Perhaps one of the greatest skills of African Americans before they were liberated from their shackles of slavery was the art of textile weaving. However, this was an ability that was not well known as historians lent their focus to their languages, practices and religious beliefs. Initially men would uphold the tradition of textile weaving, however after the Africans were sold as laborers on American [...]

The textile traditions of African peoples are less popular than their customs and traditions. This can be largely due to the fact that historians have focused on documenting other aspects of African American culture such as folk art, music, dance, or dialects. However, what is known can be traced back to the influence of four specific civilizations of Central and West Africa. These are the Mande-speaking [...]