet our strong forefathers were able to maintain some of their culture and the stories that were once told to them. Ms. Dance does a wonderful job in capturing the vernacular used in some of the stories as well as providing some historical background to set a frame of reference for her readers. Each story and every entry into this collection caught my attention. I was compelled through the pages by my curiosity and to be reminded of days gone by. Each was very well put together, yet I found my favorite folk tale to be "De Ways of De Wimmens" which is a humorous short tale revolving around Adam and Eve's first days together and the establishment of gender roles. This story literally had me laughing out loud because even today, I can relate to the basic truth found in this tale. 400 YEARS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN FOLKLORE is not just a collection of folk tales. Don't get me wrong, Ms. Dance does rightful justice in providing glimpses into our dynamic society. She reaches back into the early days, guides us through the civil rights era by including powerful sermons by Reverend C.L. Franklin, Martin Luther King Jr., Jesse Jackson and many more. She even addresses some of today's disconcerting issues, such as urban gentrification and gang violence. In summary, the selections included in this book run the gamut throughout the reaches of time. It provides glimpses into the strong traditions held by the Black community and imparts some wisdom as to how these traditions may have taken root. In writing 400 YEARS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN FOLKLORE, Ms. Dance stated, "My goal throughout my career and in this anthology has been to collect, transcribe, preserve and respect the integrity of the folk text." In my humble opinion, she did just that. Ms. Dance should be lauded for her efforts. Reviewed by Nedine of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

An amazing collection!

For most people, the term "folklore" probably conjures the image of songs and stories, but as Daryl Cumber Dance illustrates, it's much more than that. It's about quilts and the history they embody. It's about hair styles, dress, food, traditions of marching bands, sermons, speeches...even internet rumors and graffiti. As one chapter is headed, it's about "The Style of Soul." Start at any topic that piques your interest, and I promise, you'll find it impossible to put this book down. There are surprises around every corner...for example, I was delighted to find a low fat recipe for greens!This vast, rich book belongs in every library.Curator, AfroAmericanHeritage dot com

A fine volume gathering a diverse range of tales

400 years of Afro-American folklore are represented in From My People, a fine volume gathering a diverse range of tales, from Brer Rabbit and African motifs to proverbs, recipes, and folk songs. It's the range of writings which sets From My People apart from competing collections on Afro-American oral traditions, making for a comprehensive and important title.

a must for your library

This huge anthology covers black folklore going back to slavery and up to the latest classic email story. Poems, spirituals, great speeches and famous sermons are included. There is a chapter on little written about black crafts and art and culural activities such as step shows and rent parties. It could be argued that the book is too big. Bibles and dictionaries weigh less than it does but From My People is a reference book. It gives a quick overview of 400 years of folklore. This should be in school libraries across the land. Kimberley Lindsay Wilson, author of Work It! The Black Woman's Guide to Success at Work.