In Review: The African American Cultural Narrative
Ours is an extraordinary history of trial, tribulation, and triumph that we must never, ever forget! This is the very story we must tell our children and future generations.
—Adrian A. Council Sr.
“The African American Cultural Narrative,” penned by Adrian A. Council Sr., recounts the experience and journey of African Americans in this country from the early 1600s to the election of President Barack Obama in 2008. The narrative, depicted in a poster, is a history lesson that begins with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863.
It is framed by images of President Abraham Lincoln, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Maya Angelou, President Barack Obama, and Whitney Houston—individuals who symbolize the history and legacy of the African American cultural narrative in history, politics, literature, and music.
Council declares that on Emancipation Proclamation Day, the African American community of the United States was born. The symbolism of what this meant for enslaved African Americans is powerful, although we understand it is only symbolic, as Africans and African Americans have been part of the United States since before the first enslaved Africans were brought to these shores. They laid the foundation for the building of institutions and the economic structure of this powerful country called America.
It is clear that Council’s intent is to draw attention to what emancipation meant, and how this first public declaration of freedom for African Americans ushered in 100 years of Reconstruction, the Great Migration, Jim Crow laws, the Civil Rights Movement, and ultimately what the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. referred to as the Second Emancipation.
Many may not have heard of the Second Emancipation. This was an executive order that Dr. King and other leaders of the Civil Rights Movement urged President John F. Kennedy to issue, using the full powers of his office. The intent was for it to align with the 1963 March on Washington and to become a law that would strike down and end segregation. President Kennedy asked civil rights leaders to draft a document for his signature on the eighth anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, on May 17, 1962; however, he ultimately did not issue the order and avoided future centennial celebrations of the Emancipation. As a result, the formal end to segregation did not come until the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964.
Council reminds readers that the election of the first Black president in 2008, 40 years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, was a pivotal and significant moment in the African American struggle for human dignity, sacrifice, and the celebration of Black cultural heritage in history, literature, music, and the arts.
“The African American Cultural Narrative” is also vividly portrayed in videos capturing the celebration of Emancipation Proclamation programs sponsored by The Positive Community.
The messages in the African American Cultural Narrative poster and videos emphasize the resilience of Black people and include maxims such as:
- “Each one of us is responsible for the uplifting of our people;”
- “We need to create systems of change that will endure;” and
- “We must resist, agitate, and pray.”
Council’s video, The Cultural Literacy Initiative: A New Language of Freedom, suggests a way for the Black community to embrace this narrative. In the video, a young man asks, What if we had a goal that every child could read, write, and comprehend “The African American Cultural Narrative” by the age of 13? This is, indeed, a goal to which our community can aspire.
