From My People: 400 Years of African American Folklore

An essential introduction to and a magnificent celebration of African American life and culture. Folklore displays the heart and soul of a people. African American folklore not only hands down traditions and wisdom through the generations, it tells the history of a people who were banned from reading and writing during slavery. In this anthology, Daryl Cumber Dance collects a wealth of tales that have survived and been adapted throughout the years, many featuring characters (like Brer' Rabbit) and motifs from Africa. She leaves out no genre of folklore, including everything from proverbs and recipes to folk songs and rumors. She has a section on the unique style that African Americans have consciously fashioned, including works by and about Paul Laurence Dunbar, Zora Neale Hurston, and Jelly Roll Morton. Within the chapter on folk art, which includes a sixteen-page color insert, quilts, dolls, sculpture, and painting all get their due. From the famous to the anonymous, From My People is Dance's gift back to her culture.