Final essay

Culture as a complex concept that can greatly influence a person's identity. It can be identified or defined
as the learned, symbolic or at least partially adaptive and ever-changing patterns of behaviour and
meaning shared by members of a group. During apartheid being part of the black population was
associated with being inferior. This inferiority was also attributed to the cultures which black people
identified with. Black consciousness thinkers however, with the goal of influencing change towards
achieving a non-racial society, saw it most effective to influence this change on a cultural level, by
speaking towards a shift in how black culture was perceived; towards an empowerment of cultural
perception, thus an empowerment of cultural identity on both individual as well as group levels. This
essay seeks to explore how black consciousness thinkers attempted to recreate cultural identities and
whether their ideas remain relevant today. To make this argument I will begin by exploring culture as a
concept and cultural identities. Next I will analyse each concept with regards to the black consciousness
movement and how they sought to recreate cultural identities. After that I will discuss the relevance of
black consciousness ideas today. Finally, I will reflect on whether black consciousness thinkers truly did
change the notions of cultural identity.

I feel as if black consciousness thinkers were very influential in their attempts to change cultural
identities and I think that they were somewhat successful in those attempts, in certain aspects such as
influencing a positive view of black cultureAnd empowering black culture as a resulResult. I do
feelalthough I feel as if their efforts didid not to produce the results that they would have aimed for. I
would argue that there is something that is left to be desired in what they had aimed to achieve. The
dreams and goals have yet to be fully realized and it is very uncertain if they ever will be. In the world we
live in today the remains a strong prejudice against blackness and the image of being black and the
presence of black people in certain settings, there remains the Unwelcoming or distaste disfavor
reluctance disliking Aversion of black people or blackness or anything associated with blackness in
certain settings.

Race

with regards to changing cultural identities as far as race goes I feel that black consciousness established
a lasting legacy in the empowerment of blackness and black culture. With the establishment of concepts
such as black theology and ideas such as quote UN quote black is beautiful, there remainsa lasting
sentiment to please provide on being black and empowering black culture To this day. (evidence)

On the other hand I believe that there is still much to be desired as far as what they hope to achieve.
This still remains an inferiority complex amongst black people as far as giving in to a set sd of beauty that
is portrayed as desirable in the media. This leads to black people pursuing standards of beauty that are
foreign from their own. For example, the media portrays a standard of beauty of lightskin, fair skin and
long hair for women as being the paramount of beauty, this leads to black women bleaching their skin
and extending their hair artificially to resultantly resemble and unnatural image of water black women is
naturAlly known to look like. (Evidence)
Another Issue That black consciousness sought to address but still has yet to realise is the Eradication of
the The stigma of blackness and the inclusion of blacks amongst certain groups, mostly privileged ones.
There remains a great discrimination and aversion of the presence of blacks amongst groups that align
themselves with European ideals, due to these groups holding antiquated prejudices of blacks being
primitive or backwards. (Evidence)

Race

Gender

Age

Religion

Gender

with the success that they achieved in some areas, this came at the at the detriment of certain aspects
such as raising an awareness on women's rights anthe empowerment of women.

Culture is a concept

A concept is an idea

An idea is not tangible