Esclavage -- Région caraïbe -- Histoire

Amérique -- Relations interethniques -- Histoire

In this provocative study, two anthropologists add a measured voice to the debate on the roots of African-American culture. Exploring the cultural ties between Africans and African-Americans, the authors argue that there was no single culture that enslaved Africans transported intact to the Americas. They suggest rather that enslaved Africans from many different societies began to forge out of common understandings and shared crises a new culture with distinct institutions, religious beliefs, and kinship roles even during the nightmare of the Middle Passage. This compelling look at the wellsprings of cultural vitality during one of the most dehumanizing experiences in history provides a fresh perspective on the African-American past.