The Origins Of African-American Culture

243 Words1 Pages
Since the origins of African-American culture, white Americans have used and exploited black people, all while appropriating black culture. Kendrick Lamar exemplifies the polarization existing between cultures when he writes, “You hate my people, your plan is to terminate my culture/ You’re fuckin’ evil I want you to recognize that I’m a proud monkey” (27-28). “My culture” illustrates the disparity existing between blacks and whites, demonstrating a clear “them” and “us” relationship existing in the United States. This divide causes African-Americans to feel used and underappreciated, all the while, their culture is repetitively stolen and adopted by the white community. To “terminate” another culture means to gradually adopt that culture into