African-American folktales

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African-American folktales are the storytelling and oral history of enslaved African Americans during the 1700s-1900s. Prevalent themes in African-American folktales include tricksters, life lessons, heartwarming tales, and slavery. African Americans created folktales that spoke about the hardships of slavery and told stories of folk spirits that could outwit their slaveholders and defeat their enemies. These folk stories gave hope to enslaved people that folk spirits would liberate them from slavery.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} However, sometimes these folktales would be used to perpetuate negative stereotypes about the African American community. As seen in Song of the South, African American folklore written by the whiet community during 18th century can be used to maintain these views.^[6] One of these heroes that they looked up to was the charming High John the Conqueror, who was a cunning trickster against his slave masters. He often empowered newly freed slaves, saying that if they needed him, his spirit would be in a local root.^[1][2][3] Other common figures in African-American folktales include Anansi, Brer Rabbit, and Uncle Monday. Many folktales are unique to African-American culture, while others are influenced by African, European, and Native American tales.^[7] Even today in Hip-Hop, we see the effects of African American Folklore. Tropes like Badman and Trickster have influenced the tropes and themes seen in modern day hip hop like gangsters and pimps.^[8]