The Myth of the Negro Past
E94092
The Myth of the Negro Past is a pioneering 1941 anthropological study by Melville J. Herskovits that challenged prevailing racist assumptions by documenting the enduring African cultural heritage among African Americans.
Statements (46)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
anthropological study
→
book → nonfiction book → |
| arguesAgainst |
racist assumptions about African Americans
→
the belief that slavery destroyed African culture → the idea that African Americans lack a cultural past → |
| author |
Melville J. Herskovits
→
|
| challenges |
biological determinism in race theories
→
cultural deficit theories about African Americans → |
| countryOfPublication |
United States
→
|
| discipline |
anthropology
→
|
| focusesOn |
African cultural heritage among African Americans
→
family structure among African Americans → folklore among African Americans → music among African Americans → religion among African Americans → retention of African customs in the New World → social organization among African Americans → |
| hasImpactOn |
debates about cultural retention vs. assimilation
→
understanding of syncretic religious practices in the African diaspora → |
| hasReputation |
classic text in African American cultural history
→
pioneering work in African diaspora studies → |
| influenced |
African American studies
→
Black studies → later scholarship on African cultural survivals → |
| influencedBy |
Boasian anthropology
→
|
| language |
English
→
|
| mainSubject |
African American culture
→
African cultural survivals in the Americas → African diaspora → race and culture → |
| methodology |
comparative study of African and African American cultures
→
ethnographic research → historical analysis → |
| publicationYear |
1941
→
|
| publisher |
Franz Boas’s intellectual circle (context of production)
→
|
| relatedConcept |
Africanisms in American culture
→
cultural continuity → cultural relativism → |
| relatedWork |
Life in a Haitian Valley
→
|
| subdiscipline |
African diaspora studies
→
cultural anthropology → |
| supportsClaim |
African Americans maintained cultural continuity with Africa
→
African cultural patterns persisted in the Americas → |
| timePeriodCovered |
Atlantic slave trade era
→
post-emancipation United States → |
Referenced by (2)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
Melville J. Herskovits
→
|
notableWork |
|
Rebel Destiny: Among the Bush Negroes of Dutch Guiana
→
|
relatedWork |