From Imagining to Understanding the African American Experience

From Imagining to Understanding the African American Experience aids individuals in developing their “sociological imaginations” and to broaden their understanding of the “Sociology of the Black Experience,” particularly in the U.S. multicultural society. Although one book cannot provide the total experience of the Black Diaspora, this book provides a unique sociological exploration of the African American experience and how it has been specifically impacted by culprits such as enslavement and racism. The reality of enslavement and racism is deeply threaded throughout the fabric of the current state of African Americans and this threading must be understood. Blacks are still one of the most disadvantaged minority groups in the nation. Because “race” still matters in the United States, every section of this book explores the sociological impact of enslavement and racism on the experiences of Black Americans.

Moreover, this book provides a solid presentation of the different phases of the “Black Experience” in American society. As the book moves through each phase, beginning with the institution of enslavement itself, it explores the impact of enslavement and racism on major social institutions and social problems of black life (family, education, crime, etc.), right up to the present, to show how a life of enslavement has impacted every aspect of the black experience in America. Understanding enslavement provides the foundation for understanding Black Americans and therefore understanding America.

Chapter 1 introduces the main focus of the book, “the Sociology of the Black Experience” and describes “The Sociological Imagination,” which is a term coined by sociologist C. Wright Mills. The sociological imagination enables one to understand the events, painful or not, of personal troubles within the larger context of society. It enables one to understand the effect of social forces such as enslavement on people’s lives, and then allows one to understand how social forces shape people’s perspectives and experiences. Historically, this experience has been very excruciatingly painful for Black Americans, as is evident in their lives from enslavement to the present and everything in-between. Globally, others are beginning to recognize and appreciate the greatness of Africa. This amazing continent is more than just great wild animals, jungles, deserts, and tribes. It also has a legacy of enslavement which has linked it to the most powerful country in the world, The United States of America. Chapter 2 explores this most unique legacy and sets the stage for the remainder of the book. It focuses on the enslavement of Africans, which provides the foundation for understanding African Americans in the United States.

Chapter 3 describes the black experience from the Civil War to civil rights. It briefly explains the significance of the Civil War, and the period in American society known as Reconstruction, or the post slavery era. It concludes with a discussion of the great migration when thousands of Blacks left the South in search of better opportunities and to escape the Jim Crow oppression.

Chapter 4 picks up the black experience through the Civil Rights, Black Power, and Black Lives Matter Movements. It examines these major social movements which challenged the racist fabric of the United States of America. The first two movements pushed America to a collision with humanity and reality, the third picks up the momentum in the twenty-first century. Together they further served as a turning point in African American history and culture, which, as a result, became the most significant event for African Americans since the Civil War.

Chapter 5 and subsequent chapters examine the American society and its social structure, social institutions, and cultural aspects, as they relate to African Americans’ assimilation into a “different” America, which developed after the first two social movements. It specifically focuses on the black subculture and religion, concluding that the black church is still a dominant force in the black community.

Chapter 6 examines politics and the military. The appointment of General Colin Powell as the Secretary of State by the Republicans in 2001, and the historical elections of the nation’s first black president and commander-in-chief, President Barack Obama, by the Democrats in 2008 and 2012; followed by the historical election of the nation’s first black and first female vice president, Kamala Harris, in 2020; and the appointment of the first black female U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson, in 2022, show that if given the opportunity, Blacks can serve at the highest levels in America. However, like other social institutions, Blacks have not always enjoyed the freedom of politics and the military in America.

Like other aspects of society, the black community evolved as a response to historical events which led to its very unique cultural development. Some of these events impact the geographical locations, families, and health of Black Americans and their communities. Therefore, Chapter 7 examines the geographical locations of the black community, the families within them, and the health conditions of these families.

Chapter 8 examines social class, education, and employment. Just as Blacks developed a burning desire to reunite black families after the end of the Civil War, they also developed an urgent, strong sense of need to become educated, even against all odds. Without a doubt, the major handicap for most newly freed enslaved Africans was that most of them were illiterate and could not read, write, or comprehend written materials, since they were forbidden to become educated during enslavement.

Chapter 9 explores African American visual artists, literary authors and poets, and entertainers. These individuals have made tremendous contributions in their areas, yet many faced racism in America just like any ordinary African American. Clearly, “race” still matters more in America than social class.

Chapter 10 vividly describes being “BLACK” in America. Without a doubt, enslavement and racism have reinforced each other and together have unleashed paralytic toxins upon the experiences of Blacks in America since they first set foot on American soil. Yet, in spite of these toxins, and an excruciatingly painful experience, African Americans still found a way to survive against “all” odds. Therefore, this chapter concludes the major thrust of the book and focuses on the remaining aspects of the “Sociology of the Black Experience” in the United States. It describes what it means to be “BLACK” in America by discussing “the good, the bad, the ugly, and the magnificent” in the black culture.

Chapter 11 presents the stories of a selected group of individuals dubbed “BLACK INFLUENCERS” in the black community and society. These individuals serve as a testament that Blacks in America are truly exceptional and influential, in spite of enslavement and racism.

Leroy A. Durant