Music has always played a significant part in the development of the African American culture. In The Piano Lesson, a piano represented the African American history, heritage, and culture in the Charles family. Music was a personal expression of African Americans slaves that were oppressed by their slave owners. To the African American culture, music represented more than just entertainment. It was a means to preserve the history of the African American culture. The struggle to preserve African American heritage in the music industry is significant. Instead of preserving the music created by African Americans, the music industry did the opposite by accrediting the black music to white musicians. Nevertheless, what is significant is the internalized
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The African American culture is far from what they want to associate themselves, surely not preserve it. Boy Willie represents those that sell out their culture and history. He wants to sell the piano with his rich family history carved on it. He tells Lymon, “See all them pictures carved on it? You can get a nice price for that piano” (Wilson 9). There is no concern for his family’s history, which his father worked so hard to preserve. In “The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain,” the young Negro poet said “I want to be a poet—not a Negro poet” (Hughes) shows the mental attitude of not respecting their African American heritage. Although they strive to preserve, their history, heritage, and culture, African Americans themselves contribute to the non-preservation. African Americans build a mountain of racial prejudice among themselves, which does not promote unity and growth. This internalized racism is seen in how some black people want to be white. “He is never taught to see that beauty. He is taught rather not to see it, or if he does, to be ashamed of it when it is not according to Caucasian patterns” (Hughes). They disregard the African American culture let alone try to preserve it. In addition, spiritual hymns, the thread of the African American music, deserves the respect as a part of black music history. “A prominent Negro clubwoman refuses to pay to listen to a great black artist sing Negro folksongs. The upper class, Negro church that prefers the white people hymns rather than the black spirituals in its services” (Hughes). Although this is the case in the black community, singing has been a comforter and stress reliever in the past. Music helped them to get through the daily grind of hard work. Music was a soother and comforter for the slaves. Berneice played the piano to comfort her widowed mother. “When I played she could hear my daddy talking to her” (Wilson 70). So, the
The African American culture is far from what they want to associate themselves, surely not preserve it. Boy Willie represents those that sell out their culture and history. He wants to sell the piano with his rich family history carved on it. He tells Lymon, “See all them pictures carved on it? You can get a nice price for that piano” (Wilson 9). There is no concern for his family’s history, which his father worked so hard to preserve. In “The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain,” the young Negro poet said “I want to be a poet—not a Negro poet” (Hughes) shows the mental attitude of not respecting their African American heritage. Although they strive to preserve, their history, heritage, and culture, African Americans themselves contribute to the non-preservation. African Americans build a mountain of racial prejudice among themselves, which does not promote unity and growth. This internalized racism is seen in how some black people want to be white. “He is never taught to see that beauty. He is taught rather not to see it, or if he does, to be ashamed of it when it is not according to Caucasian patterns” (Hughes). They disregard the African American culture let alone try to preserve it. In addition, spiritual hymns, the thread of the African American music, deserves the respect as a part of black music history. “A prominent Negro clubwoman refuses to pay to listen to a great black artist sing Negro folksongs. The upper class, Negro church that prefers the white people hymns rather than the black spirituals in its services” (Hughes). Although this is the case in the black community, singing has been a comforter and stress reliever in the past. Music helped them to get through the daily grind of hard work. Music was a soother and comforter for the slaves. Berneice played the piano to comfort her widowed mother. “When I played she could hear my daddy talking to her” (Wilson 70). So, the