09/27/2025
Honoring Our Roots: 15 Cultural Practices Born from African American Creativity
Inside every note of jazz, every flavorful bite of soul food, and every line of vibrant poetry, there’s a story of resilience, innovation, and beauty. From the rhythmic call-and-response in music and the rich legacy of gospel, to the bold fashions, hair styles, dance moves, and linguistic turns that have shaped how we talk, dress, move, and express — these cultural practices aren’t borrowed, they are foundational.
They carry the echoes of centuries: from folkloric storytelling rooted in oral tradition, to how streetwear evolved as style and identity, from food traditions that survived oppression and migration, to art and language that continue to push boundaries. These cultural threads weave together something uniquely American — rich, complex, dynamic, powerful.
Renaissance Magazine celebrates these practices. We honor the innovators, the everyday creators, the traditions that persist, the trends that inspire, and the roots that ground us. Because culture isn’t just history — it’s heritage, voice, identity.
These 15 cultural practices highlight some of the immense contributions of Black and African American culture to society.
